--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No aphorism is more frequently repeated…" description: "\"No aphorism is more frequently repeated in connection with field trials, than that we must ask Nature few questions, or, ideally, one question, at a ti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/ronald-fisher-14852_answers_no-aphorism-is-more-frequently-repeated_659940.jpg" --- # No aphorism is more frequently repeated in connection with… ![“No aphorism is more frequently repeated in connection with field trials, than that we must ask Nature few questions, or, ideally, one question, at a time. The writer is convinced that this view is wholly mistaken. Nature, he suggests, will best respond to a logical and carefully thought out…” quote by Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/ronald-fisher-14852_answers_no-aphorism-is-more-frequently-repeated_659940.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/ronald-fisher-14852_answers_no-aphorism-is-more-frequently-repeated_659940.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/ronald-fisher-14852_answers_no-aphorism-is-more-frequently-repeated_659940.jpg) > “No aphorism is more frequently repeated in connection with field trials, than that we must ask Nature few questions, or, ideally, one question, at a time. The writer is convinced that this view is wholly mistaken. Nature, he suggests, will best respond to a logical and carefully thought out questionnaire; indeed, if we ask her a single question, she will often refuse to answer until some other topic has been discussed.” [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Complex problems need multiple, carefully crafted questions rather than a single oversimplified query. **In simple terms:** Ask many thoughtful questions. Key Takeaway Use detailed, logical questioning. Themes research methodology inquiry Mood analytical curious critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - scientific research - policy analysis - product development - clinical trials - academic studies Key Concepts experimental design questionnaire theory Questions to Reflect On - How can you break down a big problem into smaller questions? - When might a single question be sufficient? A Different Perspective A single question can sometimes reveal hidden insights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aphorism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aphorism/) [Connections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connections/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Questionnaires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questionnaires/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Trials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trials/) [Truth Seeking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-seeking/) ## Related quotes > [ \[In geology,\] As in history, the material in hand remains silent if no questions are asked. The nature of these questions depends on the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-geology-as-in-history-the-material-in-hand-remains-silent-if-no/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Art does not copy nature - it suggests it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-gombrich/art-does-not-copy-nature-it-suggests-it/) [Ernst Gombrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-gombrich/) > [For any particular thing, ask: What is it in itself? What is its nature?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/for-any-particular-thing-ask-what-is-it-in-itself-what-is-its-nature/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“I ask of nature that it gives me life, unfiltered, show me what I am and every variation of me. That I may separate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dew-platt/i-ask-of-nature-that-it-gives-me-life-unfiltered-show-me-what-i-am/) [Dew Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dew-platt/) > [You may command Nature to the extent only in which you are willing to obey her. You cannot intelligently obey that which you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-russell/you-may-command-nature-to-the-extent-only-in-which-you-are-willing-to-2/) [Walter Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-russell/) > [A 1977 poll of American astronomers, published in JSE, showed the following. Out of 2611 questionnaires 1356 were returned. In response to whether the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-haisch/a-1977-poll-of-american-astronomers-published-in-jse-showed-the/) [Bernard Haisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-haisch/) > [Those who would send out thousands of questionnaires asking the unconverted what they would desire most in a worship service should realize that ten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-washer/those-who-would-send-out-thousands-of-questionnaires-asking-the/) [Paul Washer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-washer/) > [Bobby and I went through some old questionnaires about customer requirements for languages, then we compiled a new one and sent it out to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frank/bobby-and-i-went-through-some-old-questionnaires-about-customer/) James Frank > [Thou shalt not answer questionnaires Or quizzes upon world affairs, Nor with compliance Take any test. Thou shalt not sit with statisticians nor commit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/thou-shalt-not-answer-questionnaires-or-quizzes-upon-world-affairs/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [If you have 15 minutes per visit, and you spend the first 9 minutes just collecting information from them, before you do anything else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-davis/if-you-have-15-minutes-per-visit-and-you-spend-the-first-9-minutes/) [William Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-davis/) > [ Libraries should be open to all - except the censor. \[Response to questionnaire in Saturday Review, October 29 1960\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/libraries-should-be-open-to-all-except-the-censor-response-to/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Undecided," while running for re-election to state Senate in 1998, in response to an Outlines questionnaire asking, "Do you favor legalizing same-sex marriage?