--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How often have I said to you that when…" description: "\"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?\" — Arthur Conan Doyle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdd/arthur-conan-doyle-273_impossible_how-often-have-i-said-to-you-that-when-y_3233071.jpg" --- # How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated… ![“How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?” quote by Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdd/arthur-conan-doyle-273_impossible_how-often-have-i-said-to-you-that-when-y_3233071.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdd/arthur-conan-doyle-273_impossible_how-often-have-i-said-to-you-that-when-y_3233071.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdd/arthur-conan-doyle-273_impossible_how-often-have-i-said-to-you-that-when-y_3233071.jpg) > “How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?” [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When all impossible explanations are removed, the remaining unlikely one must be accepted as truth. **In simple terms:** Eliminate impossibilities to find truth. Key Takeaway Apply logical elimination in problem‑solving. Themes logic deduction investigation truth Mood analytical inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - crime solving - medical diagnosis - engineering troubleshooting - research analysis Key Concepts critical thinking philosophy science Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions are you overlooking? - How do you handle uncertainty? A Different Perspective Complex problems may have multiple plausible answers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Improbable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improbable/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/when-you-have-eliminated-all-which-is-impossible-then-whatever/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-have-eliminated-the-impossible-whatever-remains-however/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As Sherlock Holmes famously said, “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grann/as-sherlock-holmes-famously-said-when-you-have-eliminated-the/) [David Grann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grann/) > [It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/it-is-an-old-maxim-of-mine-that-when-you-have-excluded-the-impossible/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramandeep-singh/when-you-eliminate-the-impossible-whatever-remains-however-improbable/) [Ramandeep Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramandeep-singh/) > [“What was the Sherlock Holmes principle? ‘Once you have discounted the impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.’ ” “I reject…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/what-was-the-sherlock-holmes-principle-once-you-have-discounted-the/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Sherlock Holmes observed that once you have eliminated the impossible then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the answer. I, however, do not like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/sherlock-holmes-observed-that-once-you-have-eliminated-the-impossible/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherlock-holmes/once-you-have-eliminated-the-impossible-whatever-remains-no-matter/) [Sherlock Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherlock-holmes/) > [“When all else has been discarded, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-preston/when-all-else-has-been-discarded-whatever-remains-however-improbable/) [Douglas Preston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-preston/) > [“When the impossible is eliminated, whatever remains, however improbable, is the solution ... unless you're mistaken as to just what is and what isn't impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-w-knowles/when-the-impossible-is-eliminated-whatever-remains-however-improbable/) Thomas W. 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I ejaculated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/wonderful-i-ejaculated/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [Amberley excelled at chess - a mark, Watson, of a scheming mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/amberley-excelled-at-chess-a-mark-watson-of-a-scheming-mind/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [Ex-Professor Moriarty of mathematical celebrity... is the Napoleon of crime, Watson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/ex-professor-moriarty-of-mathematical-celebrity-is-the-napoleon-of/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [“When a doctor does go wrong, he is the first of criminals. 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