---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Part of the scientific temperament is…"
description: "\"Part of the scientific temperament is this tolerance for holding multiple hypotheses in mind at the same time.\" — David Eagleman"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04a/david-eagleman-2079_holding_part-of-the-scientific-temperament-is-th_1794446.png"
---

#  Part of the scientific temperament is this tolerance for…

![“Part of the scientific temperament is this tolerance for holding multiple hypotheses in mind at the same time.” quote by David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04a/david-eagleman-2079_holding_part-of-the-scientific-temperament-is-th_1794446.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04a/david-eagleman-2079_holding_part-of-the-scientific-temperament-is-th_1794446.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04a/david-eagleman-2079_holding_part-of-the-scientific-temperament-is-th_1794446.png)

> “Part of the scientific temperament is this tolerance for holding multiple hypotheses in mind at the same time.”

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

## About This Quote

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

Scientific temperament embraces uncertainty, allowing several competing ideas to coexist for deeper insight.

**In simple terms:** Being comfortable with multiple ideas at once.

Key Takeaway

Hold several hypotheses simultaneously.

Themes

curiosity open‑mindedness science

Mood

inquisitive analytical

Type

philosophical educational

When to use this quote

- research design
- problem solving
- strategic planning

Key Concepts

probabilistic reasoning cognitive flexibility

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance openness with decisive action?
- When is it okay to discard a hypothesis?

A Different Perspective

Too many hypotheses can stall decision‑making without prioritization.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientific](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientific/) [Temperament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temperament/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Tolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerance/)

## Related quotes

> [“The picturing of data allows us to be sensitive not only to the multiple hypotheses that we hold, but to the many more we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tukey-1974/the-picturing-of-data-allows-us-to-be-sensitive-not-only-to-the/)

Tukey 1974

> [When the scientific method came into being, it gave us a new window on the truth; namely, a method by laboratory-controlled experiments to winnow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/when-the-scientific-method-came-into-being-it-gave-us-a-new-window-on/)

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

> [We have to be aware that the scientific community throws up tons of different hypotheses and at a certain point we'll find out who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bjorn-lomborg/we-have-to-be-aware-that-the-scientific-community-throws-up-tons-of/)

[Bjorn Lomborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bjorn-lomborg/)

> [The physicist can never subject an isolated hypothesis to experimental test, but only a whole group of hypotheses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-duhem/the-physicist-can-never-subject-an-isolated-hypothesis-to/)

Pierre Duhem

> [Better our hypotheses die for our errors than ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-popper/better-our-hypotheses-die-for-our-errors-than-ourselves/)

[Karl Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-popper/)

> [“At first he found it amusing. He coined a law intended to have the humor of a Parkinson’s law that "The number of rational…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pirsig/at-first-he-found-it-amusing-he-coined-a-law-intended-to-have-the/)

[Robert Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pirsig/)

> [I feign no hypotheses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/i-feign-no-hypotheses/)

[Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/)

> [Hypotheses are the scaffolds which are erected in front of a building and removedd when the building is completed. They are indispensable to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/hypotheses-are-the-scaffolds-which-are-erected-in-front-of-a-building/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [“Philosophy, like science, is only a collection of hypotheses, introduced for the usefulness of the ensemble, or for economy of thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/philosophy-like-science-is-only-a-collection-of-hypotheses-introduced/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [To rewrite history on the bases of hypotheses which have not materialized is not only a fruitless task, but, in my eyes, meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-monnet/to-rewrite-history-on-the-bases-of-hypotheses-which-have-not/)

[Jean Monnet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-monnet/)

> [We are sorry to confess that biological hypotheses have not yet completely got out of the second phase, and that ghost of ‘vital force’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-buchner/we-are-sorry-to-confess-that-biological-hypotheses-have-not-yet/)

[Ludwig Buchner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-buchner/)

> [Hypotheses non fingo. I frame no hypotheses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/hypotheses-non-fingo-i-frame-no-hypotheses/)

[Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/)

> [In science, each new result, sometimes quite surprising, heralds a step forward and allows one to discard some hypotheses, even though one or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-b-prusiner/in-science-each-new-result-sometimes-quite-surprising-heralds-a-step/)

[Stanley B. Prusiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-b-prusiner/)

> [Whether statistics be an art or a science... or a scientific art, we concern ourselves little. It is the basis of social and political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolphe-quetelet/whether-statistics-be-an-art-or-a-science-or-a-scientific-art-we/)

[Adolphe Quetelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolphe-quetelet/)

> [The rules and principles of case law have never been treated as final truths but as working hypotheses, continually retested in those great laboratories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-n-cardozo/the-rules-and-principles-of-case-law-have-never-been-treated-as-final/)

[Benjamin N. Cardozo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-n-cardozo/)

## More by David Eagleman

> [We're trapped on this very thin slice of perception ... But even at that slice of reality that we call home, we're not seeing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/we-re-trapped-on-this-very-thin-slice-of-perception-but-even-at-that/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

> [Visual cortex is fundamentally a machine whose job is to generate a model of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/visual-cortex-is-fundamentally-a-machine-whose-job-is-to-generate-a/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

> [If you ever feel lazy or dull, take heart: you're the busiest, brightest thing on the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/if-you-ever-feel-lazy-or-dull-take-heart-you-re-the-busiest-brightest/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

> [We are not conscious of most things until we ask ourselves questions about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/we-are-not-conscious-of-most-things-until-we-ask-ourselves-questions/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

> [“with the knowledge that you cannot appreciate the destination without knowing the starting point; you cannot revel in the simplicity unless you remember the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/with-the-knowledge-that-you-cannot-appreciate-the-destination-without/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

