Blaming others Quote by Karl Popper
““We all have an unscientific weakness for being always in the right, and this weakness seems to be particularly common among professional and amateur politicians. But the only way to apply something like scientific method in politics is to proceed on the assumption that there can be no political move which has no drawbacks, no undesirable consequences. To look out for these mistakes, to find them, to bring them into the open, to analyse them, and to learn from them, this is what a scientific politician as well as a political scientist must do. Scientific method in politics means that the great art of convincing ourselves that we have not made any mistakes, of ignoring them, of hiding them, and of blaming others from them, is replaced by the greater art of accepting the responsibility for them, of trying to learn from them, and of applying this knowledge so that we may avoid them in future.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Conjectures and Refutations, Karl Popper, 1963
Political decisions must be examined critically, acknowledging flaws and learning from them rather than denying errors.
In simple terms: Politics needs honest error‑checking.
Key Takeaway
Accept and learn from mistakes.
Themes
politics
science
ethics
accountability
decisionmaking
Mood
reflective
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- policy formulation
- campaign strategy
- legislative drafting
- public debate
Key Concepts
Scientific method
critical thinking
responsibility
Questions to Reflect On
- How can leaders balance caution with necessary boldness?
- What mechanisms ensure honest error reporting?
A Different Perspective
Assuming all moves have drawbacks can stall decisive action.
![“[The aim of science is] to explain what so far has taken to be an explicans, such as a law of nature. The task of empirical science constantly renews itself. We may go on forever, proceeding to explanations of a higher and higher universality...” quote by Karl Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f4e/karl-popper-2167_aim_the-aim-of-science-is-to-explain-what-so_121944.jpg)
