---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To establish that a rule is likely to be…"
description: "\"“To establish that a rule is likely to be true, one must try to prove it false.”\" — Stuart Sutherland"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a31/stuart-sutherland-74664_being-true_to-establish-that-a-rule-is-likely-to-be_1664973.jpg"
---

#  To establish that a rule is likely to be true, one must…

![“To establish that a rule is likely to be true, one must try to prove it false.” quote by Stuart Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a31/stuart-sutherland-74664_being-true_to-establish-that-a-rule-is-likely-to-be_1664973.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a31/stuart-sutherland-74664_being-true_to-establish-that-a-rule-is-likely-to-be_1664973.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a31/stuart-sutherland-74664_being-true_to-establish-that-a-rule-is-likely-to-be_1664973.jpg)

> ““To establish that a rule is likely to be true, one must try to prove it false.””

Stuart Sutherland

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

To test a rule’s likelihood, attempt to falsify it; falsification strengthens confidence.

**In simple terms:** Prove a rule false to test it.

Key Takeaway

Seek to falsify ideas.

Themes

science logic critical thinking

Mood

inquisitive skeptical

Type

philosophical scientific

When to use this quote

- research design
- debate
- policy analysis

Key Concepts

falsifiability hypothesis testing

Questions to Reflect On

- What rule can you challenge?
- How do you handle inconclusive results?

A Different Perspective

Falsification may be impractical for some claims.

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[Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/)

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