Able Quote by Thomas Huxley
“The besetting sin of able men is impatience of contradiction and of criticism. Even those who do their best to resist the temptation, yield to it almost unconsciously and become the tools of toadies and flatterers. "Authorities," "disciples," and "schools" are the curse of science and do more to interfere with the work of the scientific spirit than all its enemies.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Origin of Species, 1859
Impatience with disagreement makes capable people become tools of flattery and authority, hindering scientific progress.
In simple terms: Impatience leads to flattery and stifles science.
Key Takeaway
Guard against impatience, value criticism.
Themes
science
authority
criticism
flattery
impatience
Mood
reflective
critical
cautious
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- academic research
- policy making
- team leadership
- public discourse
Key Concepts
epistemology
psychology
social dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can institutions foster constructive dissent?
- What habits reduce susceptibility to flattery?
A Different Perspective
Even with awareness, social pressure can still override rational critique.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
