Break Quote by Stephen Jay Gould
“I love the wry motto of the Paleontological Society, meant both literally and figuratively, for hammers are the main tool of our trade: Frango ut patefaciam - I break in order to reveal.”
About This Quote
Source Lecture: "The Role of Palaeontology" by Stephen Jay Gould, 1993
The Paleontological Society’s motto uses a hammer metaphor to illustrate that breaking things is necessary to uncover hidden truths.
In simple terms: Breaking reveals hidden truths.
Key Takeaway
Embrace disruption to discover knowledge.
Themes
science
discovery
methodology
Mood
analytical
inquisitive
Type
scientific
inspirational
When to use this quote
- research
- fossil excavation
- problem solving
Key Concepts
philosophy of science
metaphor
Questions to Reflect On
- When is breaking necessary?
- How do you balance destruction and preservation?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on destruction may neglect preservation or ethical concerns.
![“I find her [Frances Trollope] simply delightful, even in her prejudices and cantankerousness. It is a gift to an author to find a funny, wry, perceptive contemporary observer to whom the subject matter seems almost as different and alien, and requiring as much struggling to understand, as it did…” quote by Charles R. Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/54e/charles-r-morris-19787_aliens_i-find-her-frances-trollope-simply-delig_283728.jpg)
