--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Please don't make the mistake of thinking…" description: "\"Please don't make the mistake of thinking that the arts and sciences are at odds with one another. That is a recent, stupid and damaging idea. You don'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/tim-minchin-3287_acquisition_please-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-thinkin_601751.png" --- # Please don't make the mistake of thinking that the arts… ![“Please don't make the mistake of thinking that the arts and sciences are at odds with one another. That is a recent, stupid and damaging idea. You don't have to be unscientific to make beautiful art or to write beautiful things... science is not a body of knowledge or a belief system, it is just a…” quote by Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/tim-minchin-3287_acquisition_please-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-thinkin_601751.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/tim-minchin-3287_acquisition_please-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-thinkin_601751.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/564/tim-minchin-3287_acquisition_please-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-thinkin_601751.png) > “Please don't make the mistake of thinking that the arts and sciences are at odds with one another. That is a recent, stupid and damaging idea. You don't have to be unscientific to make beautiful art or to write beautiful things... science is not a body of knowledge or a belief system, it is just a term that describes humankind's incremental acquisition of understanding through observation. Science is awesome. The arts and sciences need to work together to improve how knowledge is communicated.” [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates for collaboration between art and science, rejecting the notion they conflict. **In simple terms:** Art and science should work together. Key Takeaway Foster interdisciplinary collaboration. Themes creativity science art education Mood enthusiastic thought‑provoking Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - teaching - research - media production - public outreach Key Concepts epistemology interdisciplinary studies Questions to Reflect On - How can you integrate scientific thinking into artistic projects? - What benefits arise from merging these fields? A Different Perspective Balancing rigor with imagination can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acquisition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquisition/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art and science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-and-science/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Beautiful art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful-art/) [Beautiful things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful-things/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Belief System](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-system/) [Belief systems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-systems/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Humankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humankind/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Observation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observation/) [Odds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odds/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [Unscientific](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unscientific/) [Work together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-together/) [Working together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-together/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Please don’t make the mistake of thinking the arts and sciences are at odds with one another. That is a recent, stupid, and damaging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/please-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-thinking-the-arts-and-sciences-are/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [It is not unscientific to make a guess, although many people who are not in science think it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/it-is-not-unscientific-to-make-a-guess-although-many-people-who-are/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [“The sciences need philosophy; philosophy, in turn, needs the sciences. On both sides, certain naive minds, too confident in their own forces and satisfied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-sciences-need-philosophy-philosophy-in-turn-needs-the-sciences-on/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [The scientific picture of the world championed since the Enlightenment is not just wrong but massively wrong. Indeed entire fields of inquiry, especially in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-dembski/the-scientific-picture-of-the-world-championed-since-the/) [William A. Dembski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-dembski/) > [The social sciences offer equal promise for improving human welfare; our lives can be greatly improved through a deeper understanding of individual and collective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/the-social-sciences-offer-equal-promise-for-improving-human-welfare/) [Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/) > [Arts and sciences are not cast in a mould, but are found and perfected by degrees, by often handling and polishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/arts-and-sciences-are-not-cast-in-a-mould-but-are-found-and-perfected/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Sciences provide an understanding of a universal experience, Arts are a universal understanding of a personal experience... they are both a part of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/sciences-provide-an-understanding-of-a-universal-experience-arts-are/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/all-religions-arts-and-sciences-are-branches-of-the-same-tree/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [My mom was a high school science teacher for decades. She just never made it feel like we had to choose between the arts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/my-mom-was-a-high-school-science-teacher-for-decades-she-just-never/) [Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/) > [The arts and sciences are avatars of human creativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/the-arts-and-sciences-are-avatars-of-human-creativity/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [Arts and the Sciences are a natural symbiosis. They stem from the same human existential impulse - exploration. Exploration of what lies beneath the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/arts-and-the-sciences-are-a-natural-symbiosis-they-stem-from-the-same/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [The difference between science and the arts is not that they are different sides of the same coin… or even different parts of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/the-difference-between-science-and-the-arts-is-not-that-they-are/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [It's as if scientists exert every effort of will they possess deliberately to find the least significant problems in the world and explain them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/it-s-as-if-scientists-exert-every-effort-of-will-they-possess/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [Science is about principles. It's about concepts. It's not about memorizing the parts of a flower. It helps to know some of these things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/science-is-about-principles-it-s-about-concepts-it-s-not-about/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [“Revere those things beyond science which really matter and about which it is so difficult to speak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/revere-those-things-beyond-science-which-really-matter-and-about/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) ## More by Tim Minchin > [Because I'm on my own on stage and wear bare feet and look like a pixie, people always think I'm little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/because-i-m-on-my-own-on-stage-and-wear-bare-feet-and-look-like-a/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [Fight for what is true. What is true is enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/fight-for-what-is-true-what-is-true-is-enough/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [Love