--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For quite a while I have set for myself…" description: "\"For quite a while I have set for myself the rule if a theoretician says 'universal' it just means pure nonsense.\" — Wolfgang Pauli" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/wolfgang-pauli-14510_ifs_for-quite-a-while-i-have-set-for-myself_1052085.png" --- # For quite a while I have set for myself the rule if a… ![“For quite a while I have set for myself the rule if a theoretician says 'universal' it just means pure nonsense.” quote by Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/wolfgang-pauli-14510_ifs_for-quite-a-while-i-have-set-for-myself_1052085.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/wolfgang-pauli-14510_ifs_for-quite-a-while-i-have-set-for-myself_1052085.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/wolfgang-pauli-14510_ifs_for-quite-a-while-i-have-set-for-myself_1052085.png) > “For quite a while I have set for myself the rule if a theoretician says 'universal' it just means pure nonsense.” [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker distrusts universal claims from theorists, viewing them as overly abstract or irrelevant to practical reality. **In simple terms:** Universal theories are often seen as impractical. Key Takeaway Question broad theoretical statements. Themes science skepticism theory Mood analytical skeptical Type scientific philosophical When to use this quote - academic research - policy making - technology development Key Concepts philosophy of science critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - When are universal ideas useful? - How do you test a theory’s relevance? A Different Perspective Universal claims can sometimes guide breakthroughs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonsense/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [Either theology is pure nonsense, a subject with no content, or else theology must ultimately become a branch of physics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-tipler/either-theology-is-pure-nonsense-a-subject-with-no-content-or-else/) [Frank Tipler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-tipler/) > [The lessons of nonviolence are universal. Not just for America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/the-lessons-of-nonviolence-are-universal-not-just-for-america/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [We're trying to win business by doing a good job for the clients, as opposed to, "We think being big and universal is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/we-re-trying-to-win-business-by-doing-a-good-job-for-the-clients-as/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [Pure love produces pure nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-klinger/pure-love-produces-pure-nonsense/) Jonathan Klinger > [Any acceleration constitutes progress, Miss Glory. Nature had no understanding of the modern rate of work. From a technical standpoint the whole of childhood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-capek/any-acceleration-constitutes-progress-miss-glory-nature-had-no/) [Karel Capek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-capek/) > [“I don’t care if he hangs out with Skream/Benga or whoever,” he spat, “it’s just pure nonsense to ruin a hardcore genre with gay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skrillex/i-don-t-care-if-he-hangs-out-with-skream-benga-or-whoever-he-spat-it/) [Skrillex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skrillex/) > [Clear writing is universal. People talk about writing down to an audience or writing up to an audience; I think that's nonsense. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/clear-writing-is-universal-people-talk-about-writing-down-to-an/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [... semantics ... is a sober and modest discipline which has no pretensions of being a universal patent-medicine for all the ills and diseases…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-tarski/semantics-is-a-sober-and-modest-discipline-which-has-no-pretensions/) [Alfred Tarski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-tarski/) > [While all men are born as equals, to say that Brahmins alone are the highest and all others are low as Pariah (the Untouchables)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/periyar-e-v-ramasamy/while-all-men-are-born-as-equals-to-say-that-brahmins-alone-are-the/) [Periyar E. V. Ramasamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/periyar-e-v-ramasamy/) > [Films take too long. There's too much BS, too much nonsense. If I want to do a play, I just call the theater, whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-malkovich/films-take-too-long-there-s-too-much-bs-too-much-nonsense-if-i-want/) [John Malkovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-malkovich/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [GenX has a no-nonsense attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahul-dev/genx-has-a-no-nonsense-attitude/) [Rahul Dev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahul-dev/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I love people who have such passion for complete nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-love-people-who-have-such-passion-for-complete-nonsense/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-every-province-the-chief-occupations-in-order-of-importance-are/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) ## More by Wolfgang Pauli > [Modern man, seeking a middle position in the evaluation of sense impression and thought, can, following Plato , interpret the process of understanding nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/modern-man-seeking-a-middle-position-in-the-evaluation-of-sense/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [Although I have no objection to accepting the existence of relatively constant psychic contents that survive personal ego, it must always be born in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/although-i-have-no-objection-to-accepting-the-existence-of-relatively/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [ The fact of the existence of two theories \[causal and acausal\] that contradict each other in Jung ... corresponds psychologically to the vascillation between 3 and 4. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/the-fact-of-the-existence-of-two-theories-causal-and-acausal-that/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [A colleague who met me strolling rather aimlessly in the beautiful streets of Copenhagen said to me in a friendly manner, "You look very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/a-colleague-who-met-me-strolling-rather-aimlessly-in-the-beautiful/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [“Our friend Dirac has a creed; and the main tenet of that creed is: There is no God, and Dirac is his prophet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/our-friend-dirac-has-a-creed-and-the-main-tenet-of-that-creed-is/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [One shouldn't work on semiconductors, that is a filthy mess; who knows whether any semiconductors exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/one-shouldn-t-work-on-semiconductors-that-is-a-filthy-mess-who-knows/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [The fact that the author thinks slowly is not serious, but the fact that he publishes faster than he thinks is inexcusable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/the-fact-that-the-author-thinks-slowly-is-not-serious-but-the-fact/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [When one analyzes the pre-conscious step to concepts, one always finds ideas which consist of 'symbolic images.' The first step to thinking is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/when-one-analyzes-the-pre-conscious-step-to-concepts-one-always-finds/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [The layman always means, when he says reality that he is speaking of something self-evidently known; whereas to me it seems the most important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/the-layman-always-means-when-he-says-reality-that-he-is-speaking-of/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [The best that most of us can hope to achieve in physics is simply to misunderstand at a deeper level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/the-best-that-most-of-us-can-hope-to-achieve-in-physics-is-simply-to/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [God made the bulk; the surface was invented by the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/god-made-the-bulk-the-surface-was-invented-by-the-devil/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [How can one avoid despondency if one thinks of the anomalous Zeeman effect?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/how-can-one-avoid-despondency-if-one-thinks-of-the-anomalous-zeeman/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [If speculative ideas can not be tested, they're not science; they don't even rise to the level of being wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/if-speculative-ideas-can-not-be-tested-they-re-not-science-they-don-t/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [From the point of view of logic, my report on 'Exclusion principle and quantum mechanics' has no conclusion. I believe that it will only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/from-the-point-of-view-of-logic-my-report-on-exclusion-principle-and/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [It seems significant that according to quantum physics the indestructibility of energy on one hand which expresses its timeless existence and the appearance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/it-seems-significant-that-according-to-quantum-physics-the/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) [Explore all 46 Wolfgang Pauli quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) ## More Ifs quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [If I don't have pressure, I don't function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-i-don-t-have-pressure-i-don-t-function/) [Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) Browse all 94,303 Ifs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For quite a while I have set for myself the rule if a theoretician says 'universal' it just means pure nonsense.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wolfgang Pauli" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/for-quite-a-while-i-have-set-for-myself-the-rule-if-a-theoretician/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ifs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/for-quite-a-while-i-have-set-for-myself-the-rule-if-a-theoretician/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/wolfgang-pauli-14510_ifs_for-quite-a-while-i-have-set-for-myself_1052085.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/wolfgang-pauli-14510_ifs_for-quite-a-while-i-have-set-for-myself_1052085.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c45/wolfgang-pauli-14510_ifs_for-quite-a-while-i-have-set-for-myself_1052085.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For quite a while I have set for myself the rule if a theoretician says 'universal' it just means pure…” — Wolfgang Pauli", "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": "Wolfgang Pauli", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "For quite a while I have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/for-quite-a-while-i-have-set-for-myself-the-rule-if-a-theoretician/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/for-quite-a-while-i-have-set-for-myself-the-rule-if-a-theoretician/#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 } } ] } ```