> [“If an epileptic seizure is focused in a particular sweet spot in the temporal lobe, a person won´t have motor seizures, but instead something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/if-an-epileptic-seizure-is-focused-in-a-particular-sweet-spot-in-the/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

> [The deep secret of the brain is that not only the spinal cord but the entire central nervous system works this way: internally generated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/the-deep-secret-of-the-brain-is-that-not-only-the-spinal-cord-but-the/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

> [When people fall in love, there´s period of up to three years during which the zeal and infatuation ride at a peak. The internal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/when-people-fall-in-love-there-s-period-of-up-to-three-years-during/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

> [The majority of human beings live their whole lives unaware that they are only seeing a limited cone of vision at any moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/the-majority-of-human-beings-live-their-whole-lives-unaware-that-they/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

> [Our ignorance of the cosmos is too vast to commit to atheism, and yet we know too much to commit to a particular religion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/our-ignorance-of-the-cosmos-is-too-vast-to-commit-to-atheism-and-yet/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

> [“As Gazzaniga put it, "these findings all suggest that the interpretive mechanism of the left hemisphere is always hard at work, seeking the meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/as-gazzaniga-put-it-these-findings-all-suggest-that-the-interpretive/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

> [I spent my adult life as a scientist, and science is, essentially, the most successful approach we have to try and understand the vast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/i-spent-my-adult-life-as-a-scientist-and-science-is-essentially-the/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

> [When the brain activity is kindled in the right spot, people hear voices. If a physician prescribes an anti-epileptic medication, the seizures go away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/when-the-brain-activity-is-kindled-in-the-right-spot-people-hear/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

> [“Platoons and plays and stores and congresses do not end - they simply move on to a different dimension.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/platoons-and-plays-and-stores-and-congresses-do-not-end-they-simply/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

> [Awareness of your surroundings occurs only when sensory inputs violate expectations. When the world is successfully predicted away, awareness is not needed because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/awareness-of-your-surroundings-occurs-only-when-sensory-inputs/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

[Explore all 183 David Eagleman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

## More Holding quotes

> [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/)

[Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/)

> [If holding onto them requires you to lower your self-worth and self-respect let go of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/if-holding-onto-them-requires-you-to-lower-your-self-worth-and-self/)

[Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/)

> [Like, you can't tell a certain race, like, 'You're supposed to act this way, and you're not supposed to act this way because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kreayshawn/like-you-can-t-tell-a-certain-race-like-you-re-supposed-to-act-this/)

[Kreayshawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kreayshawn/)

> [Hold tenderly that which you cherish, for it is precious and a tight grip may crush it. Do not let the fear of dropping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-alberti/hold-tenderly-that-which-you-cherish-for-it-is-precious-and-a-tight/)

Bob Alberti

> [I can conquer the world with one hand, as long as you are holding the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-smith/i-can-conquer-the-world-with-one-hand-as-long-as-you-are-holding-the/)

[Megan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-smith/)

> [“Holding something doesn't make it yours. You realize at some point you're just keeping it back for yourself, because it's pulling away with equal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-silvey/holding-something-doesn-t-make-it-yours-you-realize-at-some-point-you/)

[Craig Silvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-silvey/)

> [“Forgiveness is about letting go of the past and not holding on to it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/forgiveness-is-about-letting-go-of-the-past-and-not-holding-on-to-it/)

[Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/)

> [“Loneliness is holding the one you love / When you know you might never hold him again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/loneliness-is-holding-the-one-you-love-when-you-know-you-might-never/)

[Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/)

> [If you're throwing punches or exerting energy but you're not breathing, you're holding your breath. That actually saps your strength, it saps your stamina.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-jr/if-you-re-throwing-punches-or-exerting-energy-but-you-re-not/)

[Chris Eubank Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-jr/)

> [“There is always power in holding a secret.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/there-is-always-power-in-holding-a-secret/)

[Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/)

> [I'm still holding on to something that I know will never happen, because I have this little piece of hope that someday, it will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-still-holding-on-to-something-that-i-know-will-never-happen/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The real reason you struggling with letting go is because you keep holding on to what they use to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ash-sweeney/the-real-reason-you-struggling-with-letting-go-is-because-you-keep/)

[Ash Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ash-sweeney/)

> [“It's the touching they both long for. The holding. Spent their whole lives, each without any.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-mcmann/it-s-the-touching-they-both-long-for-the-holding-spent-their-whole/)

[Lisa McMann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-mcmann/)

> [I want to stay in the ocean. I'm not going to be able to do that from some holding cell in Japan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/i-want-to-stay-in-the-ocean-i-m-not-going-to-be-able-to-do-that-from/)

[Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/)

> [There's something so delicious about holding onto a secret; it's something just for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-han/there-s-something-so-delicious-about-holding-onto-a-secret-it-s/)

[Jenny Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-han/)

Browse all 694 Holding quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Part of the scientific temperament is this tolerance for holding multiple hypotheses in mind at the same time.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Eagleman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/part-of-the-scientific-temperament-is-this-tolerance-for-holding/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Holding"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/part-of-the-scientific-temperament-is-this-tolerance-for-holding/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04a/david-eagleman-2079_holding_part-of-the-scientific-temperament-is-th_1794446.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04a/david-eagleman-2079_holding_part-of-the-scientific-temperament-is-th_1794446.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04a/david-eagleman-2079_holding_part-of-the-scientific-temperament-is-th_1794446.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Part of the scientific temperament is this tolerance for holding multiple hypotheses in mind at the same time.” — David Eagleman",
                "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": "David Eagleman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Part of the scientific temperament is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/part-of-the-scientific-temperament-is-this-tolerance-for-holding/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/part-of-the-scientific-temperament-is-this-tolerance-for-holding/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```