Endure Quote by Charles Darwin
“False facts are highly injurious to the progress of science, for they often endure long; but false views, if supported by some evidence, do little harm, for every one takes a salutary pleasure in proving their falseness.”
About This Quote
Source Letter to a colleague, 1860
False facts harm scientific progress, but false theories backed by evidence cause little damage because people enjoy disproving them.
In simple terms: Wrong facts hurt science; false theories are less harmful.
Key Takeaway
Focus on correcting facts, not just theories.
Themes
science
error
knowledge
Mood
inquisitive
skeptical
Type
analytical
educational
When to use this quote
- research
- education
- public policy
Key Concepts
philosophy of science
critical thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance correcting facts vs. theories?
- What motivates people to debunk falsehoods?
A Different Perspective
Some false theories can mislead if widely accepted.
![“If we consider that all we deal with represents constantly changing sub-microscopic, interrelated processes which are not, and cannot be identical with themselves, the old dictum that everything is identical with itself becomes in [todays understanding of the universe] a principle invariably false…” quote by Alfred Korzybski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8cc/alfred-korzybski-8234_law_if-we-consider-that-all-we-deal-with-rep_2281921.jpg)
![“I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science…It is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many flaw[s] & holes as sound parts.” quote by Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/958/charles-darwin-507_bounds_i-am-quite-conscious-that-my-speculation_35382.jpg)
