--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't criticise a hypothesis, come up…" description: "\"Don't criticise a hypothesis, come up with a better one.\" — Edward de Bono" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38b/edward-de-bono-2489_come-up_don-t-criticise-a-hypothesis-come-up-wit_2534088.png" --- # Don't criticise a hypothesis, come up with a better one. ![“Don't criticise a hypothesis, come up with a better one.” quote by Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38b/edward-de-bono-2489_come-up_don-t-criticise-a-hypothesis-come-up-wit_2534088.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38b/edward-de-bono-2489_come-up_don-t-criticise-a-hypothesis-come-up-wit_2534088.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38b/edward-de-bono-2489_come-up_don-t-criticise-a-hypothesis-come-up-wit_2534088.png) > “Don't criticise a hypothesis, come up with a better one.” [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages improving ideas by replacing criticism with constructive alternatives. **In simple terms:** Build better ideas instead of just critiquing. Key Takeaway Focus on solution‑oriented thinking. Themes creativity critical thinking innovation Mood analytical encouraging Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - team meetings - research projects - product development - academic debates Key Concepts lateral thinking problem solving idea generation Questions to Reflect On - What better alternative can you propose? - When is constructive criticism appropriate? A Different Perspective Criticism can still be useful for refinement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Come up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-up/) [Criticise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticise/) [Criticise Hypothesis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticise-hypothesis-1370884/) [Don Criticise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-criticise-1370886/) [Hypothesis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypothesis/) [Hypothesis Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypothesis-come-1370885/) ## Related quotes > [“It matters not to an empiricist from what quarter an hypothesis may come to him: he may have acquired it by fair means or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/it-matters-not-to-an-empiricist-from-what-quarter-an-hypothesis-may/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“Don’t criticise, condemn or complain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/don-t-criticise-condemn-or-complain/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [You don't criticise Totti in Italy. There might have been reasons to, sometimes, but you don't touch him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sven-goran-eriksson/you-don-t-criticise-totti-in-italy-there-might-have-been-reasons-to/) [Sven-Goran Eriksson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sven-goran-eriksson/) > [There is always some criticism. Tell me one thing that Narendra Modi does and you don't criticise. If he gives a chance to newcomers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smriti-irani/there-is-always-some-criticism-tell-me-one-thing-that-narendra-modi/) [Smriti Irani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smriti-irani/) > [Some people will always think I've got the eyes of Satan. Others will think I'm a TV god. People have the right to criticise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-kyle/some-people-will-always-think-i-ve-got-the-eyes-of-satan-others-will/) [Jeremy Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-kyle/) > [I wouldn't criticise Carlo Ancelotti.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-villas-boas/i-wouldn-t-criticise-carlo-ancelotti/) [Andre Villas-Boas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-villas-boas/) > [Some people will appreciate U Some will criticize U In both d case U are d beneficiary One will motivate U, while d other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blossom/some-people-will-appreciate-u-some-will-criticize-u-in-both-d-case-u/) [Blossom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blossom/) > [To criticise a person for their race is a manifestly irrational and ridiculous. But to criticise their religion - that is a right. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/to-criticise-a-person-for-their-race-is-a-manifestly-irrational-and/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [Personally, I hope that we British continue to criticise America - just as I hope Americans will criticise us. That is what friends do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-esler/personally-i-hope-that-we-british-continue-to-criticise-america-just/) [Gavin Esler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-esler/) > [“Who is the wrong person to criticise? You”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/who-is-the-wrong-person-to-criticise-you/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [In my world, I have to keep my counsel at times, accept players are going to criticise various things, accuse you of various things.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-pardew/in-my-world-i-have-to-keep-my-counsel-at-times-accept-players-are/) [Alan Pardew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-pardew/) > [A law which attempts to say you can criticise and ridicule ideas as long as they are not religious ideas is a very peculiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/a-law-which-attempts-to-say-you-can-criticise-and-ridicule-ideas-as/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [It was just this interesting, my first, the first time you hear your child in any way criticize you. It's the worst review of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tea-leoni/it-was-just-this-interesting-my-first-the-first-time-you-hear-your/) [Tea Leoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tea-leoni/) > [The worst thing is when people criticise you and you go, 'Yeah, you're right.' It's really hard to take.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buckley/the-worst-thing-is-when-people-criticise-you-and-you-go-yeah-you-re/) [James Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-buckley/) > [Choosing how you live should be up to you not the people that would criticise your well being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-hayward/choosing-how-you-live-should-be-up-to-you-not-the-people-that-would/) [Courtney Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-hayward/) ## More by Edward de Bono > [We still seek to solve conflicts with 'judgement' instead of designing the way forwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/we-still-seek-to-solve-conflicts-with-judgement-instead-of-designing/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [Traditional thinking is all about "what is" Future thinking will also need to be about what can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/traditional-thinking-is-all-about-what-is-future-thinking-will-also/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [“In 80% of Socrates' dialogues there was no constructive outcome. He saw his role as simply pointing out what was "wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/in-80-of-socrates-dialogues-there-was-no-constructive-outcome-he-saw/) [Edward De Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [The music that really turns me on is either running toward God or away from God. Both recognize the pivot, that God is at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/the-music-that-really-turns-me-on-is-either-running-toward-god-or/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [People