Philosophy Quote by Will Durant
![“[Herbert Spencer] was ready in those days to give everything a trial; he even thought of migrating to New Zealand, forgetting that a young country has no use for philosophers. It was characteristic of him that he made parallel lists of reasons for and against the move, giving each reason a…” quote by Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2ac/will-durant-948_philosophy_herbert-spencer-was-ready-in-those-days_596502.jpg)
““[Herbert Spencer] was ready in those days to give everything a trial; he even thought of migrating to New Zealand, forgetting that a young country has no use for philosophers. It was characteristic of him that he made parallel lists of reasons for and against the move, giving each reason a numerical value. The sums being 110 points for remaining in England and 301 for going, he remained.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Story of Civilization, Volume 7, 1944
Durant humorously notes Spencer’s over‑analytical decision‑making, weighing pros and cons numerically, leading to an absurd conclusion.
In simple terms: Spencer over‑analyzed moving to New Zealand and stayed in England.
Key Takeaway
Avoid analysis paralysis; trust intuition.
Themes
analysis
decision‑making
humor
history
philosophy
Mood
reflective
witty
Type
anecdotal
philosophical
When to use this quote
- career choices
- relocation decisions
- personal dilemmas
- project planning
Key Concepts
cost‑benefit analysis
numerical weighting
over‑rationalization
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you rely too much on numbers?
- When should intuition outweigh analysis?
A Different Perspective
Quantitative scores can’t capture qualitative nuances.
![“I never knew any man who had once tasted the sweetness of experimental knowledge, that ever afterward fasted after ye Vapour garlick and onions of phantasmatical seeming philosophy." [William Petty]” quote by Carl Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e5a/carl-zimmer-16331_knowledge_i-never-knew-any-man-who-had-once-tasted_1770.jpg)
