--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To explain all nature is too difficult a…" description: "\"To explain all nature is too difficult a task for any one man or even for any one age. Tis much better to do a little with certainty & leave the rest f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0d/isaac-newton-1226_age_to-explain-all-nature-is-too-difficult-a_2736489.jpg" --- # To explain all nature is too difficult a task for any one… ![“To explain all nature is too difficult a task for any one man or even for any one age. Tis much better to do a little with certainty & leave the rest for others that come after than to explain all things by conjecture without making sure of any thing.” quote by Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0d/isaac-newton-1226_age_to-explain-all-nature-is-too-difficult-a_2736489.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0d/isaac-newton-1226_age_to-explain-all-nature-is-too-difficult-a_2736489.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0d/isaac-newton-1226_age_to-explain-all-nature-is-too-difficult-a_2736489.jpg) > “To explain all nature is too difficult a task for any one man or even for any one age. Tis much better to do a little with certainty & leave the rest for others that come after than to explain all things by conjecture without making sure of any thing.” [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Attempting to explain everything is futile; better to master a small certainty and let future generations expand knowledge. **In simple terms:** Focus on small certainties, leave the rest to later. Key Takeaway Master what you can, defer the rest. Themes knowledge humility progress Mood inquisitive pragmatic Type philosophical scientific When to use this quote - research projects - education - policy making - innovation Key Concepts epistemology scientific method collaboration Questions to Reflect On - What should we prioritize in learning? - How to foster collaborative discovery? A Different Perspective Over‑confidence in limited knowledge can mislead. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Conjecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conjecture/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult task](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-task/) [Explain Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explain-nature-315144/) [Explain Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explain-things-235318/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-difficult-2394700/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Tasks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tasks/) ## Related quotes > [To explain all nature is too difficult a task for any one man or even for any one age. 'Tis much better to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/to-explain-all-nature-is-too-difficult-a-task-for-any-one-man-or-even/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [To explain all nature is too difficult a task for any one man or even for any one age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-explain-all-nature-is-too-difficult-a-task-for-any-one-man-or-even-3/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I shall not mingle conjectures with certainties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/i-shall-not-mingle-conjectures-with-certainties/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [When you listen to nature, it may still be difficult to live a life, but it's inspiring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-hempton/when-you-listen-to-nature-it-may-still-be-difficult-to-live-a-life/) [Gordon Hempton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-hempton/) > [Painting directly from nature is difficult as things do not remain the same; the camera helps to retain the picture in your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-robinson/painting-directly-from-nature-is-difficult-as-things-do-not-remain/) [Theodore Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-robinson/) > [It is a law of nature that you must do difficult things to gain strength and power. As with working out, after a while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/it-is-a-law-of-nature-that-you-must-do-difficult-things-to-gain/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“We spend vast amounts of our time an emotional energy in learning how not to be natural and in eluding the trap of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/we-spend-vast-amounts-of-our-time-an-emotional-energy-in-learning-how/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [To speak of this subject you must... explain the nature of the resistance of the air, in the second the anatomy of the bird…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/to-speak-of-this-subject-you-must-explain-the-nature-of-the/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [“We create models to explain nature, but the models wind up gatecrashing nature and driving away the original inhabitants.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/we-create-models-to-explain-nature-but-the-models-wind-up/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [Natural science, does not simply describe and explain nature; it is part of the interplay between nature and ourselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/natural-science-does-not-simply-describe-and-explain-nature-it-is/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [This is not what I thought physics was about when I started out: I learned that the idea is to explain nature in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-christian-von-baeyer/this-is-not-what-i-thought-physics-was-about-when-i-started-out-i/) [Hans Christian von Baeyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-christian-von-baeyer/) > [Furthermore, I shall explain the nature of dharmata: Such a nature as this cannot be determined to be any one thing. So however you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/furthermore-i-shall-explain-the-nature-of-dharmata-such-a-nature-as/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [The thing that's so hard about being a kid is you don't have enough knowledge to explain things yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/the-thing-that-s-so-hard-about-being-a-kid-is-you-don-t-have-enough/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [The one thing I seek above all else is understanding. Sometimes I'm so frustrated and I don't get it. But I'm lucky to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-guarini/the-one-thing-i-seek-above-all-else-is-understanding-sometimes-i-m-so/) [Justin Guarini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-guarini/) > [I've always said as a political scientist that "culture" is what we use when we can't explain things. I think it's more about accessibility.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-ve-always-said-as-a-political-scientist-that-culture-is-what-we-use/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) ## More by Isaac Newton > [The same law takes place in a system, consisting of many bodies, as in one single body, with regard to their persevering in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/the-same-law-takes-place-in-a-system-consisting-of-many-bodies-as-in/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [I have been much amused at ye singular phenomena resulting from bringing of a needle into contact with a piece of amber or resin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/i-have-been-much-amused-at-ye-singular-phenomena-resulting-from/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/no-great-discovery-was-ever-made-without-a-bold-guess/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [I keep the subject of my inquiry constantly before me, and wait till the first dawning opens gradually, by little and little, into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/i-keep-the-subject-of-my-inquiry-constantly-before-me-and-wait-till/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [Philosophy is such an impertinently litigious lady that a man had as good be engaged in lawsuits as have to do with her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/philosophy-is-such-an-impertinently-litigious-lady-that-a-man-had-as/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [Do not Bodies act upon Light at a distance, and by their action bend its Rays; and is not this action (caeteris paribus) \[all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/do-not-bodies-act-upon-light-at-a-distance-and-by-their-action-bend/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [God in the beginning formed matter in solid, massy, hard, impenetrable, movable particles, of such sizes and figures, and with such other properties, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/god-in-the-beginning-formed-matter-in-solid-massy-hard-impenetrable/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [ I am ashamed to tell you to how many figures I carried these calculations \[of Pi\], having no other business at the time ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/i-am-ashamed-to-tell-you-to-how-many-figures-i-carried-these/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [Hypotheses non fingo. I frame no hypotheses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/hypotheses-non-fingo-i-frame-no-hypotheses/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [The Ignis Fatuus is a vapor shining without heat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/the-ignis-fatuus-is-a-vapor-shining-without-heat/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [Blind metaphysical necessity, which is certainly the same always and every where, could produce no variety of things. All that diversity of natural things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/blind-metaphysical-necessity-which-is-certainly-the-same-always-and/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [You sometimes speak of gravity as essential and inherent to matter. 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