--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But don't despise error. When touched by…" description: "\"But don't despise error. When touched by genius, when led by chance, the most superior truth can come into being from even the most foolish error. The ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0a/stefan-zweig-811_chance_but-don-t-despise-error-when-touched-by_2638230.jpg" --- # But don't despise error. When touched by genius, when led… ![“But don't despise error. When touched by genius, when led by chance, the most superior truth can come into being from even the most foolish error. The important inventions which have been brought about in every realm of science from false hypotheses number in the hundreds, indeed in the thousands.” quote by Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0a/stefan-zweig-811_chance_but-don-t-despise-error-when-touched-by_2638230.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0a/stefan-zweig-811_chance_but-don-t-despise-error-when-touched-by_2638230.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0a/stefan-zweig-811_chance_but-don-t-despise-error-when-touched-by_2638230.jpg) > “But don't despise error. When touched by genius, when led by chance, the most superior truth can come into being from even the most foolish error. The important inventions which have been brought about in every realm of science from false hypotheses number in the hundreds, indeed in the thousands.” [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Errors can become breakthroughs when genius or chance guides them; many scientific truths arise from false hypotheses. **In simple terms:** Mistakes can lead to great discoveries. Key Takeaway Embrace errors as potential insight. Themes error genius discovery Mood hopeful inquisitive Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - research labs - creative brainstorming - problem solving - learning from failure Key Concepts serendipity scientific method Questions to Reflect On - When have you turned a mistake into a breakthrough? - How can you create conditions for serendipity? A Different Perspective Not all errors are productive; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Invention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invention/) [Realms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realms/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [Science was false by being unpoetical. It assumed to explain a reptile or a mollusk, and isolated it-which is hunting for life in graveyards.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/science-was-false-by-being-unpoetical-it-assumed-to-explain-a-reptile/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Even mistaken hypotheses and theories are of use in leading to discoveries. This remark is true in all the sciences. 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