Whenever a man can get hold of numbers, they are invaluable: if correct, they assist in informing his own mind, but they are still more useful in deluding the minds of others. Numbers are the masters of the weak, but the slaves of the strong.

Charles Babbage
About This Quote

Sir Francis Bacon (1561 – 1626) was a key figure in the scientific revolution, and is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of modern science. Bacon’s quote above shows that we shouldn’t always trust numbers. Numbers often lead us astray and can mislead us. However, they can also help us to correct our mistakes and make sound decisions.

Source: Passages From The Life Of A Philosopher

Some Similar Quotes
  1. I think... if it is true that there are as many minds as there are heads, then there are as many kinds of love as there are hearts. - Leo Tolstoy
  2. More smiling, less worrying. More compassion, less judgment. More blessed, less stressed. More love, less hate. - Roy T. Bennett
  3. It’s important that what thoughts you are feeding into your mind because your thoughts create your belief and experiences. You have positive thoughts and you have negative ones too. Nurture your mind with positive thoughts: kindness, empathy, compassion, peace, love, joy, humility, generosity, etc. The... - Roy T. Bennett
  4. I do my best thinking at night when everyone else is sleeping. No interruptions. No noise. I like the feeling of being awake when no one else is. - Jennifer Niven
  5. Looking at beauty in the world, is the first step of purifying the mind. - Amit Ray
More Quotes By Charles Babbage
  1. Whenever a man can get hold of numbers, they are invaluable: if correct, they assist in informing his own mind, but they are still more useful in deluding the minds of others. Numbers are the masters of the weak, but the slaves of the strong.
  2. Scientific knowledge scarcely exists amongst the higher classes of society. The discussion in the Houses of Lords or of Commons, which arise on the occurrence of any subjects connected with science, sufficiently prove this fact…
  3. On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such...
  4. Perhaps it would be better for science, that all criticism should be avowed.
  5. The accumulation of skill and science which has been directed to diminish the difficulty of producing manufactured goods, has not been beneficial to that country alone in which it is concentrated; distant kingdoms have participated in its advantages.
Related Topics