---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Contrary to the rules of philosophers of…"
description: "\"“Contrary to the rules of philosophers of science, who advise testing hypotheses by trying to refute them, people (and scientists, quite often) seek da..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e19/daniel-kahneman-431_philosophy_contrary-to-the-rules-of-philosophers-of_2199331.jpg"
---

#  Contrary to the rules of philosophers of science, who…

![“Contrary to the rules of philosophers of science, who advise testing hypotheses by trying to refute them, people (and scientists, quite often) seek data that are likely to be compatible with the beliefs they currently hold.” quote by Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e19/daniel-kahneman-431_philosophy_contrary-to-the-rules-of-philosophers-of_2199331.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e19/daniel-kahneman-431_philosophy_contrary-to-the-rules-of-philosophers-of_2199331.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e19/daniel-kahneman-431_philosophy_contrary-to-the-rules-of-philosophers-of_2199331.jpg)

> ““Contrary to the rules of philosophers of science, who advise testing hypotheses by trying to refute them, people (and scientists, quite often) seek data that are likely to be compatible with the beliefs they currently hold.””

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People tend to favor evidence that confirms their existing beliefs rather than seeking disconfirming data.

**In simple terms:** We look for data that fits what we already think.

Key Takeaway

Beware confirmation bias in research and decisions.

Themes

cognitive bias science decision making

Mood

reflective critical analytical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- research design
- policy analysis
- personal decision making
- media consumption

Key Concepts

confirmation bias hypothesis testing belief perseverance

Questions to Reflect On

- How does confirmation bias affect your daily choices?
- What strategies can reduce it?

A Different Perspective

People may overlook contradictory evidence, leading to flawed conclusions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/)

## Related quotes

> [Philosophers of science constantly discuss theories and representation of reality, but say almost nothing about experiment, technology, or the use of knowledge to alter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-hacking/philosophers-of-science-constantly-discuss-theories-and/)

[Ian Hacking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-hacking/)

> [Evidence-based reasoning underpins all scientific thinking, and it involves testing hypotheses or theories against data. Validating a theory requires replicable measurements from independent groups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/evidence-based-reasoning-underpins-all-scientific-thinking-and-it/)

[Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

> [Experimental investigation, to borrow a phrase employed by Kepler respecting the testing of hypotheses, is "a very great thief of time." Sometimes it costs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-draper/experimental-investigation-to-borrow-a-phrase-employed-by-kepler/)

[John William Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-william-draper/)

> [It is generally agreed by philosophers of science that important contributions which have a revolutionary impact on science are often methodologically inadequate, reveal many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-eysenck/it-is-generally-agreed-by-philosophers-of-science-that-important/)

[Hans Eysenck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-eysenck/)

> [“Despite such significant departures from the antimetaphysical and ahistorical heritage of the Vienna Circle, it still cannot be said that philosophers of science have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-sheehan/despite-such-significant-departures-from-the-antimetaphysical-and/)

Helena Sheehan

> [Philosophers of science have repeatedly demonstrated that more than one theoretical construction can always be placed upon a given collection of data.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-kuhn/philosophers-of-science-have-repeatedly-demonstrated-that-more-than/)

[Thomas Kuhn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-kuhn/)

> [Beware of the problem of testing too many hypotheses; the more you torture the data, the more likely they are to confess, but confessions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-stigler/beware-of-the-problem-of-testing-too-many-hypotheses-the-more-you/)

Stephen Stigler

> [“Everything you do in customer development is centered around testing hypotheses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-alvarez/everything-you-do-in-customer-development-is-centered-around-testing/)

[Cindy Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-alvarez/)

> [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/)

[Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/)

> [“This is what is called "honor among thieves," for the really dangerous people are those who do not recognize that they are thieves— the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/this-is-what-is-called-honor-among-thieves-for-the-really-dangerous/)

[Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/)

> [No philosophy, no religion, has ever brought so glad a message to the world as this good news of Atheism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/no-philosophy-no-religion-has-ever-brought-so-glad-a-message-to-the/)

[Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/)

> [“It takes tremendous courage, persistence, and perseverance to pursue your ultimate purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/it-takes-tremendous-courage-persistence-and-perseverance-to-pursue/)

[Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/)

> [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/)

Taf Teh

> [“MIND &amp; GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/)

[Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/)

