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Predictive social science does not exist. Indeed, it seems to me that it cannot ever exist, since the behaviour to be predicted reacts to and is partly shaped by the words used by the predictors.

— William H. McNeill Discrepancies among the Social Sciences (1981)

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More quotes by William H. McNeill

The principle obstacle to human dominion over the rain forests is still the rich variety of parasites lying in wait for intruders.

Plagues and Peoples (1976)

The rise of Islam offers perhaps the most impressive example in world history of the power of words to alter human behavior in sudden, surprising ways.

Keeping Together in Time (1995)

Categories of understanding along with everything else alter as societies change.

Discrepancies among the Social Sciences (1981)

Social science is itself part of the social experience it seeks to interpret and explain.

Discrepancies among the Social Sciences (1981)

I do not insist that I am right: I merely think so.

Discrepancies among the Social Sciences (1981)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: William H. McNeill (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.