Data Quote by Erwin Schrodinger
“The essential feature of statistics is a prudent and systematic ignoring of details.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Statistical Mechanics, Erwin Schrodinger, 1935
Statistics focuses on essential patterns by deliberately overlooking minor variations.
In simple terms: Statistics ignores minor details to see big patterns.
Key Takeaway
Embrace abstraction, ignore noise.
Themes
statistics
abstraction
analysis
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
methodological
philosophical
When to use this quote
- research design
- policy analysis
- business forecasting
Key Concepts
probability
data reduction
modeling
Questions to Reflect On
- What details might be essential?
- When does simplification mislead?
A Different Perspective
Over‑simplification can hide critical outliers.
![“Hence intellect[ual perception] is both a beginning and an end, for the demonstrations arise from these, and concern them. As a result, one ought to pay attention to the undemonstrated assertions and opinions of experienced and older people, or of the prudent, no less than to demonstrations, for…” quote by Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/99a/aristotle-78_arise_hence-intellect-ual-perception-is-both-a_124319.jpg)
![“I am no friend of probability theory, I have hated it from the first moment when our dear friend Max Born gave it birth. For it could be seen how easy and simple it made everything, in principle, everything ironed and the true problems concealed. Everybody must jump on the bandwagon [Ausweg]. And…” quote by Erwin Schrödinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/734/erwin-schrodinger-8450_born_i-am-no-friend-of-probability-theory-i-h_434486.jpg)
![“[Brazil] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data sovereignty."” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/af7/edward-snowden-555_brazil_brazil-went-to-the-un-and-said-we-need-n_14906.jpg)