should realize we're jerks just like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/people-should-realize-we-re-jerks-just-like-them/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [The effective thinker treats arrogance as the major sin of thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/the-effective-thinker-treats-arrogance-as-the-major-sin-of-thinking/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [To be successful you have to be lucky, or a little mad, or very talented, or find yourself in a rapid growth field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/to-be-successful-you-have-to-be-lucky-or-a-little-mad-or-very/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [Argument is meant to reveal the truth, not to create it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/argument-is-meant-to-reveal-the-truth-not-to-create-it/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [Complexity creates confusion, simplicity focus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/complexity-creates-confusion-simplicity-focus/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [The weapons of the positive revolution are not bullets and bombs but simple human perceptions. Bullets and bombs may offer physical power but eventually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/the-weapons-of-the-positive-revolution-are-not-bullets-and-bombs-but/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [“In real-life situations apparently logical lines of argument are often (not always) based on an inability to see alternative possibilities. In a similar way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/in-real-life-situations-apparently-logical-lines-of-argument-are/) [Edward De Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [An expert is someone who has succeeded in making decisions and judgements simpler through knowing what to pay attention to and what to ignore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/an-expert-is-someone-who-has-succeeded-in-making-decisions-and/) [Edward De Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [It wouldn't cost too much to change the rules of trade so that poor countries can work their way out of poverty. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/it-wouldn-t-cost-too-much-to-change-the-rules-of-trade-so-that-poor/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [It has always surprised me how little attention philosophers have paid to humor, since it is a more significant process of mind than reason.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/it-has-always-surprised-me-how-little-attention-philosophers-have/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [The need to be right all the time is the biggest bar to new ideas. It is better to have enough ideas for some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/the-need-to-be-right-all-the-time-is-the-biggest-bar-to-new-ideas-it/) [Edward De Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) [Explore all 161 Edward de Bono quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) ## More Come up quotes > [“79. 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I get into microphone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/meanwhile-someone-is-shining-my-head-to-get-it-dry-to-attach-my-top/) [Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/) > [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [As much as I want to stay on the team -- I love Chicago, I love the Bulls -- at the same time, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luol-deng/as-much-as-i-want-to-stay-on-the-team-i-love-chicago-i-love-the-bulls/) [Luol Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luol-deng/) > [I have so many people come up to me, 20-some years later, and saying, "I loved you in Jawbreaker!".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-benz/i-have-so-many-people-come-up-to-me-20-some-years-later-and-saying-i/) [Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-benz/) > [I don't know what makes a guy want to write songs and sing, but if you've got a message, you want to get it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-ledoux/i-don-t-know-what-makes-a-guy-want-to-write-songs-and-sing-but-if-you/) [Chris LeDoux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-ledoux/) > [My objective is to design a space that nobody else can come up with while using the material that anyone can use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tadao-ando/my-objective-is-to-design-a-space-that-nobody-else-can-come-up-with/) [Tadao Ando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tadao-ando/) > [Remember, with writing, what you’re looking for is just one person to come up and tell you, 'I love you for what you do.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/remember-with-writing-what-you-re-looking-for-is-just-one-person-to/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [The wisdom or the essence of Guru Tattwa is a balance. Like when you maintain a plant, if you do not give it water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/the-wisdom-or-the-essence-of-guru-tattwa-is-a-balance-like-when-you/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [I shoot in black and white, sometimes color, sometimes if it looks good I shoot out the window of the airplanes or whatever, anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barry/i-shoot-in-black-and-white-sometimes-color-sometimes-if-it-looks-good/) [Robert Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barry/) > [I'm supportive of women, absolutely, and it's so gratifying to have girls come up and say, 'I'm really inspired by your guitar playing.' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/i-m-supportive-of-women-absolutely-and-it-s-so-gratifying-to-have/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [I hate it when people come up to me on trains and ask 'Are you Soulja Boy?' 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They're in Raqqa, Syria.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-can-tell-you-who-s-planning-terroris-attacks-the-leaders-of-isil/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) [Browse all 2,010 Come up quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-up/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Don't criticise a hypothesis, come up with a better one.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward de Bono" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/don-t-criticise-a-hypothesis-come-up-with-a-better-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Come up" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/don-t-criticise-a-hypothesis-come-up-with-a-better-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38b/edward-de-bono-2489_come-up_don-t-criticise-a-hypothesis-come-up-wit_2534088.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38b/edward-de-bono-2489_come-up_don-t-criticise-a-hypothesis-come-up-wit_2534088.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38b/edward-de-bono-2489_come-up_don-t-criticise-a-hypothesis-come-up-wit_2534088.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Don't criticise a hypothesis, come up with a better one.” — Edward de Bono", "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": "Edward de Bono", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Don't criticise a hypothesis, come up...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/don-t-criticise-a-hypothesis-come-up-with-a-better-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/don-t-criticise-a-hypothesis-come-up-with-a-better-one/#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 } } ] } ```