Delusion Quote by Heinz von Foerster
“Objectivity is the delusion that observations could be made without an observer.”
About This Quote
Source Book: “Observing Systems”, 1985
Objectivity is an illusion because every observation is filtered through an observer’s perspective.
In simple terms: Observations are never truly objective.
Acknowledge observer bias in judgments.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- research design
- journalistic reporting
- personal decision‑making
- educational assessment
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we mitigate observer bias?
- What limits does subjectivity place on scientific claims?
Complete objectivity may be unattainable, affecting credibility.