--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Use \"entropy\" and you can never lose a…" description: "\"Use \"entropy\" and you can never lose a debate, von Neumann told Shannon - because no one really knows what \"entropy\" is.\" — William Poundstone" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f19/william-poundstone-19065_debate_use-entropy-and-you-can-never-lose-a-deb_2468822.jpg" --- # Use "entropy" and you can never lose a debate, von Neumann… ![“Use "entropy" and you can never lose a debate, von Neumann told Shannon - because no one really knows what "entropy" is.” quote by William Poundstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f19/william-poundstone-19065_debate_use-entropy-and-you-can-never-lose-a-deb_2468822.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f19/william-poundstone-19065_debate_use-entropy-and-you-can-never-lose-a-deb_2468822.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f19/william-poundstone-19065_debate_use-entropy-and-you-can-never-lose-a-deb_2468822.jpg) > “Use "entropy" and you can never lose a debate, von Neumann told Shannon - because no one really knows what "entropy" is.” [William Poundstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-poundstone/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He humorously claims that invoking entropy in a debate makes it unbeatable, referencing von Neumann and Shannon, highlighting the mystique of the term. **In simple terms:** Using entropy sounds unbeatable but is vague. Key Takeaway Avoid vague jargon in arguments. Themes communication logic science debate Mood critical humorous Type educational satirical When to use this quote - academic presentations - technical discussions - debate preparation - science communication Key Concepts entropy information theory argumentation tactics Questions to Reflect On - Why do people use complex terms to win debates? - How can you simplify arguments without losing rigor? A Different Perspective Relying on obscure terms can obscure weak arguments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [Entropy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entropy/) [Von neumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/von-neumann/) ## Related quotes > [“Von Neumann told Shannon to call his measure entropy, since "no one knows what entropy is, so in a debate you will always have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-campbell/von-neumann-told-shannon-to-call-his-measure-entropy-since-no-one/) [Jeremy Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-campbell/) > [My greatest concern was what to call it. I thought of calling it ‘information’, but the word was overly used, so I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-shannon/my-greatest-concern-was-what-to-call-it-i-thought-of-calling-it/) [Claude Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-shannon/) > [You should call it entropy, for two reasons. 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