--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In order to shake a hypothesis, it is…" description: "\"In order to shake a hypothesis, it is sometimes not necessary to do anything more than push it as far as it will go.\" — Denis Diderot" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/denis-diderot-1536_hypothesis_in-order-to-shake-a-hypothesis-it-is-som_2010808.png" --- # In order to shake a hypothesis, it is sometimes not… ![“In order to shake a hypothesis, it is sometimes not necessary to do anything more than push it as far as it will go.” quote by Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/denis-diderot-1536_hypothesis_in-order-to-shake-a-hypothesis-it-is-som_2010808.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/denis-diderot-1536_hypothesis_in-order-to-shake-a-hypothesis-it-is-som_2010808.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/denis-diderot-1536_hypothesis_in-order-to-shake-a-hypothesis-it-is-som_2010808.png) > “In order to shake a hypothesis, it is sometimes not necessary to do anything more than push it as far as it will go.” [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Testing a hypothesis only requires extending it to its logical limits, not extra experiments. **In simple terms:** Push ideas to their extremes to test them. Key Takeaway Challenge assumptions by exploring limits. Themes critical thinking science logic Mood inquisitive analytical Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - research design - problem solving - educational settings Key Concepts hypothesis testing boundary analysis methodology Questions to Reflect On - When does a hypothesis become untenable? - How far can you push an idea before it breaks? A Different Perspective Overextension may ignore practical constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hypothesis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypothesis/) [Hypothesis Necessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypothesis-necessary-3590332/) [Necessary Push](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessary-push-1367374/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Push Far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/push-far-377490/) [Shake Hypothesis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shake-hypothesis-3590333/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) ## Related quotes > [Don't just read it; fight it! Ask your own question, look for your own examples, discover your own proofs. Is the hypothesis necessary? Is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-halmos/don-t-just-read-it-fight-it-ask-your-own-question-look-for-your-own/) [Paul Halmos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-halmos/) > [As the blowback against those who stand up for what is right thickens, I feel it is necessary to push forward with a relentless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-jenkins/as-the-blowback-against-those-who-stand-up-for-what-is-right-thickens/) [Malcolm Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-jenkins/) > [No experience is necessary to push yourself past what you think you can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-itzler/no-experience-is-necessary-to-push-yourself-past-what-you-think-you/) [Jesse Itzler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-itzler/) > [“Never stop pushing for what you want! If something is truly important to you, stay diligent and find a way. Depending on whom you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-lahart/never-stop-pushing-for-what-you-want-if-something-is-truly-important/) [Stephanie Lahart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-lahart/) > [If you keep on pushing someone, eventually you push them too far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stark/if-you-keep-on-pushing-someone-eventually-you-push-them-too-far/) [Oliver Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stark/) > [I think it's because I'm so hard on myself that I can push myself this far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mirai-nagasu/i-think-it-s-because-i-m-so-hard-on-myself-that-i-can-push-myself/) [Mirai Nagasu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mirai-nagasu/) > [When you have gained a victory, do not push it too far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eustace-budgell/when-you-have-gained-a-victory-do-not-push-it-too-far/) [Eustace Budgell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eustace-budgell/) > [People that have a lot of fear or over-rationalize things will never push themselves far enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-pastrana/people-that-have-a-lot-of-fear-or-over-rationalize-things-will-never/) [Travis Pastrana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-pastrana/) > [If I see a door ajar, I push on it to see how far it will open, and if it opens wide I go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/if-i-see-a-door-ajar-i-push-on-it-to-see-how-far-it-will-open-and-if/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [ With Rudy \[ Giuliani\], \[Donald Trump\] will - the minute they push him too far and start manipulating, he will - he will lash out. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/with-rudy-giuliani-donald-trump-will-the-minute-they-push-him-too-far/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [If you take any activity, any art, any discipline, any skill-take it and push it as far as it will go, push it beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/if-you-take-any-activity-any-art-any-discipline-any-skill-take-it-and/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“Bottom line is most of the world will push you as far as you let them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/bottom-line-is-most-of-the-world-will-push-you-as-far-as-you-let-them/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [“If you push me too far, you may believe I'm real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-off-jill/if-you-push-me-too-far-you-may-believe-i-m-real/) [Jack Off Jill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-off-jill/) > [I always want to push myself as far as possible; I always want to be up there and recognised as a good goalie and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-lundqvist/i-always-want-to-push-myself-as-far-as-possible-i-always-want-to-be/) [Henrik Lundqvist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-lundqvist/) > [Reach for it. Push yourself as far as you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/reach-for-it-push-yourself-as-far-as-you-can/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) ## More by Denis Diderot > [But if you will recall the history of our civil troubles, you will see half the nation bathe itself, out of piety, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/but-if-you-will-recall-the-history-of-our-civil-troubles-you-will-see/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [One declaims endlessly against the passions; one imputes all of man's suffering to them. One forgets that they are also the source of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/one-declaims-endlessly-against-the-passions-one-imputes-all-of-man-s/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [Time, matter, space - all, it may be, are no more than a point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/time-matter-space-all-it-may-be-are-no-more-than-a-point/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [We are far more liable to catch the vices than the virtues of our associates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/we-are-far-more-liable-to-catch-the-vices-than-the-virtues-of-our/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [One composition is meagre, though it has many figures; another is rich, though it has few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/one-composition-is-meagre-though-it-has-many-figures-another-is-rich/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [I have only a small flickering light to guide me in the darkness of a thick forest. Up comes a theologian and blows