--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nine tenths of modern science is in this…" description: "\"Nine tenths of modern science is in this respect the same: it is the produce of men whom their contemporaries thought dreamers - who were laughed at fo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/walter-bagehot-3686_caring_nine-tenths-of-modern-science-is-in-this_844732.jpg" --- # Nine tenths of modern science is in this respect the same… ![“Nine tenths of modern science is in this respect the same: it is the produce of men whom their contemporaries thought dreamers - who were laughed at for caring for what did not concern them - who, as the proverb went, 'walked into a well from looking at the stars' - who were believed to be…” quote by Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/walter-bagehot-3686_caring_nine-tenths-of-modern-science-is-in-this_844732.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/walter-bagehot-3686_caring_nine-tenths-of-modern-science-is-in-this_844732.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/walter-bagehot-3686_caring_nine-tenths-of-modern-science-is-in-this_844732.jpg) > “Nine tenths of modern science is in this respect the same: it is the produce of men whom their contemporaries thought dreamers - who were laughed at for caring for what did not concern them - who, as the proverb went, 'walked into a well from looking at the stars' - who were believed to be useless, if anyone could be such.” [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Innovators are often dismissed as dreamers, yet their ideas shape future science. **In simple terms:** Visionaries are mocked before their breakthroughs. Key Takeaway Support unconventional thinkers and ideas. Themes innovation skepticism progress visionary Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - research funding - startup culture - academic discourse - policy making Key Concepts paradigm shift creative risk social resistance Questions to Reflect On - What risks do you take for a visionary idea? - How can society better recognize future value? A Different Perspective Some ideas may never materialize despite support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Caring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caring/) [Concern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concern/) [Contemporaries Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemporaries-thought-682630/) [Dreamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreamer/) [Dreamers Laughed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreamers-laughed-682637/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Laughed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughed/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Looking At The Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-at-the-stars/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Contemporaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-contemporaries-682635/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Modern science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-science/) [Nine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nine/) [Produce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/produce/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Stars Believed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars-believed-682631/) [Thought Dreamers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-dreamers-682634/) [Useless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useless/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [Individual human beings are so subtly developed through the centuries that it is strictly impermissible to compare any two men who are not contemporaries-that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/individual-human-beings-are-so-subtly-developed-through-the-centuries/) [Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/) > [Michelangelo's contemporaries thought him the greatest artist who ever lived and called him 'divine.' His reputation as sculptor, architect, painter and draughtsman has not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ayrton/michelangelo-s-contemporaries-thought-him-the-greatest-artist-who/) [Michael Ayrton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ayrton/) > [Naturally a direct comparison of terrorist and novelist is complete nonsense. But there was once a time when the novelist also had some influence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/naturally-a-direct-comparison-of-terrorist-and-novelist-is-complete/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [All the eyes of God are looking through all the stars, or looking at the stars through our eyes. There's only the eye of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/all-the-eyes-of-god-are-looking-through-all-the-stars-or-looking-at/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Praying to a sky all black. Looking at the stars like they finna talk back. Looking at my phone like she finna call back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/praying-to-a-sky-all-black-looking-at-the-stars-like-they-finna-talk/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [“ Apology I didn't mean to say so much to you. I should have thought to let the evening end by looking at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-szybist/apology-i-didn-t-mean-to-say-so-much-to-you-i-should-have-thought-to/) [Mary Szybist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-szybist/) > [We stopped right in the center and I just stared at how beautiful the summer sky looked. Stark tugged on my arm and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/we-stopped-right-in-the-center-and-i-just-stared-at-how-beautiful-the/) [Jade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade/) > [“I felt a strange twinge of anger looking at the stars. It was as if I’d just learned of an inheritance that had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-ilgunas/i-felt-a-strange-twinge-of-anger-looking-at-the-stars-it-was-as-if-i/) [Ken Ilgunas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-ilgunas/) > [I was on holiday in Ibiza, having a lovely time, writing a book and looking at the stars every night and generally not having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-miller/i-was-on-holiday-in-ibiza-having-a-lovely-time-writing-a-book-and/) [Ben Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-miller/) > [Everybody thought I was a bit of an eccentric for wanting to be out there looking at the stars, but I still do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/everybody-thought-i-was-a-bit-of-an-eccentric-for-wanting-to-be-out/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/we-are-all-in-the-gutter-but-some-of-us-are-looking-at-the-stars/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Studying life, eh! Let him take care, studying human life is looking at the stars. If you look too close, there is a dazzle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/studying-life-eh-let-him-take-care-studying-human-life-is-looking-at/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Dear my true love, i miss ur smile can I have it a while under the missle toe at chirstimas looking at the stars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/makayla-moeller/dear-my-true-love-i-miss-ur-smile-can-i-have-it-a-while-under-the/) [Makayla Moeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/makayla-moeller/) > [I confess I do not know why, but looking at the stars always makes me dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/i-confess-i-do-not-know-why-but-looking-at-the-stars-always-makes-me/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [At the time when this famous historical battle was fought in Kosovo, the people were looking at the stars, expecting aid from them. Now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slobodan-milosevi/at-the-time-when-this-famous-historical-battle-was-fought-in-kosovo/) [Slobodan Milosević](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slobodan-milosevi/) ## More by Walter Bagehot > [But of all nations in the world the English are perhaps the least a nation of pure philosophers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/but-of-all-nations-in-the-world-the-english-are-perhaps-the-least-a/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [The Sovereign has, under a constitutional monarchy such as