--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a popular delusion that the…" description: "\"It is a popular delusion that the scientific enquirer is under an obligation not to go beyond generalisation of observed facts...but anyone who is prac..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf9/thomas-huxley-1183_delusion_it-is-a-popular-delusion-that-the-scient_2663312.jpg" --- # It is a popular delusion that the scientific enquirer is… ![“It is a popular delusion that the scientific enquirer is under an obligation not to go beyond generalisation of observed facts...but anyone who is practically acquainted with scientific work is aware that those who refuse to go beyond the facts, rarely get as far.” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf9/thomas-huxley-1183_delusion_it-is-a-popular-delusion-that-the-scient_2663312.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf9/thomas-huxley-1183_delusion_it-is-a-popular-delusion-that-the-scient_2663312.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf9/thomas-huxley-1183_delusion_it-is-a-popular-delusion-that-the-scient_2663312.jpg) > “It is a popular delusion that the scientific enquirer is under an obligation not to go beyond generalisation of observed facts...but anyone who is practically acquainted with scientific work is aware that those who refuse to go beyond the facts, rarely get as far.” [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science should not be confined to mere facts; pushing beyond observations drives discovery. **In simple terms:** Science must go beyond facts to advance. Key Takeaway Encourage curiosity beyond data. Themes science philosophy innovation methodology critical thinking Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - research funding - academic curricula - public science communication Key Concepts hypothesis generation theoretical extrapolation risk taking Questions to Reflect On - What limits should guide scientific speculation? - How does risk affect scientific progress? A Different Perspective Excessive speculation can lead to false conclusions; balance needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Delusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Generalisation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generalisation/) [Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [It is this union of passionate interest in the detailed facts with equal devotion to abstract generalisation which forms the novelty in our present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/it-is-this-union-of-passionate-interest-in-the-detailed-facts-with/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [It is unwise to equate scientific activity with what we call reason, poetic activity with what we call imagination. Without the imaginative leap from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-day-lewis/it-is-unwise-to-equate-scientific-activity-with-what-we-call-reason/) [Cecil Day-Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-day-lewis/) > [Happiness is a specific. Misery is a generalization. People usually know exactly why they are happy. They very rarely know why they are miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/happiness-is-a-specific-misery-is-a-generalization-people-usually/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [All generalisations - perhaps except this one - are false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-g-del/all-generalisations-perhaps-except-this-one-are-false/) [Kurt Gödel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-g-del/) > [The increasing technicality of the terminology employed is also a serious difficulty. It has become necessary to learn an extensive vocabulary before a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-george-bonney/the-increasing-technicality-of-the-terminology-employed-is-also-a/) [Thomas George Bonney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-george-bonney/) > [In a vacuum all photons travel at the same speed. They slow down when travelling through air or water or glass. Photons of different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/in-a-vacuum-all-photons-travel-at-the-same-speed-they-slow-down-when/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [Some people come up to be directors by coming through the camera department and there's not a lot of women in the camera department.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/some-people-come-up-to-be-directors-by-coming-through-the-camera/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [I just don't believe in generalisations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-fellowes/i-just-don-t-believe-in-generalisations/) [Julian Fellowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-fellowes/) > [I hate all generalisations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arj-barker/i-hate-all-generalisations/) [Arj Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arj-barker/) > [I take offense at that generalisation. Not all women sit around and obsess about men, as soon as my relationships are over, I move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-jones/i-take-offense-at-that-generalisation-not-all-women-sit-around-and/) [Samantha Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-jones/) > [Life is a tightrope between two errors: generalizing the wrong particular and particularizing the wrong general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/life-is-a-tightrope-between-two-errors-generalizing-the-wrong/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [I often wonder why the whole world is so prone to generalise. Generalisations are seldom if ever true and are usually utterly inaccurate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-often-wonder-why-the-whole-world-is-so-prone-to-generalise/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [It surely can be no offence to state, that the progress of science has led to new views, and that the consequences that can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-surely-can-be-no-offence-to-state-that-the-progress-of-science-has/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't like the word 'urban' because I think it's a bit of a generalisation and they use it to class music, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taio-cruz/i-don-t-like-the-word-urban-because-i-think-it-s-a-bit-of-a/) [Taio Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taio-cruz/) > [The new tinge to modern minds is a vehement and passionate interest in the relation of general principles to irreducible and stubborn facts. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/the-new-tinge-to-modern-minds-is-a-vehement-and-passionate-interest/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) ## More by Thomas Huxley > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [There is nothing of permanent value (putting aside a few human affections) nothing that satisfies quiet reflection--except the sense of having worked according to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/there-is-nothing-of-permanent-value-putting-aside-a-few-human/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Economy does not lie in sparing money, but in spending it wisely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/economy-does-not-lie-in-sparing-money-but-in-spending-it-wisely/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [It is not to be forgotten that what we call rational grounds for our beliefs are often extremely irrational attempts to justify our instincts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/it-is-not-to-be-forgotten-that-what-we-call-rational-grounds-for-our/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Only a scientific people can survive in a scientific future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/only-a-scientific-people-can-survive-in-a-scientific-future/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Our reverence for the nobility of manhood will not be lessened by the knowledge that man is in substance and in structure, one with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/our-reverence-for-the-nobility-of-manhood-will-not-be-lessened-by-the/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [In science, as in art, and, as I believe, in every other sphere of human activity, there may be wisdom in a multitude of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/in-science-as-in-art-and-as-i-believe-in-every-other-sphere-of-human/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Science