“The only way to avoid becoming a metaphysician is to say nothing.”

Often misquoted or paraphrased as "The only way to avoid metaphysics is to say nothing." Cf. on the next page, "you cannot avoid metaphysics".
Source: The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Physical Science (1925), p. 224

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "The only way to avoid becoming a metaphysician is to say nothing." by Edwin Arthur Burtt?
Edwin Arthur Burtt photo
Edwin Arthur Burtt 5
American philosopher 1892–1989

Related quotes

Aristotle photo

“There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing and be nothing.”

Aristotle (-384–-321 BC) Classical Greek philosopher, student of Plato and founder of Western philosophy

Misattributed
Source: Elbert Hubbard, Little Journeys to the Homes of American Statesmen (1898), p. 370 http://hdl.handle.net/2027/osu.32435065322687?urlappend=%3Bseq=458: "If you would escape moral and physical assassination, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing—court obscurity, for only in oblivion does safety lie." Other versions of the saying were repeated in several of Hubbard's later writings.

Fred Shero photo

“To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.”

Fred Shero (1925–1990) Former ice hockey player and coach

Glenn
Liebman
Hockey Shorts: 1,001 of the games funniest one liners
1996
70, 113 & 229
Contemporary Books
0-8092-3351-7

Aristotle photo

“Criticism is something you can easily avoid by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.”

Aristotle (-384–-321 BC) Classical Greek philosopher, student of Plato and founder of Western philosophy
Theresa May photo

“The only way to avoid No Deal is to vote for a deal.”

Theresa May (1956) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Brexit: Corbyn tells May to rule out no deal at meeting https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47052227 BBC News (30 January 2019)
2010s, On Brexit

Richard Bach photo

“The best way to avoid responsibility is to say, "I've got responsibilities."”

Richard Bach (1936) American spiritual writer

Illusions : The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah (1977)
Source: Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah

Leo Buscaglia photo
Albert Einstein photo

“The only sure way to avoid making mistakes is to have no new ideas.”

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born physicist and founder of the theory of relativity

Related topics