Everest Quote by Ari Fleischer
“There is already a mountain of evidence that Saddam Hussein is gathering weapons for the purpose of using them. And adding additional information is like adding a foot to Mount Everest”
About This Quote
Source Press Briefing, White House, 2003
Evidence of Saddam’s weapons program is overwhelming; adding more data is redundant, like unnecessarily extending an already massive mountain.
In simple terms: Evidence is already massive; extra data is redundant.
Key Takeaway
Recognize when evidence is sufficient.
Themes
politics
military
evidence
Mood
analytical
cautious
Type
political
strategic
When to use this quote
- policy decisions
- intelligence analysis
- public statements
Key Concepts
overconfidence
information overload
Questions to Reflect On
- When is enough evidence enough?
- How to avoid data overload in decision making?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on quantity can obscure quality of analysis.
![“Because it is there [famous explanation for wanting to climb Mount Everest].” quote by George Leigh Mallory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/602/george-leigh-mallory-29300_climbs_because-it-is-there-famous-explanation-f_125998.jpg)
![“I've often thought about that and the only suitable member to join me on that climb [to Everest] was George Lowe: he was strong, a good man on a mountain, with a great sense of humour, and I liked that. I think George and I could've done that together ... I've probably never told George that.” quote by Edmund Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/165/edmund-hillary-3760_climbs_i-ve-often-thought-about-that-and-the-on_12447.jpg)