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/undecided-while-running-for-re-election-to-state-senate-in-1998-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The questionnaire is a simple first step toward becoming more self-aware.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-morgan/the-questionnaire-is-a-simple-first-step-toward-becoming-more-self/) [Nick Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-morgan/) > [Iceland sets a world-record. The United Nations asked people from all over the world a series of questions. Iceland stuck out on one thing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bjork/iceland-sets-a-world-record-the-united-nations-asked-people-from-all/) [Bjork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bjork/) > [Random search for data on ... off-chance is hardly scientific. A questionnaire on 'Intellectual Immoralities' was circulated by a well-known institution. 'Intellectual Immorality No.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/random-search-for-data-on-off-chance-is-hardly-scientific-a/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) ## More by Ronald Fisher > [ \[Coining the phrase "test of significance"\] Critical tests of this kind may be called tests of significance, and when such tests are available we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/coining-the-phrase-test-of-significance-critical-tests-of-this-kind/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) > [We can set no limit to human potentialities; all that is best in man can be bettered; it is not a question of producing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/we-can-set-no-limit-to-human-potentialities-all-that-is-best-in-man/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) > [If ... we choose a group of social phenomena with no antecedent knowledge of the causation or absence of causation among them, then the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/if-we-choose-a-group-of-social-phenomena-with-no-antecedent-knowledge/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) > [The statistician cannot evade the responsibility for understanding the process he applies or recommends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/the-statistician-cannot-evade-the-responsibility-for-understanding/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) > [Modern statisticians are familiar with the notion that any finite body of data contains only a limited amount of information on any point under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/modern-statisticians-are-familiar-with-the-notion-that-any-finite/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) > [The academic mind, as we know, is sometimes capable of assuming an aggressive attitude. The official mind, on the contrary, is and has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/the-academic-mind-as-we-know-is-sometimes-capable-of-assuming-an/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) > [However, perhaps the main point is that you are under no obligation to analyse variance into its parts if it does not come apart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/however-perhaps-the-main-point-is-that-you-are-under-no-obligation-to/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) > [... no scientific worker has a fixed level of significance at which from year to year, and in all circumstances, he rejects hypotheses; he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/no-scientific-worker-has-a-fixed-level-of-significance-at-which-from/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) > [The analysis of variance is not a mathematical theorem, but rather a convenient method of arranging the arithmetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/the-analysis-of-variance-is-not-a-mathematical-theorem-but-rather-a/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) > [Natural selection is not evolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/natural-selection-is-not-evolution/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) > [The best causes tend to attract to their support the worst arguments, which seems to be equally true in the intellectual and in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/the-best-causes-tend-to-attract-to-their-support-the-worst-arguments/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) > [If one in twenty does not seem high enough odds, we may, if we prefer it, draw the line at one in fifty (the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/if-one-in-twenty-does-not-seem-high-enough-odds-we-may-if-we-prefer/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) > [We have the duty of formulating, of summarizing, and of communicating our conclusions, in intelligible form, in recognition of the right of other free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/we-have-the-duty-of-formulating-of-summarizing-and-of-communicating/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) > [Fairly large print is a real antidote to stiff reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/fairly-large-print-is-a-real-antidote-to-stiff-reading/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) > [We have usually no knowledge that any one factor will exert its effects independently of all others that can be varied, or that its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/we-have-usually-no-knowledge-that-any-one-factor-will-exert-its/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) [Explore all 45 Ronald Fisher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) ## More Answers quotes > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [“As long as you keep searching,the answers will come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kynock/as-long-as-you-keep-searching-the-answers-will-come/) [Mitch Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kynock/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/) [Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/) > [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) Browse all 7,843 Answers quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No aphorism is more frequently repeated in connection with field trials, than that we must ask Nature few questions, or, ideally, one question, at a time. 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