I should not proceed by land to the East, as is customary, but by a Westerly route, in which direction we have hitherto no certain evidence that any one has gone.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Columbus proposes a western route to the East, acknowledging it is unproven but potentially viable.
- In plain terms
- Instead of going east by land, we should go west, even though no one has done it before.
- What can you take from it?
- Innovation requires acting on hypothesis even without prior evidence.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When is it right to challenge established paths?
- How do you weigh risk against potential reward?
Another view
This route relied on incorrect assumptions about the earth's size and geography.
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