Knowledge rests not upon truth alone, but upon error also.

The aphorism captures a core epistemic insight often associated with Jung’s broader psychological outlook: human understanding advances through missteps as well as correct perceptions. “Error” is not merely a defect to be eliminated; it is part of the process by which the psyche tests hypotheses, confronts projections, and revises inadequate models of self and world. In this sense, knowledge is cumulative and corrective—built from the tension between what proves workable (or true) and what fails. The line also resonates with Jung’s emphasis on integrating the shadow: acknowledging mistakes and distortions can be psychologically and intellectually productive, because it reveals hidden assumptions and expands consciousness.