--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is far better to foresee even without…" description: "\"It is far better to foresee even without certainty than not to foresee at all.\" — Henri Poincare" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/568/henri-poincare-3339_certainty_it-is-far-better-to-foresee-even-without_2568302.jpg" --- # It is far better to foresee even without certainty than… ![“It is far better to foresee even without certainty than not to foresee at all.” quote by Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/568/henri-poincare-3339_certainty_it-is-far-better-to-foresee-even-without_2568302.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/568/henri-poincare-3339_certainty_it-is-far-better-to-foresee-even-without_2568302.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/568/henri-poincare-3339_certainty_it-is-far-better-to-foresee-even-without_2568302.jpg) > “It is far better to foresee even without certainty than not to foresee at all.” [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Anticipating possibilities, even with doubt, is more valuable than remaining ignorant. **In simple terms:** Better to guess with uncertainty than not guess at all. Key Takeaway Embrace informed speculation. Themes uncertainty foresight decision making Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - business strategy - personal life choices - scientific research - policy development Key Concepts probability risk assessment strategic planning Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance intuition with data? - When is it safer to wait for certainty? A Different Perspective Speculation can lead to false confidence if not tempered with evidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Foresee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foresee/) ## Related quotes > [I didn't foresee troubles in my second film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karthik-subbaraj/i-didn-t-foresee-troubles-in-my-second-film/) [Karthik Subbaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karthik-subbaraj/) > [Since I do seven different styles of martial arts, I don't foresee myself fighting the same in any two movies. I think every fighting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/since-i-do-seven-different-styles-of-martial-arts-i-don-t-foresee/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [“Man has the lost the capacity to foresee and to forestall. He will end up destroying the earth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/man-has-the-lost-the-capacity-to-foresee-and-to-forestall-he-will-end/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) > [“One of the main secrets of success is the ability to foresee the situation a few steps forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sahara-sanders/one-of-the-main-secrets-of-success-is-the-ability-to-foresee-the/) [Sahara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sahara-sanders/) > [He who would foresee what is to happen should look to what has happened: for all that is has its counterpart in time past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/he-who-would-foresee-what-is-to-happen-should-look-to-what-has/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [The mind cannot foresee its own advance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/the-mind-cannot-foresee-its-own-advance/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [Just as the PC bled back into industrial economy, I think the Internet is going to bleed back into our overall economy and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-reilly/just-as-the-pc-bled-back-into-industrial-economy-i-think-the-internet/) [Tim O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-reilly/) > [“I do not foresee making love with an animal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douard-lev/i-do-not-foresee-making-love-with-an-animal/) [Édouard Levé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douard-lev/) > [“The mind can never foresee its own advance”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-mind-can-never-foresee-its-own-advance/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If men could foresee the future, they would still behave as they do now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russian-proverb/if-men-could-foresee-the-future-they-would-still-behave-as-they-do-now/) Russian Proverb > [For healthy adult people, the really big thing we can foresee are ways of intervening in the ageing process, either by slowing or reversing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-bostrom/for-healthy-adult-people-the-really-big-thing-we-can-foresee-are-ways/) [Nick Bostrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-bostrom/) > [If I had political responsibility, I would want to prepare for a plan B that would foresee that the European currency union, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peer-steinbruck/if-i-had-political-responsibility-i-would-want-to-prepare-for-a-plan/) [Peer Steinbruck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peer-steinbruck/) > [As the First World War made painfully clear, when politicians and generals lead nations into war, they almost invariably assume swift victory, and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hochschild/as-the-first-world-war-made-painfully-clear-when-politicians-and/) [Adam Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hochschild/) > [“I foresee that my life will be much better in future”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-c-mathobela/i-foresee-that-my-life-will-be-much-better-in-future/) K.C Mathobela > [People in the industry foresee a time in which, for many people, the only thing they'll need on a computer is a browser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/people-in-the-industry-foresee-a-time-in-which-for-many-people-the/) [Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/) ## More by Henri Poincare > [The mathematical facts worthy of being studied are those which, by their analogy with other facts, are capable of leading us to the knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/the-mathematical-facts-worthy-of-being-studied-are-those-which-by/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [. . . by natural selection our mind has adapted itself to the conditions of the external world. It has adopted the geometry most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/by-natural-selection-our-mind-has-adapted-itself-to-the-conditions-of/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [If we knew exactly the laws of nature and the situation of the universe at the initial moment, we could predict exactly the situation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/if-we-knew-exactly-the-laws-of-nature-and-the-situation-of-the/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Absolute space, that is to say, the mark to which it would be necessary to refer the earth to know whether it really moves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/absolute-space-that-is-to-say-the-mark-to-which-it-would-be-necessary/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Science is facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/science-is-facts/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Absolute space, that is to say, the mark to which it would be necessary to refer the earth to know whether it really