A humble motto
Say not ‘this is the truth’ but ‘So it seems to me to be as I now see the things I think I see.’
I came across this quote in a book by John McPhee, Rising from the Plains1. I enjoy the complete acknowledgement of ever present uncertainty: it seems but not is, it seems to me but not all, the time is now but not forever, the observation is by my own seeing and this seeing is, by the way, a thought possibly subject to dispute. It packs a punch and doubles down on a certain humility. To my former scientist self, this is the type of humility that fosters an open mind that looks for new solutions or discoveries, but can apply to many things throughout life (e.g. understanding someone else's perspective).
The full quote, with slightly more context is given below:
One book mentioned an inscription above a doorway at the German Naval Officers School, in Kiel – an unlikely place for a Rocky Mountain geologist to discover what became for him a lifelong professional axiom. As he renders it in English: “Say not ‘this is the truth’ but ‘So it seems to me to be as I now see the things I think I see.’”
I only hope that this reference to the German naval school isn’t too sinister in implications2. I’ll stick with my positive interpretation for now.
McPhee, John. Risings from the Plains. New York, FSG, 1986. p. 104↩
I once spoke with someone in a work setting that was a hardcore data nerd of sorts, and they mentioned they liked the slogan "data shall set you free." My German friend pointed out this might not go over too well in Germany.↩