John Tukey quotes

Far better an approximate answer to the right question, which is often vague, than an exact answer to the wrong question, which can always be made precise. (John Tukey)
The combination of some data and an aching desire for an answer does not ensure that a reasonable answer can be extracted from a given body of data. View quote
John Tukey
An approximate answer to the right question is worth far more than a precise answer to the wrong one. View quote
John Tukey
Numerical quantities focus on expected values, graphical summaries on unexpected values. View quote
John Tukey
The tool that is so dull that you cannot cut yourself on it is not likely to be sharp enough to be either useful or helpful. View quote
John Tukey
The greatest value of a picture is when it forces us to notice what we never expected to see. View quote
John Tukey
In rating ease of description as very important, we are essentially asserting a belief in quantitative knowledge - a belief that most of the key questions in our world sooner or later demand answers to 'by how much?' rather than merely to 'in which direction?' View quote
John Tukey