It is not enough for theory to describe and analyze, it must itself be an event in the universe it describes. In order to do this theory must partake of and become the acceleration of this logic. It must tear itself from all referents and take pride only in the future. Theory must operate on time at the cost of a deliberate distortion of present reality.
—Jean Baudrillard (1929–2007) French Sociologist, Philosopher
Most of our assumptions have outlived their uselessness.
—Marshall Mcluhan (1911–80) Canadian Writer, Thinker, Educator
Treat with utmost respect your power of forming opinions, for this power alone guards you against making assumptions that are contrary to nature and judgments that overthrow the rule of reason.
—Marcus Aurelius (121–180) Emperor of Rome, Stoic Philosopher
A speculator is a man who observes the future, and acts before it occurs.
—Bernard M. Baruch (1870–1965) American Financier, Economic Consultant
Creating a new theory is not like destroying an old barn and erecting a skyscraper in its place. It is rather like climbing a mountain, gaining new and wider views, discovering unexpected connections between our starting points and its rich environment. But the point from which we started out still exists and can be seen, although it appears smaller and forms a tiny part of our broad view gained by the mastery of the obstacles on our adventurous way up.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
Good tests kill flawed theories; we remain alive to guess again.
—Karl Popper (1902–94) Austrian-born British Philosopher
The wise man regulates his conduct by the theories both of religion and science. But he regards these theories not as statements of ultimate fact but as art-forms.
—J. B. S. Haldane (1892–1964) British Biologist, Geneticist
The temptation to form premature theories upon insufficient data is the bane of our profession.
—Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) Scottish Writer
What most people don’t seem to realize is that there is just as much money to be made out of the wreckage of a civilization as from the upbuilding of one.
—Margaret Mitchell (1900–49) American Novelist, Journalist
Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light won’t come in.
—Alan Alda (b.1936) American Actor, TV Personality, Screenwriter
There are two times in a man’s life when he shouldn’t speculate: when he can afford to and when he can’t.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
A theory is the more impressive the greater is the simplicity of its premises, the more different are the kinds of things it relates and the more extended the range of its applicability.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
Even for practical purposes theory generally turns out the most important thing in the end.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841–1935) American Jurist, Author
Our minds have the need to know. When we don’t know we make assumptions – they make us feel safer than not knowing. And we are pretty much always making assumptions.
—Miguel Angel Ruiz (b.1952) Mexican Spiritualist Author
The way to keep yourself from making assumptions is to ask questions.
—Miguel Angel Ruiz (b.1952) Mexican Spiritualist Author
A young man is a theory, an old man is a fact.
—E. W. Howe (1853–1937) American Novelist, Editor
There never comes a point where a theory can be said to be true. The most that one can claim for any theory is that it has shared the successes of all its rivals and that it has passed at least one test which they have failed.
—A. J. Ayer (1910–89) English Philosopher
It is always better to ask then to make an assumption.
—Miguel Angel Ruiz (b.1952) Mexican Spiritualist Author
The world can doubtless never be well known by theory: practice is absolutely necessary; but surely it is of great use to a young man, before he sets out for that country, full of mazes, windings, and turnings, to have at least a general map of it, made by some experienced traveler.
—Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773) English Statesman, Man of Letters
We simply assume that the way we see things is the way they really are or the way they should be. And our attitudes and behaviors grow out of these assumptions.
—Stephen Covey (1932–2012) American Self-help Author
No theory is good unless it permits, not rest, but the greatest work. No theory is good except on condition that one use it to go on beyond.
—Andre Gide (1869–1951) French Novelist
The psychological context of dream-contents consists in the web of associations in which the dream is naturally embedded. Theoretically we can never know anything in advance about this web, but in practice it is sometimes possible, granted long enough experience. Even so, careful analysis will never rely too much on technical rules; the danger of deception and suggestion is too great. In the analysis of isolated dreams above all, this kind of knowing in advance and making assumptions on the grounds of practical expectation or general probability is positively wrong. It should therefore be an absolute rule to assume that every dream, and every part of a dream, is unknown at the outset, and to attempt an interpretation only after carefully taking up the context. We can then apply the meaning we have thus discovered to the text of the dream itself and see whether this yields a fluent reading, or rather whether a satisfying meaning emerges.
—Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) Swiss Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Philosopher
Socrates thought and so do I that the wisest theory about the gods is no theory at all.
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) French Essayist
You must stick to your conviction, but be ready to abandon your assumptions.
—Denis Waitley (b.1933) American Motivational Speaker, Author
If the world were good for nothing else, it is a fine subject for speculation.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
Theories are always very thin and insubstantial, experience only is tangible.
—Hosea Ballou (1771–1852) American Theologian
A conception not reducible to the small change of daily experience is like a currency not exchangeable for articles of consumption; it is not a symbol, but a fraud.
—George Santayana (1863–1952) Spanish-American Poet, Philosopher
A theory is no more like a fact than a photograph is like a person.
—E. W. Howe (1853–1937) American Novelist, Editor
To insure the adoration of a theorem for any length of time, faith is not enough, a police force is needed as well.
—Albert Camus (1913–60) Algerian-born French Philosopher, Dramatist, Essayist, Novelist, Author
Some theories are good for nothing except to be argued about.
—Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–99) German Philosopher, Physicist
The world always makes the assumption that the exposure of an error is identical with the discovery of truth—that the error and truth are simply opposite. They are nothing of the sort. What the world turns to, when it is cured on one error, is usually simply another error, and maybe one worse than the first one.
—H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) American Journalist, Literary Critic
In order to shake a hypothesis, it is sometimes not necessary to do anything more than push it as far as it will go.
—Denis Diderot (1713–84) French Philosopher, Writer
It is theory that decides what can be observed.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
When speculation has done its worst, two and two still make four.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Let us work without theorizing, ‘Tis the only way to make life endurable.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
Every State has a natural right in cases not within the compact casus non faederis to nullify of their own authority all assumptions of power by others within their limits. Without this right, they would be under the dominion, absolute and unlimited, of whosoever might exercise this right of judgment for them
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
Speculation is only a word covering the making of money out of the manipulation of prices, instead of supplying goods and services.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
Unaware of the absurdity of it, we introduce our own petty household rules into the economy of the universe for which the life of generations, peoples, of entire planets, has no importance in relation to the general development.
—Alexander Herzen (1812–70) Russian Revolutionary, Writer
Delight at having understood a very abstract and obscure system leads most people to believe in the truth of what it demonstrates.
—Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–99) German Philosopher, Physicist
I never guess. It is a shocking habit—destructive to the logical faculty.
—Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) Scottish Writer