How do you interpret the quote, "Seek simplicity and distrust it" by Alfred North Whitehead?

Answer 1

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It's an extension of Occam's razor which says "All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best."
But overlays the principle with scientific scepticism.
Always question the solution because things are not normally that simple.
Occam is right for most practical purposes, but Whitehead is more right at a theoretical level.
A good example is atomic theory. For most practical purposes treating the atom as the smallest particle of matter (as most scientist thought it was, for many years) is simple and works very well. However when you look more deeply the atom turns out to be a very complicated structure indeed and not at all simple.

Answer 2

Be adventurous in yourself, don't be a boring conformus!

Answer 3

I think it means, look for the simple way, but don't trust that it's going to get you somewhere or going to help you...

Also like don't do it commonly, do it your way... a new way

I hope that helped. Have an absolutley wonderful day.

Answer 4

In science, and ANW was a scientist, there is a maxim called Occam's razor which says that the simplest explanation is usually the best. There are limits to this, though. The simplest explanation of why the sun rises in the east is that the sun goes around the Earth. You can't always trust your senses, and people who always seek simple answers often fall for religious ones instead of scientific ones.

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Friendly guy

Answer 5

After finding simpler methods, one must then be careful of being complacent.

Answer 6

There was a farmer that wanted to buy a mule, so he visited his neighbor and offered to buy his mule, and the other one said (simply) "That mule don't look too good." Fellow said he thought the mule looked fine, and bought it and took it home. When he hitched the mule to the plow and started working, he realized that the mule was totally blind. He went back to the seller and said "You sold me a blind mule!" to which the man responded "I told ye he didn't look too good."

Answer 7

On the same line of "If it seems to good to be true, it probably is"

It means not to take the hardest route, but question what seems like the "easiest way out"