## More by Daniel Kahneman

> [Economists think about what people ought to do. Psychologists watch what they actually do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/economists-think-about-what-people-ought-to-do-psychologists-watch/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“Belief in the Law of Small Numbers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/belief-in-the-law-of-small-numbers/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“People who are poor think like traders, but the dynamics are quite different. Unlike traders, the poor are not indifferent to the differences between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/people-who-are-poor-think-like-traders-but-the-dynamics-are-quite/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“Mood evidently affects the operation of System 1: when we are uncomfortable and unhappy, we lose touch with our intuition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/mood-evidently-affects-the-operation-of-system-1-when-we-are/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [The confidence that individuals have in their beliefs depends mostly on the quality of the story they can tell about what they see, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-confidence-that-individuals-have-in-their-beliefs-depends-mostly/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“So this is my aim for watercooler conversations: improve the ability to identify and understand errors of judgment and choice, in others and eventually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/so-this-is-my-aim-for-watercooler-conversations-improve-the-ability/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“For example, I recently came to doubt my long-held impression that adultery is more common among politicians than among physicians or lawyers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/for-example-i-recently-came-to-doubt-my-long-held-impression-that/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [Survival prospects are poor for an animal that is not suspicious of novelty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/survival-prospects-are-poor-for-an-animal-that-is-not-suspicious-of/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“the idea of money primes individualism: a reluctance to be involved with others, to depend on others, or to accept demands from others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-idea-of-money-primes-individualism-a-reluctance-to-be-involved/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [Most of the moments of our life - and I calculated, you know, the psychological present is said to be about three seconds long;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/most-of-the-moments-of-our-life-and-i-calculated-you-know-the/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“knowing little makes it easier to fit everything you know into a coherent pattern.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/knowing-little-makes-it-easier-to-fit-everything-you-know-into-a/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [Experts don't know exactly where the boundaries of their expertise are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/experts-don-t-know-exactly-where-the-boundaries-of-their-expertise-are/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [All of us would be better investors if we just made fewer decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/all-of-us-would-be-better-investors-if-we-just-made-fewer-decisions/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“The best we can do is a compromise: learn to recognize situations in which mistakes are likely and try harder to avoid significant mistakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-best-we-can-do-is-a-compromise-learn-to-recognize-situations-in/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“A happy mood loosens the control of System 2 over performance: when in a good mood, people become more intuitive and more creative but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/a-happy-mood-loosens-the-control-of-system-2-over-performance-when-in/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

[Explore all 560 Daniel Kahneman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

## More Philosophy quotes

> [“MIND &amp; GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/)

[Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/)

> [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/)

Taf Teh

> [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [“It takes tremendous courage, persistence, and perseverance to pursue your ultimate purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/it-takes-tremendous-courage-persistence-and-perseverance-to-pursue/)

[Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/)

> [No philosophy, no religion, has ever brought so glad a message to the world as this good news of Atheism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/no-philosophy-no-religion-has-ever-brought-so-glad-a-message-to-the/)

[Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/)

> [“This is what is called "honor among thieves," for the really dangerous people are those who do not recognize that they are thieves— the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/this-is-what-is-called-honor-among-thieves-for-the-really-dangerous/)

[Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/)

> [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/)

[Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/)

> [“If you start and persist you will succeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/if-you-start-and-persist-you-will-succeed/)

[Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/)

> [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/)

[Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/)

> [“I never knew any man who had once tasted the sweetness of experimental knowledge, that ever afterward fasted after ye Vapour garlick and onions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-zimmer/i-never-knew-any-man-who-had-once-tasted-the-sweetness-of/)

[Carl Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-zimmer/)

> [“I fight with love and kindness as my weapons and compassion as my defense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/i-fight-with-love-and-kindness-as-my-weapons-and-compassion-as-my/)

[Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/)

> [Television's perfect. You turn a few knobs, a few of those mechanical adjustments at which the higher apes are so proficient, and lean back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/television-s-perfect-you-turn-a-few-knobs-a-few-of-those-mechanical/)

[Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/)

> [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [“He who is mindless is defenceless” RjS”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rassool-jibraeel-snyman/he-who-is-mindless-is-defenceless-rjs/)

[rassool jibraeel snyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rassool-jibraeel-snyman/)

> [Liberalism is the philosophy for our time, because it does not try to conserve every tradition of the past, because it does not apply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/liberalism-is-the-philosophy-for-our-time-because-it-does-not-try-to/)

[Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/)

[Browse all 17,414 Philosophy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Contrary to the rules of philosophers of science, who advise testing hypotheses by trying to refute them, people (and scientists, quite often) seek data that are likely to be compatible with the beliefs they currently hold.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Daniel Kahneman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/contrary-to-the-rules-of-philosophers-of-science-who-advise-testing/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Philosophy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/contrary-to-the-rules-of-philosophers-of-science-who-advise-testing/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e19/daniel-kahneman-431_philosophy_contrary-to-the-rules-of-philosophers-of_2199331.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e19/daniel-kahneman-431_philosophy_contrary-to-the-rules-of-philosophers-of_2199331.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e19/daniel-kahneman-431_philosophy_contrary-to-the-rules-of-philosophers-of_2199331.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Contrary to the rules of philosophers of science, who advise testing hypotheses by trying to refute them…” — Daniel Kahneman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Daniel Kahneman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Contrary to the rules of philosophers...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/contrary-to-the-rules-of-philosophers-of-science-who-advise-testing/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/contrary-to-the-rules-of-philosophers-of-science-who-advise-testing/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
