proverb · Words worth keeping
The tempter is the greater rogue.
The tempter is the greater rogue.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Someone who encourages another person’s wrongdoing can bear serious responsibility. The saying turns attention toward influence rather than only the final actor.
Example
A manager pressures a worker to falsify a report, and an inquiry examines that instruction as well as the worker’s action.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Calling the tempter the greater rogue challenges an account that blames only the person who carried out the act. It can expose pressure, manipulation or incentives supplied by someone else. The comparative claim should not be treated as a fixed ranking of guilt. A careful reading examines what each person knew, chose and controlled, while distinguishing persuasion from coercion and keeping the harm in view.
When to use it
Use it to examine responsibility for encouraging or pressuring harmful conduct.
Keep in mind
Responsibility depends on the circumstances; this is not a rule of legal liability.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English