without evidence is stalking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/love-without-evidence-is-stalking/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [I spent thousands of thousands of hours playing the piano, and by thousands of hours, I mean playing in cover bands or wedding bands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-spent-thousands-of-thousands-of-hours-playing-the-piano-and-by/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [There's a lot of great, talented, passionate musical theatre practitioners and directors here. But it's very hard to suddenly start building great musicals in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/there-s-a-lot-of-great-talented-passionate-musical-theatre/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [You've got to teach yourself you can do your job no matter what happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/you-ve-got-to-teach-yourself-you-can-do-your-job-no-matter-what/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [I never thought I was going to be an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-never-thought-i-was-going-to-be-an-actor/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [Acting's just always been one of those things I've enjoyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/acting-s-just-always-been-one-of-those-things-i-ve-enjoyed/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [I had terrible ear problems and asthma and allergies. I spent quite a bit of time in hospital up to the age of eight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-had-terrible-ear-problems-and-asthma-and-allergies-i-spent-quite-a/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [Throughout history, every mystery ever solved has turned out to be NOT magic..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/throughout-history-every-mystery-ever-solved-has-turned-out-to-be-not/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [It's an incredibly exciting thing, this one meaningless life of yours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/it-s-an-incredibly-exciting-thing-this-one-meaningless-life-of-yours/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [I want to be here for my family. I want to make stuff in Australia. I want to take what I've learned and contribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-want-to-be-here-for-my-family-i-want-to-make-stuff-in-australia-i/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [I'm the son of a surgeon and the grandson of a surgeon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-m-the-son-of-a-surgeon-and-the-grandson-of-a-surgeon/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [I don't like courting controversy because I don't like people not liking me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-don-t-like-courting-controversy-because-i-don-t-like-people-not/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [I've spent years on stage adjusting the timing of a line to infinitesimal degrees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-ve-spent-years-on-stage-adjusting-the-timing-of-a-line-to/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) [Explore all 134 Tim Minchin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) ## More Acquisition quotes > [The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance”: “The differences between expert performers and normal adults are not immutable, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-anders-ericsson/the-role-of-deliberate-practice-in-the-acquisition-of-expert/) K. Anders Ericsson > [ No one suffers so much as he \[the genius\] with the people, and, therefore, for the people, with whom he lives. For, in a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/no-one-suffers-so-much-as-he-the-genius-with-the-people-and-therefore/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [Personal happiness lies in knowing that life is not a checklist of acquisition. Your qualifications are not your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/personal-happiness-lies-in-knowing-that-life-is-not-a-checklist-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We may... affirm that the balance of power in a society accompanies the balance of property in land. The only possible way, then, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/we-may-affirm-that-the-balance-of-power-in-a-society-accompanies-the/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [Learning to play the guitar is a combination of mental and motor skill acquisition. And to develop motor skill, repetition is essential... Whenever musicians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-roberts/learning-to-play-the-guitar-is-a-combination-of-mental-and-motor/) [Howard Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-roberts/) > [All worldly pursuits have but one unavoidable and inevitable end, which is sorrow; acquisitions end in dispersion; buildings in destruction; meetings in separation; births…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milarepa/all-worldly-pursuits-have-but-one-unavoidable-and-inevitable-end/) [Milarepa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milarepa/) > [When ice appears out of doors, and boys seize it up while it is solid, at first they experience new pleasures. But in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/when-ice-appears-out-of-doors-and-boys-seize-it-up-while-it-is-solid/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [Accounting consequences do not influence our operating or capital-allocation decisions. When acquisition costs are similar, we much prefer to purchase $2 of earnings that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/accounting-consequences-do-not-influence-our-operating-or-capital/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [A sustainable economy represents nothing less than a higher social order one as concerned with future generations as with our own, and more focused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/a-sustainable-economy-represents-nothing-less-than-a-higher-social/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [One industrial age belief is that GDP or GNP is a measure of progress. I don't care if you're the President of China or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/one-industrial-age-belief-is-that-gdp-or-gnp-is-a-measure-of-progress/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [I ended up doing four or five plays in college and being an English major with my thesis in language acquisition, which I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-coon/i-ended-up-doing-four-or-five-plays-in-college-and-being-an-english/) [Carrie Coon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-coon/) > [But most automotive dealerships are set up for customer acquisition - which is crazy when you consider the average cost of customer acquisition is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hughes/but-most-automotive-dealerships-are-set-up-for-customer-acquisition/) Arthur Hughes > [As priestcraft was always the enemy of knowledge, because priestcraft supports itself by keeping people in delusion and ignorance, it was consistent with its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/as-priestcraft-was-always-the-enemy-of-knowledge-because-priestcraft/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Even as the unborn babe is in the womb of his mother, these five are fixed as his life destiny: his life span, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-as-the-unborn-babe-is-in-the-womb-of-his-mother-these-five-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What becomes of a man who acquires a beautiful woman, with her "beauty" his sole target? He sabotages himself. He has gained no friend,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/what-becomes-of-a-man-who-acquires-a-beautiful-woman-with-her-beauty/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) [Browse all 395 Acquisition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquisition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Please don't make the mistake of thinking that the arts and sciences are at odds with one another. That is a recent, stupid and damaging idea. You don't have to be unscientific to make beautiful art or to write beautiful things... science is not a body of knowledge or a belief system, it is just a term that describes humankind's incremental acquisition of understanding through observation. Science is awesome. 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