--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The extraordinary development of modern…" description: "\"The extraordinary development of modern science may be her undoing. Specialism, now a necessity, has fragmented the specialities themselves in a way th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/william-osler-2992_accounts_the-extraordinary-development-of-modern_1176292.png" --- # The extraordinary development of modern science may be her… ![“The extraordinary development of modern science may be her undoing. Specialism, now a necessity, has fragmented the specialities themselves in a way that makes the outlook hazardous. The workers lose all sense of proportion in a maze of minutiae.” quote by William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/william-osler-2992_accounts_the-extraordinary-development-of-modern_1176292.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/william-osler-2992_accounts_the-extraordinary-development-of-modern_1176292.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/william-osler-2992_accounts_the-extraordinary-development-of-modern_1176292.png) > “The extraordinary development of modern science may be her undoing. Specialism, now a necessity, has fragmented the specialities themselves in a way that makes the outlook hazardous. The workers lose all sense of proportion in a maze of minutiae.” [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Over‑specialization fragments knowledge, making professionals lose perspective and creating risk. **In simple terms:** Too much focus on narrow fields harms overall understanding. Key Takeaway Balance depth with interdisciplinary awareness. Themes medicine specialization knowledge risk Mood cautious analytical Type reflective critical When to use this quote - clinical practice - research teams - education curricula Key Concepts fragmentation interdisciplinary integration professionalism Questions to Reflect On - How can specialists maintain a holistic view? - What structures promote cross‑disciplinary collaboration? A Different Perspective It may understate benefits of expertise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accounts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accounts/) [Development](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/development/) [Extraordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extraordinary/) [Fragmented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fragmented/) [Fragmented Specialities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fragmented-specialities-3431303/) [Loses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loses/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Mazes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mazes/) [Minutiae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutiae/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Modern science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-science/) [Outlook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outlook/) [Proportion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proportion/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science Undoing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-undoing-3431305/) [Specialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/specialism-3431306/) [Specialism Necessity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/specialism-necessity-3431304/) [Undoing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/undoing/) [Undoing Specialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/undoing-specialism-3431302/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/) ## Related quotes > [All other men are specialists, but his specialism is omniscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/all-other-men-are-specialists-but-his-specialism-is-omniscience/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [A compliance with the minutiae of military courtesy is a mark of well-disciplined troops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-lejeune/a-compliance-with-the-minutiae-of-military-courtesy-is-a-mark-of-well/) [John A. 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The travelers on the road to success live in the present, heedless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/throw-away-all-ambition-beyond-that-of-doing-the-day-s-work-well-the/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [The very first step towards success in any occupation is to become interested in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/the-very-first-step-towards-success-in-any-occupation-is-to-become/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [The trained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity, taking a place beside the physician and the priest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/the-trained-nurse-has-become-one-of-the-great-blessings-of-humanity/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [He who studies medicine without books sails an uncharted sea, but he who studies medicine without patients does not go to sea at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/he-who-studies-medicine-without-books-sails-an-uncharted-sea-but-he/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [In seeking absolute truth we aim at the unattainable and must be content with broken portions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/in-seeking-absolute-truth-we-aim-at-the-unattainable-and-must-be/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [Shed, as you do your garments, your daily sins, whether of omission or commission, and you will wake a free man, with a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/shed-as-you-do-your-garments-your-daily-sins-whether-of-omission-or/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [He who knows syphilis knows medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/he-who-knows-syphilis-knows-medicine/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [Laughter is the music of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/laughter-is-the-music-of-life/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [Beware of people who call you 'Doc.' They rarely pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/beware-of-people-who-call-you-doc-they-rarely-pay-their-bills/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) [Explore all 143 William Osler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) ## More Accounts quotes > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [The Hindus have a peculiar slovenliness in business matters, not being sufficiently methodical and strict in keeping accounts etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-hindus-have-a-peculiar-slovenliness-in-business-matters-not-being/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. 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