Who really said it
Alfred North Whitehead wrote these words in chapter VII of The Concept of Nature (1920). The primary transcription and the sourced Wikiquote entry agree on the wording.
Last verified 9 Nov 2026 · how we verify · spot an error?
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Verified quote & credit
“Seek simplicity and distrust it” — Alfred North Whitehead
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Evoking the world of Alfred North Whitehead — British mathematician and philosopher. Theme: "Seek simplicity and distrust it". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
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Provenance
Seek simplicity and distrust it.
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Read the documented sourceHow we verified this
This exact original English wording is documented in the pre-1931 work identified above. It is public domain in the United States; this assessment concerns the historical text, not a website’s additional editorial material.
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Context
Chapter VII pairs the search for simpler explanations with suspicion of oversimplification; the lectures were delivered in November 1919.
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The author
For writers & researchers
Alfred North Whitehead. The Concept of Nature. 1920. Chapter VII. Tarner lectures delivered in November 1919; book published 1920.
Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘Seek simplicity and distrust it’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/seek-simplicity-and-distrust-it/