---
title: "1 Theory Explains Quotes By John McCarthy"
description: "1 Theory Explains quotes by John McCarthy. Plus more from John McCarthy and more Theory Explains sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/john-mccarthy-14699_abandon_never-abandon-a-theory-that-explains-som_166244.jpg"
---

> [Never abandon a theory that explains something until you have a theory that explains more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/never-abandon-a-theory-that-explains-something-until-you-have-a/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/john-mccarthy-14699_abandon_never-abandon-a-theory-that-explains-som_166244.jpg)

## More by John McCarthy

> [Self-righteousness has killed more people than smoking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/self-righteousness-has-killed-more-people-than-smoking/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

> [“All travel is, after all, a journey in time & in mind… physical landscapes are a mirror of, or perhaps a key into, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/all-travel-is-after-all-a-journey-in-time-in-mind-physical-landscapes/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

> [Never abandon a theory that explains something until you have a theory that explains more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/never-abandon-a-theory-that-explains-something-until-you-have-a/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

> [An extreme optimist is a man who believes that humanity will probably survive even if it doesn't take his advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/an-extreme-optimist-is-a-man-who-believes-that-humanity-will-probably/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

> [A declining institution often experiences survival of the unfittest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/a-declining-institution-often-experiences-survival-of-the-unfittest/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

> [We modern Marxists regard socialism as a historically brief transitional stage between feudalism and capitalism, necessary only in backward countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/we-modern-marxists-regard-socialism-as-a-historically-brief/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

> [If a person can be said to have the wrong attitude, there is no need to pay attention to his arguments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/if-a-person-can-be-said-to-have-the-wrong-attitude-there-is-no-need/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

> [His ambition is to be the spider in the World Wide Web.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/his-ambition-is-to-be-the-spider-in-the-world-wide-web/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

> [Amateur bureaucrats are often even worse than professional bureaucrats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/amateur-bureaucrats-are-often-even-worse-than-professional-bureaucrats/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

> [When I see a slippery slope, my instinct is to build a terrace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/when-i-see-a-slippery-slope-my-instinct-is-to-build-a-terrace/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

> [The slogan was 'Don't trust anyone over thirty'. Sixty years later the slogan became, 'Don't trust anyone over ninety'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/the-slogan-was-don-t-trust-anyone-over-thirty-sixty-years-later-the/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

> [He who refuses to do arithmetic is doomed to talk nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/he-who-refuses-to-do-arithmetic-is-doomed-to-talk-nonsense/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

> [Don't try to talk anyone out of concentrating his hatred on Ayn Rand or any other dead person. It can't harm the dead. Diverted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/don-t-try-to-talk-anyone-out-of-concentrating-his-hatred-on-ayn-rand/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

> [Language is froth on the surface of thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/language-is-froth-on-the-surface-of-thought/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

> [When thugs by nature meet thugs by political conviction, 5-0 is not surprising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/when-thugs-by-nature-meet-thugs-by-political-conviction-5-0-is-not/)

[John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/)

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