Named source · 1891

A Scandal in Bohemia Quotes by Arthur Conan Doyle: Context & Meanings

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It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data.

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“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data.”

Arthur Conan Doyle

Meaning & context

Holmes argues that explanations should follow evidence because an early theory can tempt a person to force later facts into a preferred story.

Source details

“A Scandal in Bohemia,” The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1891), Project Gutenberg #1661. Holmes immediately warns that premature theorizing leads people to twist facts to suit theories; it is fictional detective dialogue.

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