Difficulty Quote by Augustus De Morgan
“Lagrange, in one of the later years of his life, imagined that he had overcome the difficulty (of the parallel axiom). He went so far as to write a paper, which he took with him to the Institute, and began to read it. But in the first paragraph something struck him that he had not observed: he muttered: 'Il faut que j'y songe encore', and put the paper in his pocket.' [I must think about it again]”
About This Quote
Source Historical: Biography of Joseph-Louis Lagrange, 19th century
Lagrange recognized a flaw in his work, paused to reconsider, and set aside the paper, showing humility in scholarship.
In simple terms: He realized he needed to rethink his ideas before proceeding.
Key Takeaway
Pause and reflect before finalizing complex work.
Themes
humility
reflection
intellectual honesty
perseverance
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
cautious
Type
philosophical
educational
historical
When to use this quote
- research
- writing
- problem solving
- academic review
Key Concepts
critical thinking
self‑correction
mathematical rigor
Questions to Reflect On
- When should we trust our intuition versus re‑examining?
- How do we avoid endless loops of doubt?
A Different Perspective
Over‑analysis can stall progress if not balanced with action.
![“Imagine a person with a gift of ridicule [He might say] First that a negative quantity has no logarithm; secondly that a negative quantity has no square root; thirdly that the first non-existent is to the second as the circumference of a circle is to the diameter.” quote by Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/17f/augustus-de-morgan-18916_circles_imagine-a-person-with-a-gift-of-ridicule_136734.jpg)
![“As to writing another book on geometry [to replace Euclid] the middle ages would have as soon thought of composing another New Testament.” quote by Augustus De Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ed4/augustus-de-morgan-18916_age_as-to-writing-another-book-on-geometry-t_584350.jpg)
