We all have an unscientific weakness for being always in the right, and this weakness seems to be particularly common among professional and amateur politicians. But the only way to apply something like scientific method in politics is to proceed on the assumption that there can be no political move which has no drawbacks, no undesirable consequences. To look out for these mistakes, to find them, to bring them into the open, to analyse them, and to learn from them, this is what a scientific politician as well as a political scientist must do. Scientific method in politics means that the great art of convincing ourselves that we have not made any mistakes, of ignoring them, of hiding them, and of blaming others from them, is replaced by the greater art of accepting the responsibility for them, of trying to learn from them, and of applying this knowledge so that we may avoid them in future. . Karl R. Popper
About This Quote

The idea that "everyone has a weakness for being in the right" is a common one in political circles. Journalists, pundits and other observers have a tendency to label a politician's actions as "right" or "wrong" based on their own personal beliefs or biases. But, in the realm of policy, you have to be able to look past your own biases and explore possible outcomes based on actual data. When it comes to politics, there’s no room for rash decisions or simple explanations. You have to realize that you’re making decisions based on incomplete information and that sometimes there isn’t a clear “right” answer.

Source: The Poverty Of Historicism

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