--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Unlike earlier thinkers, who had sought…" description: "\"Unlike earlier thinkers, who had sought to improve their accuracy by getting rid of error, Laplace realized that you should try to get more error: aggr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/kathryn-schulz-7782_accuracy_unlike-earlier-thinkers-who-had-sought-t_2950615.png" --- # Unlike earlier thinkers, who had sought to improve their… ![“Unlike earlier thinkers, who had sought to improve their accuracy by getting rid of error, Laplace realized that you should try to get more error: aggregate enough flawed data, and you get a glimpse of the truth. "The genius of statistics, as Laplace defined it, was that it did not ignore errors…” quote by Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/kathryn-schulz-7782_accuracy_unlike-earlier-thinkers-who-had-sought-t_2950615.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/kathryn-schulz-7782_accuracy_unlike-earlier-thinkers-who-had-sought-t_2950615.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/kathryn-schulz-7782_accuracy_unlike-earlier-thinkers-who-had-sought-t_2950615.png) > “Unlike earlier thinkers, who had sought to improve their accuracy by getting rid of error, Laplace realized that you should try to get more error: aggregate enough flawed data, and you get a glimpse of the truth. "The genius of statistics, as Laplace defined it, was that it did not ignore errors; it quantified them," the writer Louis Menand observed. "...The right answer is, in a sense, a function of the mistakes.” [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Laplace argued that embracing and quantifying errors, rather than eliminating them, reveals deeper truths through aggregate data. **In simple terms:** Errors can be useful when measured and combined. Key Takeaway Use mistakes as data points to improve insight. Themes statistics error analysis truth seeking Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - research design - business analytics - quality control - policy making Key Concepts probability data aggregation uncertainty quantification Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn errors into insights? - When does error aggregation mislead? A Different Perspective Relying solely on error reduction can miss systemic biases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accuracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accuracy/) [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Laplace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laplace/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Statistics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statistics/) [Thinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinker/) ## Related quotes > [Laplace would have found it child's-play to fix a ratio of progression in mathematical science between Descartes, Leibnitz, Newton and himself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/laplace-would-have-found-it-child-s-play-to-fix-a-ratio-of/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [“ Napoleon , when hearing about Laplace 's latest book, said, ' M. 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