--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some of the best theorizing comes after…" description: "\"Some of the best theorizing comes after collecting data because then you become aware of another reality.\" — Robert J. Shiller" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cf/robert-j-shiller-8591_after_some-of-the-best-theorizing-comes-after_1823301.jpg" --- # Some of the best theorizing comes after collecting data… ![“Some of the best theorizing comes after collecting data because then you become aware of another reality.” quote by Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cf/robert-j-shiller-8591_after_some-of-the-best-theorizing-comes-after_1823301.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cf/robert-j-shiller-8591_after_some-of-the-best-theorizing-comes-after_1823301.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cf/robert-j-shiller-8591_after_some-of-the-best-theorizing-comes-after_1823301.jpg) > “Some of the best theorizing comes after collecting data because then you become aware of another reality.” [Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Collecting data before theorizing leads to insights that reveal new realities. **In simple terms:** Data‑driven theory uncovers hidden truths. Key Takeaway Base ideas on evidence. Themes research theory development data analysis Mood analytical inquisitive Type academic practical When to use this quote - academic studies - business strategy - policy making Key Concepts empiricism scientific method Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure data quality? - When should intuition guide theory? A Different Perspective Data may be incomplete or biased. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) ## Related quotes > [People at large are becoming more aware that there is much more to reality and to themselves than what meets the eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanna-bonta/people-at-large-are-becoming-more-aware-that-there-is-much-more-to/) [Vanna Bonta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanna-bonta/) > [Two hundred or more years ago most people on the planet were never aware of any reality other than the one into which they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/two-hundred-or-more-years-ago-most-people-on-the-planet-were-never/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [Let her be with her memories. Better that than be aware of this reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-thomas/let-her-be-with-her-memories-better-that-than-be-aware-of-this-reality/) [Rosie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-thomas/) > [You take yourself to be limited, but you are not. Discover this. Stay silent and attentive. Be earnest about it. Just be aware of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/you-take-yourself-to-be-limited-but-you-are-not-discover-this-stay/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [“Yet in one sense they can miss it: that is, by failing to focus on it, even when in general terms they are aware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/yet-in-one-sense-they-can-miss-it-that-is-by-failing-to-focus-on-it/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) > [“The truly interesting question for man is neither logic, a fascinating game, nor demonstration, an inviting curiosity. Rather, the intriguing problem for man is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-giussani/the-truly-interesting-question-for-man-is-neither-logic-a-fascinating/) [Luigi Giussani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-giussani/) > [Joy is being fully aware of reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/joy-is-being-fully-aware-of-reality/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There is no need for the scientist to go into whether an observation was made, nor into the who, what, when, or where. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-sosa/there-is-no-need-for-the-scientist-to-go-into-whether-an-observation/) [Ernest Sosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-sosa/) > [FACTS = F. Frequently A. Associated C. Calculations T. Theorizing S. 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Other people are free to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shrigley/i-don-t-like-theorizing-about-my-work-myself-but-that-s-not-to-say-i/) [David Shrigley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shrigley/) > [Theorizing is of course essential to make progress in understanding, but theorizing in the absence of knowing available relevant facts is not very productive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-churchland/theorizing-is-of-course-essential-to-make-progress-in-understanding/) [Patricia Churchland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-churchland/) > [Natural objects, for example, must be experienced before any theorizing about them can occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-husserl/natural-objects-for-example-must-be-experienced-before-any-theorizing/) [Edmund Husserl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-husserl/) > [I don't think anybody's really been successful with theorizing about value or creating a price theory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-don-t-think-anybody-s-really-been-successful-with-theorizing-about/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) ## More by Robert J. Shiller > [This is an anxiety driven world - the whole world is driven by anxiety. It is anxiety about the aftermath of the global financial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/this-is-an-anxiety-driven-world-the-whole-world-is-driven-by-anxiety/) [Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/) > [The future is always coming up with surprises for us, and the best way to insulate yourself from these surprises is to diversify.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/the-future-is-always-coming-up-with-surprises-for-us-and-the-best-way/) [Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/) > [Can a controlled experiment explain why people like Kewpie dolls in one year, Beanie Babies in another, and American Girl dolls this year? Yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/can-a-controlled-experiment-explain-why-people-like-kewpie-dolls-in/) [Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/) > [News media stimulate bubbles, since stories about them boost their audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/news-media-stimulate-bubbles-since-stories-about-them-boost-their/) [Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/) > [Diversify, because that helps reduce risk. And you can diversify outside the United States. Some people would never invest in Europe - I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/diversify-because-that-helps-reduce-risk-and-you-can-diversify/) [Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/) > [I want to know diverse facts about such things as galaxies or molecules or proteins or insect species. 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Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/) > [Money management has been a profession involving a lot of fakery - people saying they can beat the market, and they really can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/money-management-has-been-a-profession-involving-a-lot-of-fakery/) [Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/) > [As far as I can find, almost no one in the profession - not even luminaries like John Maynard Keynes, Friedrich Hayek, or Irving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/as-far-as-i-can-find-almost-no-one-in-the-profession-not-even/) [Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/) > [A lot of people aren't saving enough. And incidentally, people are living longer now, and health care is improving. You might end up retired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/a-lot-of-people-aren-t-saving-enough-and-incidentally-people-are/) [Robert J. 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But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) > [No lusting after your neighbor's house - or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses/no-lusting-after-your-neighbor-s-house-or-wife-or-servant-or-maid-or/) [Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses/) > [After I finished college, I got a job on Wall Street as a derivatives trader, but after a couple years of it, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/after-i-finished-college-i-got-a-job-on-wall-street-as-a-derivatives/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [When good media takes a bounded form, and comes once in a period of time, it begs to be consumed as a whole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/when-good-media-takes-a-bounded-form-and-comes-once-in-a-period-of/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [Markets are designed to allow individuals to look after their private needs and to pursue profit. 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