Business Quote by David Hume
““We must therefore glean up our experiments in this science from a cautious observation of human life, and take them as they appear in the common course of the world, by men’s behaviour in company, in affairs, and in their pleasures. Where experiments of this kind are judiciously collected and compared, we may hope to establish on them a science, which will not be inferior in certainty, and will be much superior in utility to any other of human comprehension.””
About This Quote
Source Book: An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, 1748
Human behavior observed in everyday life can form a reliable scientific basis if gathered carefully and compared.
In simple terms: Observe daily life to build a useful science.
Key Takeaway
Collect and compare real‑world observations.
Themes
empiricism
science
human nature
utility
Mood
analytical
curious
critical
Type
philosophical
observational
When to use this quote
- policy design
- business strategy
- education reform
- psychological research
- ethical guidelines
Key Concepts
philosophy
inductive reasoning
social observation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we ensure observations are unbiased?
- What limits do everyday contexts place on scientific conclusions?
A Different Perspective
Human behavior is complex; observations may be biased or incomplete.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)