Nothing has tended more to retard the advancement of science than the disposition in vulgar minds to vilify what they cannot comprehend.
Interpretation
People often hinder scientific progress when they criticize what they do not understand.
Samuel Johnson's quote emphasizes the detrimental effect that ignorance and skepticism can have on the advancement of science. He suggests that those who lack understanding often resort to disparagement as a defense mechanism, thereby impeding progress and the pursuit of knowledge. This reflects the broader theme of how openness to new ideas is essential for scientific discovery and innovation.
In practice
In a speech about embracing new scientific ideas, one might say, 'Remember, nothing has tended more to retard the advancement of science than the disposition in vulgar minds to vilify what they cannot comprehend.'
To be of no church is dangerous. Religion, of which the rewards are distant, and which is animated only by faith and hope, will glide by degrees out of the mind unless it be invigorated and reimpressed by external ordinances, by stated calls to worship, and the salutary influence of example.
He that reads and grows no wiser seldom suspects his own deficiency, but complains of hard words and obscure sentences, and asks why books are written which cannot be understood.
To let friendship die away by negligence and silence is certainly not wise. It is voluntarily to throw away one of the greatest comforts of the weary pilgrimage.
Fly-fishing may be a very pleasant amusement; but angling or float fishing I can only compare to a stick and a string, with a worm at one end and a fool at the other.
When any anxiety or gloom of the mind takes hold of you, make it a rule not to publish it by complaining; but exert yourselves to hide it, and by endeavoring to hide it you drive it away.
A fishing rod is a stick with a hook at one end and a fool at the other.
Every theory presented as a scientific concept is just that; it's a theory that tries to explain more about the world than previous theories have done. It is open to being challenged and to being proven incorrect.
The chance that higher life forms might have emerged through evolutionary processes is comparable with the chance that a tornado sweeping through a junk yard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the material therein.
Geometry existed before the creation. It is co-eternal with the mind of God...Geometry provided God with a model for the Creation.
It may be conceit, but I believe the subject will interest the public, and I am sure that the views are original.
There's branches of science which I don't understand; for example, physics. It could be said, I suppose, that I have faith that physicists understand it better than I do.
A study of Disease-of Pestilences methodically prepared and deliberately launched upon man and beast-is certainly being pursue in the laboratories of more than one great country. Blight to destroy crops, Anthrax to slay horses and cattle, Plague to poison not armies but whole districts - such are the lines along which military science is remorselessly advancing.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.