--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In general, we mean by any concept…" description: "\"In general, we mean by any concept nothing more than a set of operations; the concept is synonymous with the corresponding set of operations.\" — Percy ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/192/percy-williams-bridgman-26709_concepts_in-general-we-mean-by-any-concept-nothin_1981963.png" --- # In general, we mean by any concept nothing more than a set… ![“In general, we mean by any concept nothing more than a set of operations; the concept is synonymous with the corresponding set of operations.” quote by Percy Williams Bridgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/192/percy-williams-bridgman-26709_concepts_in-general-we-mean-by-any-concept-nothin_1981963.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/192/percy-williams-bridgman-26709_concepts_in-general-we-mean-by-any-concept-nothin_1981963.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/192/percy-williams-bridgman-26709_concepts_in-general-we-mean-by-any-concept-nothin_1981963.png) > “In general, we mean by any concept nothing more than a set of operations; the concept is synonymous with the corresponding set of operations.” [Percy Williams Bridgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-williams-bridgman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A concept is defined by the actions that can be performed with it, not by an abstract idea. **In simple terms:** Concepts equal their operations. Key Takeaway Identify actions to clarify ideas. Themes philosophy epistemology science Mood analytical neutral Type definitional explanatory When to use this quote - teaching - software design - legal analysis Key Concepts Operationalism definition methodology Questions to Reflect On - How do operations shape our understanding of a concept? - Can a concept exist without observable actions? 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The concept of length is therefore fixed when the operations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-williams-bridgman/to-find-the-length-of-an-object-we-have-to-perform-certain-physical/) [Percy Williams Bridgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-williams-bridgman/) > [The true meaning of a term is to be found by observing what a man does with it, not by what he says about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-williams-bridgman/the-true-meaning-of-a-term-is-to-be-found-by-observing-what-a-man/) [Percy Williams Bridgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-williams-bridgman/) > [It seems to me that there is a good deal of ballyhoo about scientific method. 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Such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-williams-bridgman/i-can-see-no-justification-whatever-for-the-attitude-which-refuses-on/) [Percy Williams Bridgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-williams-bridgman/) > [My point of view is that science is essentially private, whereas the almost universal counter point of view, explicitly stated in many of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-williams-bridgman/my-point-of-view-is-that-science-is-essentially-private-whereas-the/) [Percy Williams Bridgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-williams-bridgman/) > [The first business of a man of science is to proclaim the truth as he finds it, and let the world adjust itself as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-williams-bridgman/the-first-business-of-a-man-of-science-is-to-proclaim-the-truth-as-he/) [Percy Williams Bridgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-williams-bridgman/) > [But ... the working scientist ... is not consciously following any prescribed course of action, but feels complete freedom to utilize any method or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-williams-bridgman/but-the-working-scientist-is-not-consciously-following-any-prescribed/) [Percy Williams Bridgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-williams-bridgman/) > [The result is that a generation of physicists is growing up who have never exercised any particular degree of individual initiative, who have had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-williams-bridgman/the-result-is-that-a-generation-of-physicists-is-growing-up-who-have/) [Percy Williams Bridgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-williams-bridgman/) > [“The attitude which the man in the street unconsciously adopts towards science is capricious and varied. At one moment he scorns the scientist for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-williams-bridgman/the-attitude-which-the-man-in-the-street-unconsciously-adopts-towards/) [Percy Williams Bridgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-williams-bridgman/) > [There is no adequate defense, except stupidity, against the impact of a new idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-williams-bridgman/there-is-no-adequate-defense-except-stupidity-against-the-impact-of-a/) [Percy Williams Bridgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-williams-bridgman/) > [The operational approach demands that we make our reports and do our thinking in the freshest terms of which we are capable, in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-williams-bridgman/the-operational-approach-demands-that-we-make-our-reports-and-do-our/) [Percy Williams Bridgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-williams-bridgman/) > [“Not only are there meaningless questions, but many of the problems with which the human intellect has tortured itself turn out to be only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-williams-bridgman/not-only-are-there-meaningless-questions-but-many-of-the-problems/) [Percy Williams Bridgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-williams-bridgman/) > [If a specific question has meaning, it must be possible to find operations by which an answer may be given to it ... I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-williams-bridgman/if-a-specific-question-has-meaning-it-must-be-possible-to-find/) [Percy Williams Bridgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-williams-bridgman/) > [Nature does not count nor do integers occur in nature. Man made them all, integers and all the rest, Kronecker to the contrary notwithstanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-williams-bridgman/nature-does-not-count-nor-do-integers-occur-in-nature-man-made-them/) [Percy Williams Bridgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-williams-bridgman/) [Explore all 21 Percy Williams Bridgman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-williams-bridgman/) ## More Concepts quotes > [Capability is just a concept of what is it we're looking at. 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There is not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/you-imagine-that-i-look-back-on-my-life-s-work-with-calm-satisfaction/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [For a physicist mathematics is not just a tool by means of which phenomena can be calculated, it is the main source of concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/for-a-physicist-mathematics-is-not-just-a-tool-by-means-of-which/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [One of the most powerful concepts, one which is a sure cure for lack of confidence, is the thought that God is with you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/one-of-the-most-powerful-concepts-one-which-is-a-sure-cure-for-lack/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [All significant concepts of the modern theory of the state are secularized theological concepts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/all-significant-concepts-of-the-modern-theory-of-the-state-are/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/) Christy Nockels > [ I don't think in national categories. For me it \[policy\] is about concepts and substance. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-claude-juncker/i-don-t-think-in-national-categories-for-me-it-policy-is-about/) [Jean-Claude Juncker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-claude-juncker/) > [In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we really didn't think people would write reviews for fun. 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