--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no such source of error as the…" description: "\"There is no such source of error as the pursuit of truth.\" — Samuel Butler" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e10/samuel-butler-823_error_there-is-no-such-source-of-error-as-the_720776.jpg" --- # There is no such source of error as the pursuit of truth. ![“There is no such source of error as the pursuit of truth.” quote by Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e10/samuel-butler-823_error_there-is-no-such-source-of-error-as-the_720776.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e10/samuel-butler-823_error_there-is-no-such-source-of-error-as-the_720776.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e10/samuel-butler-823_error_there-is-no-such-source-of-error-as-the_720776.jpg) > “There is no such source of error as the pursuit of truth.” [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quest for truth is not a source of error; errors arise elsewhere. **In simple terms:** Seeking truth isn’t the problem. Key Takeaway Focus on methods, not the goal of truth. Themes philosophy epistemology critical thinking Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type intellectual philosophical When to use this quote - scientific research - legal investigations - personal decision‑making Key Concepts logic error analysis methodology Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure truth‑seeking remains objective? - What safeguards prevent error in your inquiry? A Different Perspective Truth‑seeking can be biased or misapplied. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Pursuit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursuit/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [There is no such source of error as the pursuit of absolute truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/there-is-no-such-source-of-error-as-the-pursuit-of-absolute-truth/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [The pursuit of truth shall set you free - even if you never catch up with it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-darrow/the-pursuit-of-truth-shall-set-you-free-even-if-you-never-catch-up/) [Clarence Darrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-darrow/) > [The pursuit of truth is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-pursuit-of-truth-is-a-sphere-of-activity-in-which-we-are/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Does the pursuit of truth give you as much pleasure as before? Surely it is not the knowing but the learning, not the possessing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-friedrich-gauss/does-the-pursuit-of-truth-give-you-as-much-pleasure-as-before-surely/) [Carl Friedrich Gauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-friedrich-gauss/) > [The image of the scientist who puts the pursuit of truth before anything else has been shattered and replaced by a man on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/the-image-of-the-scientist-who-puts-the-pursuit-of-truth-before/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [It's my job as a reporter to not be about the business of making friends or enemies but just be in the tireless pursuit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-a-smith/it-s-my-job-as-a-reporter-to-not-be-about-the-business-of-making/) [Stephen A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-a-smith/) > [It changes your life, the pursuit of truth, if you know that you have tried to find the truth and gone past the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bradlee/it-changes-your-life-the-pursuit-of-truth-if-you-know-that-you-have/) [Ben Bradlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bradlee/) > [It would be better for us to have some doubts in an honest pursuit of truth, than it would be for us to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-wallace/it-would-be-better-for-us-to-have-some-doubts-in-an-honest-pursuit-of/) [Daniel Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-wallace/) > [Despite unprecedented levels of technological advancement and the interconnectedness of the world, the pursuit of truth in the realms of foreign policy and national…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hurd/despite-unprecedented-levels-of-technological-advancement-and-the/) [Will Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hurd/) > [When team members trust each other and know that everyone is capable of admitting when they're wrong, then conflict becomes nothing more than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/when-team-members-trust-each-other-and-know-that-everyone-is-capable/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [Conflict is the pursuit of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/conflict-is-the-pursuit-of-truth/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [“The pursuit of truth is not important. The pursuit of that truth is important which helps you in reaching your goal that is provided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-pursuit-of-truth-is-not-important-the-pursuit-of-that-truth-is/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“I live my life in pursuit of truth and beauty. It doesn't pay very well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-haidle/i-live-my-life-in-pursuit-of-truth-and-beauty-it-doesn-t-pay-very-well/) Noah Haidle > [“The pursuit of truth, not of facts, is the business of fiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oakley-hall/the-pursuit-of-truth-not-of-facts-is-the-business-of-fiction/) [Oakley Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oakley-hall/) > [“Desert this mad and unfounded obsession with the so-called truth. In pursuit of truth, you are guaranteed a long and perilous run through a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-fahy/desert-this-mad-and-unfounded-obsession-with-the-so-called-truth-in/) [Tom Fahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-fahy/) ## More by Samuel Butler > [Is life worth living? This is a question for an embryo not for a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/is-life-worth-living-this-is-a-question-for-an-embryo-not-for-a-man/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [I am the enfant terrible of literature and science. If I cannot, and I know I cannot, get the literary and scientific bigwigs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/i-am-the-enfant-terrible-of-literature-and-science-if-i-cannot-and-i/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [If you follow reason far enough it always leads to conclusions that are contrary to reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/if-you-follow-reason-far-enough-it-always-leads-to-conclusions-that/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [All animals, except man, know that the principal business of life is to enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/all-animals-except-man-know-that-the-principal-business-of-life-is-to/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [The advantage of doing one's praising for oneself is that one can lay it on so thick and exactly in the right places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/the-advantage-of-doing-one-s-praising-for-oneself-is-that-one-can-lay/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [Spare the rod and spoil the child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/spare-the-rod-and-spoil-the-child/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [Opinions have vested interests just as men have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/opinions-have-vested-interests-just-as-men-have/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [“we must judge men not so much by what they, as by what they make us feel that they have it in them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/we-must-judge-men-not-so-much-by-what-they-as-by-what-they-make-us/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [If I die prematurely I shall be saved from being bored to death at my own success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/if-i-die-prematurely-i-shall-be-saved-from-being-bored-to-death-at-my/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [Vaccination is the medical sacrament corresponding to baptism. 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Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-o-brown/) > [“Between an Error and a Lie, there are Worlds – an Error is an unintended Mistake, a Lie is an intentional Audacity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sino-melo/between-an-error-and-a-lie-there-are-worlds-an-error-is-an-unintended/) [Sino Melo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sino-melo/) > [This idea that once you get into politics... you are now signed up for lifelong duty being in elective office, makes a fundamental error…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-gonzalez/this-idea-that-once-you-get-into-politics-you-are-now-signed-up-for/) [Matt Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-gonzalez/) > [“Error, failure, and being wrong are central to our development. We just aren’t using them as much as we should…yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-arnott/error-failure-and-being-wrong-are-central-to-our-development-we-just/) [Alastair Arnott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-arnott/) > [Carve and polish it the way you like, error cannot be changed into a precious stone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ace-kid/carve-and-polish-it-the-way-you-like-error-cannot-be-changed-into-a/) [Ace Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ace-kid/) > [“error,” and it is the best way to seek out a great result that fulfills your client’s business need.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sherwin/error-and-it-is-the-best-way-to-seek-out-a-great-result-that-fulfills/) David Sherwin > [It's a base hit on the error by Roberts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-coleman/it-s-a-base-hit-on-the-error-by-roberts/) [Jerry Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-coleman/) > [If we didn't have genetic mutations, we wouldn't have us. 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Everything seems to be part of a story, and how that story is told often leads to critical error.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/narrative-drives-most-of-economics-everything-seems-to-be-part-of-a/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [After working with many nutritionists, reading books, and practicing trial and error on my own body, I have finally found a way to control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-somers/after-working-with-many-nutritionists-reading-books-and-practicing/) [Suzanne Somers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-somers/) > [“Stop blaming other people for your mistakes. Until you are ready to admit that you are infallible, you are vulnerable for failure to whip.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/stop-blaming-other-people-for-your-mistakes-until-you-are-ready-to/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“Believe truth! 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