“Hypotheses are scaffoldings erected in front of a building and then dismantled when the building is finished. They are indispensable for the workman; but you mustn't mistake the scaffolding for the building.”
Maxim 1222, trans. Stopp
Maxims and Reflections (1833)
Help us to complete the source, original and additional information
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe185
German writer, artist, and politician 1749–1832Related quotes
“Here is the hammer, that build the scaffold, and built the box…”
Nick Cave (1957) Australian musician
Song lyrics, From Her to Eternity (1984), A Box for Black Paul
Samuel Butler (1835–1902) novelist
Thought and Word, vi
The Note-Books of Samuel Butler (1912), Part VII - On the Making of Music, Pictures, and Books
“Why are they called buildings when they’re already finished? Shouldn’t they be called builts?”
Steven Wright (1955) American actor and author
“The most expensive part of building is the mistakes.”
Ken Follett book The Pillars of the Earth
Source: The Pillars of the Earth
Louise Rennison (1951–2016) British writer
Source: Startled by His Furry Shorts
“Welcome to the O2. A unique building in Dublin, in that it is actually finished.”
Bill Bailey (1965) English comedian, musician, actor, TV and radio presenter and author
Dandelion Mind (2010)
“When we build, let us think that we build for ever.”
John Ruskin book The Seven Lamps of Architecture
Source: The Seven Lamps of Architecture (1849), Chapter VI: The Lamp of Memory, section 10.
Nicolas Chamfort (1741–1794) French writer
La Société n'est pas, comme on le croit d'ordinaire, le développement de la Nature, mais bien sa décomposition et sa refonte entière. C'est un second édifice, bâti avec les décombres du premier.
Maximes et Pensées, #8
Reflections, #8