--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a safe rule to apply that, when a…" description: "\"It is a safe rule to apply that, when a mathematical or philosophical author writes with a misty profundity, he is talking nonsense.\" — Alfred North Wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/alfred-north-whitehead-836_english-language_it-is-a-safe-rule-to-apply-that-when-a-m_2597474.png" --- # It is a safe rule to apply that, when a mathematical or… ![“It is a safe rule to apply that, when a mathematical or philosophical author writes with a misty profundity, he is talking nonsense.” quote by Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/alfred-north-whitehead-836_english-language_it-is-a-safe-rule-to-apply-that-when-a-m_2597474.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/alfred-north-whitehead-836_english-language_it-is-a-safe-rule-to-apply-that-when-a-m_2597474.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/alfred-north-whitehead-836_english-language_it-is-a-safe-rule-to-apply-that-when-a-m_2597474.png) > “It is a safe rule to apply that, when a mathematical or philosophical author writes with a misty profundity, he is talking nonsense.” [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When authors use vague, overly deep language, they often lack substance. **In simple terms:** Obscure language can hide nonsense. Key Takeaway Seek clarity over pretension. Themes critical thinking communication philosophy Mood skeptical analytical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - academic reading - public speaking - writing - debate Key Concepts obfuscation clarity intellectual honesty Questions to Reflect On - When is dense language justified? - How can you test for substance? A Different Perspective Some complex ideas genuinely require nuanced language. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [English language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-language/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Mathematical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematical/) [Misty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misty/) [Misty Profundity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misty-profundity-1915780/) [Nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonsense/) [Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical/) [Philosophical Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical-author-1915779/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Profundity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profundity/) [Profundity Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profundity-talking-1915781/) [Safe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safe/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Talking nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking-nonsense/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-every-province-the-chief-occupations-in-order-of-importance-are/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [When people talk of atoms obeying fixed laws, they are either ascribing some kind of intelligence and free will to atoms or they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/when-people-talk-of-atoms-obeying-fixed-laws-they-are-either/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [“He doesn't have to talk nonsense in a whisper in your ear," Jared said. "As opposed to talking nonsense in a whisper in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/he-doesn-t-have-to-talk-nonsense-in-a-whisper-in-your-ear-jared-said/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [Happy the boy whose mother is tired of talking nonsense to him before he is old enough to know the sense of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-hare/happy-the-boy-whose-mother-is-tired-of-talking-nonsense-to-him-before/) [Augustus Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-hare/) > [“How is it that Asians and Westerners can look at the exact same classroom interactions, and one group will label it “class participation” and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/how-is-it-that-asians-and-westerners-can-look-at-the-exact-same/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [I'm not a showbiz person. I just enjoy talking nonsense on the radio. 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Could we understand half what mothers say and do to their infants,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-william-hare/it-is-well-for-us-that-we-are-born-babies-in-intellect-could-we/) [Augustus William Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-william-hare/) > [Theology is that discipline whereby we stop talking nonsense about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-mccabe/theology-is-that-discipline-whereby-we-stop-talking-nonsense-about-god/) [Herbert McCabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-mccabe/) > [“‎" You think I am attacking them for talking nonsense? Not a bit! I like them to talk nonsense. That's man's one privilege over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-think-i-am-attacking-them-for-talking-nonsense-not-a-bit-i-like/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Employees hate meetings because they reveal that self-promotion, sycophancy, dissimulation and constantly talking nonsense in a loud confident voice are more impressive than merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-foley/employees-hate-meetings-because-they-reveal-that-self-promotion/) [Michael Foley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-foley/) > [“If you don't attend, Gwendolen," said the mistress, "and stop looking out of the window, I shall have to give you an order-mark." "But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-you-don-t-attend-gwendolen-said-the-mistress-and-stop-looking-out/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/many-orthodox-people-speak-as-though-it-were-the-business-of-sceptics/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The prejudice many photographers have against colour photography comes from not thinking of colour as form. You can say things with colour that can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/the-prejudice-many-photographers-have-against-colour-photography/) [Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/) ## More by Alfred North Whitehead > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Philosophy begins in wonder. And, at the end, when philosophic thought has done its best, the wonder remains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/philosophy-begins-in-wonder-and-at-the-end-when-philosophic-thought/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [The pursuit of mathematics is a divine madness of the human spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/the-pursuit-of-mathematics-is-a-divine-madness-of-the-human-spirit/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Without adventure all civilization is full of decay. Adventure rarely reaches its predetermined end. Columbus never reached China.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/without-adventure-all-civilization-is-full-of-decay-adventure-rarely/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Aristotle discovered all the half-truths which were necessary to the creation of science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/aristotle-discovered-all-the-half-truths-which-were-necessary-to-the/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [On the ostensible exactitude of certain branches of human knowledge, including mathematics. The exactness is a fake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/on-the-ostensible-exactitude-of-certain-branches-of-human-knowledge/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [It is this union of passionate interest in the detailed facts with equal devotion to abstract generalisation which forms the novelty in our present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/it-is-this-union-of-passionate-interest-in-the-detailed-facts-with/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Our minds are finite, and yet even in these circumstances of infinitude we are surrounded by possibilities that are infinite, and the purpose of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/our-minds-are-finite-and-yet-even-in-these-circumstances-of/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [The many become one and are increased by one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/the-many-become-one-and-are-increased-by-one/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Art is the imposing of a pattern on experience, and our aesthetic enjoyment is recognition of the pattern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/art-is-the-imposing-of-a-pattern-on-experience-and-our-aesthetic/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [The future belongs to those who can rise above the confines of the earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/the-future-belongs-to-those-who-can-rise-above-the-confines-of-the/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Common sense is genius in homespun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/common-sense-is-genius-in-homespun/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Everyone is a philosopher. Not everyone is good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/everyone-is-a-philosopher-not-everyone-is-good-at-it/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Do not teach too many subjects and what you teach, teach thoroughly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/do-not-teach-too-many-subjects-and-what-you-teach-teach-thoroughly/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them. Operations of thought are cavalry charges in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/civilization-advances-by-extending-the-number-of-important-operations/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) [Explore all 356 Alfred North Whitehead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) ## More English language quotes > [“Fine’s a funny word, don’t you think? I don’t think there’s another like it in the English language that says so much while actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-chase/fine-s-a-funny-word-don-t-you-think-i-don-t-think-there-s-another/) [Emma Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-chase/) > [The language we share is at the core of our identity as citizens, and our ticket to full participation in American political life. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-language-we-share-is-at-the-core-of-our-identity-as-citizens-and/) [S. I. 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Once all the context items are in place, this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiro-adachi/hear-me-now-or-regret-it-later-everything-you-write-must-be-read/) [Jiro Adachi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiro-adachi/) > [It was Ronald Reagan who used to say that the 10 most frightening words in the English language are, "I'm from the federal government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/it-was-ronald-reagan-who-used-to-say-that-the-10-most-frightening/) [P. J. 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