Appendix Quote by Margaret MacMillan
““There are only two perfectly useless things in the world,” he quipped. “One is an appendix and the other is Poincaré!””
About This Quote
He jokes that an appendix and Poincaré’s work are equally useless.
In simple terms: Only two things are useless: the appendix and Poincaré.
Key Takeaway
Question what we deem useless.
Themes
humor
science
skepticism
Mood
witty
critical
Type
satirical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- academic discourse
- medical education
- public talks
Key Concepts
value judgment
philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- What truly matters in knowledge?
- How do you assess usefulness?
A Different Perspective
Humor can dismiss genuine contributions.
![“In the appendix to my History of the Russian Revolution I give a detailed and documented study of the ideas of the Bolshevik party on the October revolution. This study, I hope, will make it impossible in the future to ascribe to [Vladimir] Lenin the theory of Socialism in a single country.” quote by Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/374/leon-trotsky-2558_appendix_in-the-appendix-to-my-history-of-the-rus_363447.jpg)
