Salomon saith, There is no new thing upon the earth. So that as Plato had an imagination, that all knowledge was but remembrance; so Salomon giveth his sentence, that all novelty is but oblivion.
Francis BaconRead
The root of all superstition is that men observe when a thing hits, but not when it misses.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Superstition arises from selective observation of events that confirm beliefs while ignoring those that contradict them.
This quote by Francis Bacon suggests that superstition is a product of human cognitive bias, where individuals notice and remember instances that support their beliefs but overlook those that do not. This selective observation can lead to a flawed understanding of reality, reinforcing irrational beliefs based on incomplete evidence.
Themes
SuperstitionObservationCognitive BiasBeliefTruth
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the origins of superstitions at a psychology seminar.
More from Francis Bacon
All quotes →Nothing doth more hurt in a state than that cunning men pass for wise.
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Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion.
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Great art is always a way of concentrating, reinventing what is called fact, what we know of our existence- a reconcentration… tearing away the veils, the attitudes people acquire of their time and earlier time. Really good artists tear down those veils
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Wise men make more opportunities than they find.
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Knowledge and human power are synonymous.
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