is simply common sense at its best, that is, rigidly accurate in observation, and merciless to fallacy in logic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/science-is-simply-common-sense-at-its-best-that-is-rigidly-accurate/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Oh devil! truth is better than much profit. I have searched over the grounds of my belief, and if wife and child and name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/oh-devil-truth-is-better-than-much-profit-i-have-searched-over-the/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Let us have "sweet girl graduates" by all means. They will be none the less sweet for a little wisdom; and the "golden hair"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/let-us-have-sweet-girl-graduates-by-all-means-they-will-be-none-the/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [In matters of the intellect, do not pretend that conclusions are certain which are not demonstrated or demonstrable. That I take to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/in-matters-of-the-intellect-do-not-pretend-that-conclusions-are/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [And you very soon find out, if you have not found it out before, that patience and tenacity of purpose are worth more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/and-you-very-soon-find-out-if-you-have-not-found-it-out-before-that/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [No one who has lived in the world as long as you & I have, can entertain the pious delusion that it is engineered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/no-one-who-has-lived-in-the-world-as-long-as-you-i-have-can-entertain/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Mix salt and sand, and it shall puzzle the wisest of men, with his mere natural appliances, to separate all the grains of sand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/mix-salt-and-sand-and-it-shall-puzzle-the-wisest-of-men-with-his-mere/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [What are the moral convictions most fondly held by barbarous and semi-barbarous people? They are the convictions that authority is the soundest basis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/what-are-the-moral-convictions-most-fondly-held-by-barbarous-and-semi/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) [Explore all 278 Thomas Huxley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) ## More Delusion quotes > [Getting rid of a delusion makes us wiser than getting hold of a truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-borne/getting-rid-of-a-delusion-makes-us-wiser-than-getting-hold-of-a-truth/) [Ludwig Borne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-borne/) > [If the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labour, entertainment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/if-the-idea-of-having-to-change-ourselves-makes-us-uncomfortable-we/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [The Science Delusion is the belief that science already understands the nature of reality in principle leaving only the details to be filled in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-sheldrake/the-science-delusion-is-the-belief-that-science-already-understands/) [Rupert Sheldrake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-sheldrake/) > [The world is a wonderfully weird place, consensual reality is significantly flawed, no institution can be trusted, certainty is a mirage, security a delusion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-world-is-a-wonderfully-weird-place-consensual-reality-is/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“we shouldn’t surrender our real world perception to a false reality too much or we may suffer the inevitable consequences of deluded thinking. Technology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-p-neary/we-shouldn-t-surrender-our-real-world-perception-to-a-false-reality/) M.P. Neary > [Atheism Explained is a gem. It is clear, informative, well-argued, provocative, often witty, and unfailingly interesting. David Ramsay Steele ranges over so many issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-shearmur/atheism-explained-is-a-gem-it-is-clear-informative-well-argued/) Jeremy Shearmur > [It is a great delusion to suppose that flesh-meat of any kind is essential to health. Considerably more than three parts of the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-booth/it-is-a-great-delusion-to-suppose-that-flesh-meat-of-any-kind-is/) [Catherine Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-booth/) > [The religions of mankind must be classed among the mass-delusions of this kind. No one, needless to say, who shares a delusion ever recognizes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/the-religions-of-mankind-must-be-classed-among-the-mass-delusions-of/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [I suffer from the delusion that every product of my imagination is not only possible, but always on the cusp of becoming real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-parker/i-suffer-from-the-delusion-that-every-product-of-my-imagination-is/) [Sean Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-parker/) > [I have a theory about marriage, Monsieur Boustouler. And it's that nearly always you will know within two weeks if it's going to work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-have-a-theory-about-marriage-monsieur-boustouler-and-it-s-that/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [“Someone who has the delusion Glass, is made of, does not literally believe herself to be made of glass but rather feels fragile and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/someone-who-has-the-delusion-glass-is-made-of-does-not-literally/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [Paranoia is a state of heightened awareness. Most people are persecuted beyond their wildest delusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-steiner/paranoia-is-a-state-of-heightened-awareness-most-people-are/) Claude Steiner > [Women are women, and so are men, and the delusion that we are spiritually separate from or are about to spiritually separate from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anohni/women-are-women-and-so-are-men-and-the-delusion-that-we-are/) [Anohni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anohni/) > [I'd actually love to think that I could trust Kerry on national security. But the only way I could do that, at this point,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/i-d-actually-love-to-think-that-i-could-trust-kerry-on-national/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) [Browse all 1,172 Delusion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is a popular delusion that the scientific enquirer is under an obligation not to go beyond generalisation of observed facts...but anyone who is practically acquainted with scientific work is aware that those who refuse to go beyond the facts, rarely get as far.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Huxley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/it-is-a-popular-delusion-that-the-scientific-enquirer-is-under-an/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Delusion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/it-is-a-popular-delusion-that-the-scientific-enquirer-is-under-an/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf9/thomas-huxley-1183_delusion_it-is-a-popular-delusion-that-the-scient_2663312.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf9/thomas-huxley-1183_delusion_it-is-a-popular-delusion-that-the-scient_2663312.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf9/thomas-huxley-1183_delusion_it-is-a-popular-delusion-that-the-scient_2663312.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is a popular delusion that the scientific enquirer is under an obligation not to go beyond generalisation…” — Thomas Huxley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas Huxley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is a popular delusion that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/it-is-a-popular-delusion-that-the-scientific-enquirer-is-under-an/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/it-is-a-popular-delusion-that-the-scientific-enquirer-is-under-an/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```