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There is no sadder sight in the world than to see a beautiful theory killed by a brutal fact.
Thomas Huxley
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote highlights the conflict between idealized ideas and harsh realities.

Thomas Huxley's quote reflects the unfortunate reality that theoretical concepts, which can be beautiful and promising, often collide with unforgiving facts, leading to their demise. This serves as a reminder of the importance of grounding theories in reality and recognizing that not all ideals can withstand the scrutiny of practical truths.

Themes

TheoryFactRealityPhilosophyTruth

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about innovation, one might say this quote to emphasize the importance of supporting ideas with factual data.

More from Thomas Huxley

It is wrong for a man to say that he is certain of the objective truth of any proposition unless he can produce evidence which logically justifies that certainty.
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Let us have "sweet girl graduates" by all means. They will be none the less sweet for a little wisdom; and the "golden hair" will not curl less gracefully outside the head by reason of there being brains within.
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It is the first duty of a hypothesis to be intelligible.
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Of the few innocent pleasures left to men past middle life, the jamming of common sense down the throats of fools is perhaps the keenest.
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