moves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/absolute-space-that-is-to-say-the-mark-to-which-it-would-be-necessary-2/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [All of mathematics is a tale about groups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/all-of-mathematics-is-a-tale-about-groups/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [A cat is witty, he has nerve, he knows how to do precisely the right thing at the right moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/a-cat-is-witty-he-has-nerve-he-knows-how-to-do-precisely-the-right/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [In the old days when people invented a new function they had something useful in mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/in-the-old-days-when-people-invented-a-new-function-they-had/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Intuition is more important to discovery than logic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/intuition-is-more-important-to-discovery-than-logic/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Mathematics has a threefold purpose. It must provide an instrument for the study of nature. But this is not all: it has a philosophical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/mathematics-has-a-threefold-purpose-it-must-provide-an-instrument-for/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Experiment is the sole source of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/experiment-is-the-sole-source-of-truth/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [“ Qu'une goutee de vin tombe dans un verre d'eau; quelle que soit la loi du movement interne du liquide, nous verrons bientôt se…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/qu-une-goutee-de-vin-tombe-dans-un-verre-d-eau-quelle-que-soit-la-loi/) [Henri Poincaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [If that enabled us to predict the succeeding situation with the same approximation, that is all we require, and we should say that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/if-that-enabled-us-to-predict-the-succeeding-situation-with-the-same/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [“ Le savant doit ordonner ; on fait la science avec des faits comme une maison avec des pierres ; mais une accumulation de…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/le-savant-doit-ordonner-on-fait-la-science-avec-des-faits-comme-une/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) [Explore all 130 Henri Poincare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) ## More Certainty quotes > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [In the mental disturbance and effort of writing, what sustains you is the certainty that on every page there is something left unsaid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/in-the-mental-disturbance-and-effort-of-writing-what-sustains-you-is/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [Of course I doubt. I do not practice a certainty. I practice a faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/of-course-i-doubt-i-do-not-practice-a-certainty-i-practice-a-faith/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [The world is a wonderfully weird place, consensual reality is significantly flawed, no institution can be trusted, certainty is a mirage, security a delusion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-world-is-a-wonderfully-weird-place-consensual-reality-is/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [As a businessman, I know that businesses need certainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-foster/as-a-businessman-i-know-that-businesses-need-certainty/) [Bill Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-foster/) > [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [Every single person who is a member of our party deserves to have certainty. They deserve to know that my attention and focus is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annamie-paul/every-single-person-who-is-a-member-of-our-party-deserves-to-have/) [Annamie Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annamie-paul/) > [The significance and volume of repairs that are needed across the country demand that we give state and local governments the long-term certainty they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-graves/the-significance-and-volume-of-repairs-that-are-needed-across-the/) [Sam Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-graves/) > [“Death is the one great certainty in life. That’s what my dad used to say. Nothing else is certain. Not love. Not happiness. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mila-gray/death-is-the-one-great-certainty-in-life-that-s-what-my-dad-used-to/) [Mila Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mila-gray/) > [ \[I\]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bacon/i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-at-certainty-without-doubt-and/) [Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bacon/) > [Do not lose hope; St. Joseph also experienced moments of difficulty, but he never lost faith and was able to overcome them, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/do-not-lose-hope-st-joseph-also-experienced-moments-of-difficulty-but/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [As the future is never known with certainty, the evaluation of the prospective benefits requires the formation of expectations. An acceptable house, partner or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/as-the-future-is-never-known-with-certainty-the-evaluation-of-the/) [Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/) > [Finding someone that trusted my vision helped me find certainty in who I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/finding-someone-that-trusted-my-vision-helped-me-find-certainty-in/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) [Browse all 1,776 Certainty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is far better to foresee even without certainty than not to foresee at all.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henri Poincare" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/it-is-far-better-to-foresee-even-without-certainty-than-not-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Certainty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/it-is-far-better-to-foresee-even-without-certainty-than-not-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/568/henri-poincare-3339_certainty_it-is-far-better-to-foresee-even-without_2568302.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/568/henri-poincare-3339_certainty_it-is-far-better-to-foresee-even-without_2568302.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/568/henri-poincare-3339_certainty_it-is-far-better-to-foresee-even-without_2568302.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is far better to foresee even without certainty than not to foresee at all.” — Henri Poincare", "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": "Henri Poincare", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is far better to foresee...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/it-is-far-better-to-foresee-even-without-certainty-than-not-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/it-is-far-better-to-foresee-even-without-certainty-than-not-to/#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 } } ] } ```