--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Put glibly: In science if you know what…" description: "\"Put glibly: In science if you know what you are doing you should not be doing it. In engineering if you do not know what you are doing you should not b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/richard-hamming-14135_accounts_put-glibly-in-science-if-you-know-what-y_2877974.jpg" --- # Put glibly: In science if you know what you are doing you… ![“Put glibly: In science if you know what you are doing you should not be doing it. In engineering if you do not know what you are doing you should not be doing it. Of course, you seldom, if ever, see either pure state.” quote by Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/richard-hamming-14135_accounts_put-glibly-in-science-if-you-know-what-y_2877974.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/richard-hamming-14135_accounts_put-glibly-in-science-if-you-know-what-y_2877974.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/richard-hamming-14135_accounts_put-glibly-in-science-if-you-know-what-y_2877974.jpg) > “Put glibly: In science if you know what you are doing you should not be doing it. In engineering if you do not know what you are doing you should not be doing it. Of course, you seldom, if ever, see either pure state.” [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In science you need competence before acting; in engineering you need competence before building. **In simple terms:** Know what you’re doing before you act. Key Takeaway Ensure expertise before execution. Themes competence engineering science responsibility risk Mood cautious pragmatic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - research labs - construction sites - product development Key Concepts expertise decision making process Questions to Reflect On - When do you proceed despite uncertainty? - How to assess competence accurately? A Different Perspective Ideal rarely exists; practical judgment required. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [You have students in America, in Britain, who do not want to be engineers. Perhaps it is the workload, I studied engineering, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azim-premji/you-have-students-in-america-in-britain-who-do-not-want-to-be/) [Azim Premji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azim-premji/) > [When I was doing engineering, one day I thought that I want to be an actor, and apart from acting, I want to produce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonu-sood/when-i-was-doing-engineering-one-day-i-thought-that-i-want-to-be-an/) [Sonu Sood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonu-sood/) > [You're at your most purest, most innocent, pure state when you're doing something you've never done before. You're scared a little, you're a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-keys/you-re-at-your-most-purest-most-innocent-pure-state-when-you-re-doing/) [Alicia Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-keys/) > [ “How can one go from good \[auspicious state\] to pure (state)? There are no words for it. It will happen when the Gnani Purush… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/how-can-one-go-from-good-auspicious-state-to-pure-state-there-are-no/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Sperm is a bandit in its pure state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/sperm-is-a-bandit-in-its-pure-state/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [If you're the sort of person that likes a job where once you know what you're doing you can keep doing what you're doing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-jackman/if-you-re-the-sort-of-person-that-likes-a-job-where-once-you-know/) [Henry Jackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-jackman/) > [Whoever you are, if you know what you're doing, you don't want other people to overtake the merit of your art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esperanza-spalding/whoever-you-are-if-you-know-what-you-re-doing-you-don-t-want-other/) [Esperanza Spalding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esperanza-spalding/) > [If you know what you're doing, you're doing dull stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/if-you-know-what-you-re-doing-you-re-doing-dull-stuff/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [As soon as you know what you're doing, you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liev-schreiber/as-soon-as-you-know-what-you-re-doing-you-re-doing-it-wrong/) [Liev Schreiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liev-schreiber/) > [“Basic research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I am doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wernher-von-braun/basic-research-is-what-i-m-doing-when-i-don-t-know-what-i-am-doing/) [Wernher Von Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wernher-von-braun/) > [Try to put well in practice what you already know; and in so doing, you will in good time, discover the hidden things you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rembrandt/try-to-put-well-in-practice-what-you-already-know-and-in-so-doing-you/) [Rembrandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rembrandt/) > [It may be said "In research, if you know what you are doing, then you shouldn't be doing it." In a sense, if the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/it-may-be-said-in-research-if-you-know-what-you-are-doing-then-you/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [I think that fame only goes to your head if you are not a real artist. If you are a real artist and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-starlight/i-think-that-fame-only-goes-to-your-head-if-you-are-not-a-real-artist/) [Lady Starlight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-starlight/) > [The desperation was coming off you in waves. You were all but begging to dance with me. I am doing you a favor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/the-desperation-was-coming-off-you-in-waves-you-were-all-but-begging/) [Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/) > [I knew exactly what I was doing. You can't accidentally take a whole bottle of pills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fantasia-barrino/i-knew-exactly-what-i-was-doing-you-can-t-accidentally-take-a-whole/) [Fantasia Barrino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fantasia-barrino/) ## More by Richard Hamming > [Science is composed of laws which were originally based on a small, carefully selected set of observations, often not very accurately measured originally; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/science-is-composed-of-laws-which-were-originally-based-on-a-small/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [Typing is no substitute for thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/typing-is-no-substitute-for-thinking/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [Mathematics is an interesting intellectual sport but it should not be allowed to stand in the way of obtaining sensible information about physical processes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/mathematics-is-an-interesting-intellectual-sport-but-it-should-not-be/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [Given two people with exactly the same ability, the one person who manages day in and day out to get in one more hour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/given-two-people-with-exactly-the-same-ability-the-one-person-who/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [“It is not easy to become an educated person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/it-is-not-easy-to-become-an-educated-person/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [The purpose of computing is insight, not numbers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/the-purpose-of-computing-is-insight-not-numbers/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [Mathematicians stand on each others' shoulders and computer scientists stand on each others' toes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/mathematicians-stand-on-each-others-shoulders-and-computer-scientists/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [What are the important problems of your field?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/what-are-the-important-problems-of-your-field/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [In mathematics we do not appeal to authority, but rather you are responsible for what you believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/in-mathematics-we-do-not-appeal-to-authority-but-rather-you-are/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [Beware of finding what you're looking for. A favorite aphorism he often used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/beware-of-finding-what-you-re-looking-for-a-favorite-aphorism-he/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [Mathematics is not merely an idle art form, it is an essential part of our society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/mathematics-is-not-merely-an-idle-art-form-it-is-an-essential-part-of/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [Perhaps the central problem we face in all of computer science is how we are to get to the situation where we build on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/perhaps-the-central-problem-we-face-in-all-of-computer-science-is-how/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [One of the characteristics of successful scientists is having courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/one-of-the-characteristics-of-successful-scientists-is-having-courage/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [There are wavelengths that people cannot see, there are sounds that people cannot hear, and maybe computers have thoughts that people cannot think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/there-are-wavelengths-that-people-cannot-see-there-are-sounds-that/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [“The more you know, the more you learn; the more you learn, the more you can do; the more you can do, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/the-more-you-know-the-more-you-learn-the-more-you-learn-the-more-you/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) [Explore all 47 Richard Hamming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) ## More Accounts quotes > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [The Hindus have a peculiar slovenliness in business matters, not being sufficiently methodical and strict in keeping accounts etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-hindus-have-a-peculiar-slovenliness-in-business-matters-not-being/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/) [Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/) > [I had a very blessed journey with the upbringing I had. When you're working on sets as a stuntman, you have a firsthand account…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-roman-waugh/i-had-a-very-blessed-journey-with-the-upbringing-i-had-when-you-re/) [Ric Roman Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-roman-waugh/) > [The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion or in politics, but it is not the path to knowledge; it has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-suppression-of-uncomfortable-ideas-may-be-common-in-religion-or/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [You've got to exercise. Your health account, your bank account, they're the same thing. 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