ours, three rights - the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/the-sovereign-has-under-a-constitutional-monarchy-such-as-ours-three/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [The most essential mental quality for a free people, whose liberty is to be progressive, permanent and on a large scale, is much stupidity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/the-most-essential-mental-quality-for-a-free-people-whose-liberty-is/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [Adventure is the life of commerce, but caution is the life of banking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/adventure-is-the-life-of-commerce-but-caution-is-the-life-of-banking/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [A severe though not unfriendly critic of our institutions said that the cure for admiring the House of Lords was to go and look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/a-severe-though-not-unfriendly-critic-of-our-institutions-said-that/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [Nothing is more unpleasant than a virtuous person with a mean mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/nothing-is-more-unpleasant-than-a-virtuous-person-with-a-mean-mind/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [What impresses men is not mind, but the result of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/what-impresses-men-is-not-mind-but-the-result-of-mind/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [An inability to stay quiet is one of the conspicuous failings of mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/an-inability-to-stay-quiet-is-one-of-the-conspicuous-failings-of/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [Most men of business think "Anyhow this system will probably last my time. It has gone on a long time, and is likely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/most-men-of-business-think-anyhow-this-system-will-probably-last-my/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [Life is a school of probability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/life-is-a-school-of-probability/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [When great questions end, little parties begin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/when-great-questions-end-little-parties-begin/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [The peculiar essence of our banking system is an unprecedented trust between man and man. And when that trust is much weakened by hidden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/the-peculiar-essence-of-our-banking-system-is-an-unprecedented-trust/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [The habit of common and continuous speech is a symptom of mental deficiency. It proceeds from not knowing what is going on in other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/the-habit-of-common-and-continuous-speech-is-a-symptom-of-mental/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [Not only does a bureaucracy tend to under-government in point of quality; it tends to over-government in point of quantity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/not-only-does-a-bureaucracy-tend-to-under-government-in-point-of/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [In early times every sort of advantage tends to become a military advantage; such is the best way, then, to keep it alive. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/in-early-times-every-sort-of-advantage-tends-to-become-a-military/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) [Explore all 123 Walter Bagehot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) ## More Caring quotes > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [There is nothing about myself that I wouldn't reveal or write about. I don't care how horrendous or ridiculous I may appear in person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/there-is-nothing-about-myself-that-i-wouldn-t-reveal-or-write-about-i/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [A happy family needs a loving and caring father, and he who knows how to be a mother sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-happy-family-needs-a-loving-and-caring-father-and-he-who-knows-how/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [Just remember that when nobody was there for you, I was. And when nobody else gave a damn, I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-remember-that-when-nobody-was-there-for-you-i-was-and-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Without a vision there is no possibility of creating something larger than what al-ready exists. An entrepreneur has to be able to bring something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/without-a-vision-there-is-no-possibility-of-creating-something-larger/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Hmmm! life zz about caring the life that u have as the rest of the things are of secondary value tc n ks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sardar-hyder-abbas/hmmm-life-zz-about-caring-the-life-that-u-have-as-the-rest-of-the/) [Sardar Hyder Abbas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sardar-hyder-abbas/) > [You can't make someone love you, all you can do is be someone who can be loved ,the rest is up to the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-make-someone-love-you-all-you-can-do-is-be-someone-who-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [When you're 20 you care what everyone thinks, when you're 40 you stop caring what everyone thinks, when you're 60 you realize no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/when-you-re-20-you-care-what-everyone-thinks-when-you-re-40-you-stop/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“English: "Being an adult doesn't mean killing the child we once were; it means being able to protect him." Česky: „Být dospělým neznamená zabít…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebasti-n-wortys/english-being-an-adult-doesn-t-mean-killing-the-child-we-once-were-it/) [Sebastián Wortys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebasti-n-wortys/) > [“As you travel along the roads in life, there is a certain kind of peace that comes with knowing you're on the right path.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amaka-nkosazana/as-you-travel-along-the-roads-in-life-there-is-a-certain-kind-of/) [Amaka Nkosazana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amaka-nkosazana/) > [“I am sick with caring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-am-sick-with-caring/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) [Browse all 2,651 Caring quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caring/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nine tenths of modern science is in this respect the same: it is the produce of men whom their contemporaries thought dreamers - who were laughed at for caring for what did not concern them - who, as the proverb went, 'walked into a well from looking at the stars' - who were believed to be useless, if anyone could be such.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Walter Bagehot" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/nine-tenths-of-modern-science-is-in-this-respect-the-same-it-is-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Caring" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/nine-tenths-of-modern-science-is-in-this-respect-the-same-it-is-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/walter-bagehot-3686_caring_nine-tenths-of-modern-science-is-in-this_844732.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/walter-bagehot-3686_caring_nine-tenths-of-modern-science-is-in-this_844732.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/walter-bagehot-3686_caring_nine-tenths-of-modern-science-is-in-this_844732.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nine tenths of modern science is in this respect the same: it is the produce of men whom their…” — Walter Bagehot", "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": "Walter Bagehot", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Nine tenths of modern science is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/nine-tenths-of-modern-science-is-in-this-respect-the-same-it-is-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/nine-tenths-of-modern-science-is-in-this-respect-the-same-it-is-the/#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 } } ] } ```