---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Experiment and reason, tempered by…"
description: "\"“Experiment and reason, tempered by intuition, were to him preferable to solid plodding in the well-trodden paths of experience.”\" — Richard Davenport-..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/richard-davenport-hines-39588_economics_experiment-and-reason-tempered-by-intuit_1135844.jpg"
---

#  Experiment and reason, tempered by intuition, were to him…

![“Experiment and reason, tempered by intuition, were to him preferable to solid plodding in the well-trodden paths of experience.” quote by Richard Davenport-Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/richard-davenport-hines-39588_economics_experiment-and-reason-tempered-by-intuit_1135844.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/richard-davenport-hines-39588_economics_experiment-and-reason-tempered-by-intuit_1135844.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/richard-davenport-hines-39588_economics_experiment-and-reason-tempered-by-intuit_1135844.jpg)

> ““Experiment and reason, tempered by intuition, were to him preferable to solid plodding in the well-trodden paths of experience.””

[Richard Davenport-Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davenport-hines/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He values combining experimental work, logical analysis, and intuition over rigid, conventional methods.

**In simple terms:** Mixing experiment, reason, and intuition beats strict tradition.

Key Takeaway

Embrace flexible thinking.

Themes

creativity science intuition

Mood

inquisitive analytical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- research
- problem solving
- creative projects
- learning new skills

Key Concepts

methodology innovation balance

Questions to Reflect On

- When should you trust intuition over data?
- How do you test intuitive ideas?

A Different Perspective

Over‑reliance on intuition can lead to errors without evidence.

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[Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Economists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economists/) [Intuition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intuition/) [Intuition Preferable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intuition-preferable-3142588/) [Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keynes/) [Plodding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plodding/) [Solid Plodding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solid-plodding-3142590/) [Tempered Intuition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tempered-intuition-3142589/)

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