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About this quote

What does it mean?
Science teaches us to doubt experts and value ignorance.
In plain terms
Doubt authority; science values knowing what you don't know.
What can you take from it?
Question experts and remain humble.

Where it applies

  • debate
  • research
  • daily decisions

Putting it to work

  • read primary sources
  • ask questions
  • verify claims

Questions to consider

  • Who do you trust and why?
  • What expert claim have you doubted?

Another view

Doubting everyone can lead to paralysis.

More from Richard Feynman

  1. Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.

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  2. The remark which I read somewhere, that science is all right as long as it doesn't attack religion, was the clue I needed to understand the problem. As long as…

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  3. I can live with doubt, and uncertainty, and not knowing. I think it's much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong. I ha…

    Permalink to quote #56

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