--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I like about sceptics is that in…" description: "\"What I like about sceptics is that in good science you need critics that make you think: 'Crumbs, have I made a mistake here?' If you don't have that c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/613/james-lovelock-5790_about_what-i-like-about-sceptics-is-that-in-go_996153.jpg" --- # What I like about sceptics is that in good science you… ![“What I like about sceptics is that in good science you need critics that make you think: 'Crumbs, have I made a mistake here?' If you don't have that continuously, you really are up the creek. The good sceptics have done a good service, but some of the mad ones I think have not done anyone any…” quote by James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/613/james-lovelock-5790_about_what-i-like-about-sceptics-is-that-in-go_996153.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/613/james-lovelock-5790_about_what-i-like-about-sceptics-is-that-in-go_996153.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/613/james-lovelock-5790_about_what-i-like-about-sceptics-is-that-in-go_996153.jpg) > “What I like about sceptics is that in good science you need critics that make you think: 'Crumbs, have I made a mistake here?' If you don't have that continuously, you really are up the creek. The good sceptics have done a good service, but some of the mad ones I think have not done anyone any favours.” [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Skeptics act as essential checks, prompting scientists to re‑examine assumptions and avoid errors; both constructive and destructive criticism exist. **In simple terms:** Critics improve science. Key Takeaway Encourage thoughtful critique. Themes science skepticism criticism Mood analytical balanced Type academic reflective When to use this quote - research labs - policy debates - education - peer review Key Concepts philosophy methodology Questions to Reflect On - When does criticism become obstruction? - How can we foster constructive skepticism? A Different Perspective Over‑critical voices can stall progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Favours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favours/) [Good science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-science/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Sceptics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sceptics/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service/) ## Related quotes > [In the way that scepticism is sometimes applied to issues of public concern, there is a tendency to belittle, to condescend, to ignore the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/in-the-way-that-scepticism-is-sometimes-applied-to-issues-of-public/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [If you are not around when Africa truly gets going, it would be much like the sceptics who stood on the sidelines in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yemi-osinbajo/if-you-are-not-around-when-africa-truly-gets-going-it-would-be-much/) [Yemi Osinbajo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yemi-osinbajo/) > [Sceptics are yet the most credulous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/sceptics-are-yet-the-most-credulous/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“{ Letter to his brother, 1861 } ... I remain an utter disbeliever in almost all that you consider the most sacred truths... But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-russel-wallace/letter-to-his-brother-1861-i-remain-an-utter-disbeliever-in-almost/) [Alfred Russel Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-russel-wallace/) > [I accept sceptics, you've got to have challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-aykroyd/i-accept-sceptics-you-ve-got-to-have-challenges/) [Dan Aykroyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-aykroyd/) > [“Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/many-orthodox-people-speak-as-though-it-were-the-business-of-sceptics-3/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [When there is change, there are always sceptics who think it won't work. I am sure someone at some point thought the iPhone wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-buttler/when-there-is-change-there-are-always-sceptics-who-think-it-won-t/) [Jos Buttler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-buttler/) > [Materialism prevails in Europe today. You may pray for the salvation of the modern sceptics, but they do not yield, they want reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/materialism-prevails-in-europe-today-you-may-pray-for-the-salvation/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [The sceptics assert, though absurdly, that the origin of all religious worship was derived from the utility of inanimate objects,as the sun and moon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-sceptics-assert-though-absurdly-that-the-origin-of-all-religious/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [The problems with this world cannot possibly be solved by sceptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/the-problems-with-this-world-cannot-possibly-be-solved-by-sceptics-or/) [John F. 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This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/many-orthodox-people-speak-as-though-it-were-the-business-of-sceptics-2/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [It is effectively BBC policy to ignore climate change sceptics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sissons/it-is-effectively-bbc-policy-to-ignore-climate-change-sceptics/) Peter Sissons > [I note that warmists are often banging on about the fact that sceptics like Christopher Booker and myself 'only' have arts degrees. But actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-delingpole/i-note-that-warmists-are-often-banging-on-about-the-fact-that/) [James Delingpole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-delingpole/) > [“Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/many-orthodox-people-speak-as-though-it-were-the-business-of-sceptics/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## More by James Lovelock > [The Earth's population will be culled from today's 6.6 billion to as few as 500 million, with most of the survivors living in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-earth-s-population-will-be-culled-from-today-s-6-6-billion-to-as/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [“City wisdom became almost entirely centered on the problems of human relationships, in contrast to the wisdom of any natural tribal group, where relationships…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/city-wisdom-became-almost-entirely-centered-on-the-problems-of-human/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [You never know with politicians what they are really saying. 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