Did Vivekananda say "The greatest sin is to think..."?

In his words

Yes. Swami Vivekananda said this in Recorded by Miss S. E. Waldo (a Disciple) (Complete Works, vol 7). It survives in class notes taken by a disciple, which the Complete Works prints.

The version people share

“The greatest sin is to think yourself weak.”

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What he said

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The greatest sin is to think yourself weak

More in his words

Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.

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Be strong, my young friends; that is my advice to you.

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Questions people ask

Is "The greatest sin is to think..." in the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda?

Yes. Swami Vivekananda said this in Recorded by Miss S. E. Waldo (a Disciple) (Complete Works, vol 7). It survives in class notes taken by a disciple, which the Complete Works prints.

How do you check a Vivekananda quote?

Search a distinctive phrase in the Complete Works (Advaita Ashrama, nine volumes; the text is on ramakrishnavivekananda.info and Wikisource). If only quote sites carry it, with no volume or lecture named, treat it as unverified.

Sources and method

Matched against The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Mayavati Memorial Edition, vols 1 to 8 (9,239 paragraphs, Bengali translations checked separately), with Python difflib. In his words: 90 or more out of 100. Paraphrase: 70 to 90. Not in his works: under 70, and no hit in a phrase search of Wikisource across all volumes, including vol 9. This line scored 100.