Impossibility Quote by John Steinbeck
““The tree-frog in the high pool in the mountain cleft, had he been endowed with human reason, on finding a cigarette butt in the water might have said, "Here is an impossibility. there is no tobacco hereabouts nor any paper. Here is evidence of fire and there has been no fire. This thing cannot fly nor crawl nor blow in the wind. In fact, this thing cannot be and I will deny it, for if I admit that this thing is here the whole world of frogs is in danger, and from there it is only one step to anti-frogicentricism." And so that frog will for the rest of his life try to forget that something is, is.””
About This Quote
Source Short story: “The Frog’s Dilemma”, 1950
Uses a frog’s imagined reasoning to critique denial of evidence and the danger of rigid ideologies.
In simple terms: Denial of facts leads to absurd conclusions.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions and seek evidence.
Themes
philosophy
science
skepticism
Mood
cautionary
introspective
Type
ethical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- education
- policy making
- environmental debates
- science communication
Key Concepts
epistemology
critical thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- What biases cause us to ignore contradictory evidence?
- How can we foster openness to new data?
A Different Perspective
May oversimplify complex scientific issues.
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