it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/i-have-only-a-small-flickering-light-to-guide-me-in-the-darkness-of-a/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [The world is the house of the strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/the-world-is-the-house-of-the-strong/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [“One swallows the lie that flatters, but sips the bitter truth drop by drop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/one-swallows-the-lie-that-flatters-but-sips-the-bitter-truth-drop-by/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [There is less harm to be suffered in being mad among madmen than in being sane all by oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/there-is-less-harm-to-be-suffered-in-being-mad-among-madmen-than-in/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [Integrity is the evidence of all civil virtues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/integrity-is-the-evidence-of-all-civil-virtues/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [Watch out for the fellow who talks about putting things in order! Putting things in order always means getting other people under your control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/watch-out-for-the-fellow-who-talks-about-putting-things-in-order/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [“Nie wiem, co to zasady, chyba że tak nazywamy prawidła, które przypisuje się innym, a nie sobie. Myślę tak, a nie umiałbym się powstrzymać…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/nie-wiem-co-to-zasady-chyba-e-tak-nazywamy-prawid-a-kt-re-przypisuje/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [There is no good father who would want to resemble our Heavenly Father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/there-is-no-good-father-who-would-want-to-resemble-our-heavenly-father/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [Isn't it better to have men being ungrateful than to miss a chance to do good?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/isn-t-it-better-to-have-men-being-ungrateful-than-to-miss-a-chance-to/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [A nation which thinks that it is belief in God and not good law which makes people honest does not seem to me very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/a-nation-which-thinks-that-it-is-belief-in-god-and-not-good-law-which/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) [Explore all 210 Denis Diderot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) ## More Hypothesis quotes > [There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-after-all-atheists-who-say-they-wish-the-fable-were-true/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [The greatest problem for mathematicians now is probably the Riemann Hypothesis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wiles/the-greatest-problem-for-mathematicians-now-is-probably-the-riemann/) [Andrew Wiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wiles/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/i-am-quite-conscious-that-my-speculations-run-beyond-the-bounds-of/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [When it comes to explaining human thought and behavior, the possibility that heredity plays any role at all still has the power to shock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/when-it-comes-to-explaining-human-thought-and-behavior-the/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [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/) > [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/) > [It is a good morning exercise for a research scientist to discard a pet hypothesis every day before breakfast. It keeps him young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/it-is-a-good-morning-exercise-for-a-research-scientist-to-discard-a/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [“The only part of evolution in which any considerable interest is felt is evolution applied to man. A hypothesis in regard to the rocks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-jennings-bryan/the-only-part-of-evolution-in-which-any-considerable-interest-is-felt/) [William Jennings Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-jennings-bryan/) > [The religious hypothesis, therefore, must be considered only as a particular method of accounting for the visible phenomena of the universe: but no just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-religious-hypothesis-therefore-must-be-considered-only-as-a/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [From the almost total absence of fossil evidence relative to the origin of the phyla, it follows that any explanation of the mechanism in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-paul-grasse/from-the-almost-total-absence-of-fossil-evidence-relative-to-the/) [Pierre-Paul Grasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-paul-grasse/) > [There's a scientific hypothesis that every person's name is a primary suggestive command that contains the entire script of their life in highly concentrated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-pelevin/there-s-a-scientific-hypothesis-that-every-person-s-name-is-a-primary/) [Victor Pelevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-pelevin/) > [Whenever known and sufficient causes are available, it is anti-scientific to discard them in favour of a hypothesis that can never be verified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-weber/whenever-known-and-sufficient-causes-are-available-it-is-anti/) [Max Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-weber/) > [...but then the general trouble with ignorance is always that the ignorant person has no idea that that's what they are. You can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-bernieres/but-then-the-general-trouble-with-ignorance-is-always-that-the/) [Louis de Bernieres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-bernieres/) > [Even mistaken hypotheses and theories are of use in leading to discoveries. This remark is true in all the sciences. The alchemists founded chemistry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/even-mistaken-hypotheses-and-theories-are-of-use-in-leading-to/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [If I were to awaken after having slept for a thousand years, my first question would be: Has the Riemann hypothesis been proven?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hilbert/if-i-were-to-awaken-after-having-slept-for-a-thousand-years-my-first/) [David Hilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hilbert/) [Browse all 582 Hypothesis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypothesis/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In order to shake a hypothesis, it is sometimes not necessary to do anything more than push it as far as it will go.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Denis Diderot" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/in-order-to-shake-a-hypothesis-it-is-sometimes-not-necessary-to-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Hypothesis" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/in-order-to-shake-a-hypothesis-it-is-sometimes-not-necessary-to-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/denis-diderot-1536_hypothesis_in-order-to-shake-a-hypothesis-it-is-som_2010808.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/denis-diderot-1536_hypothesis_in-order-to-shake-a-hypothesis-it-is-som_2010808.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/denis-diderot-1536_hypothesis_in-order-to-shake-a-hypothesis-it-is-som_2010808.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In order to shake a hypothesis, it is sometimes not necessary to do anything more than push it as far as it…” — Denis Diderot", "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": "Denis Diderot", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In order to shake a hypothesis,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/in-order-to-shake-a-hypothesis-it-is-sometimes-not-necessary-to-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/in-order-to-shake-a-hypothesis-it-is-sometimes-not-necessary-to-do/#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 } } ] } ```