# Bad Times Have Scientific Value by Ralph Waldo Emerson > “Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss.” > **— Ralph Waldo Emerson**, *The Conduct of Life, “Considerations by the Way”* ## Sources and Context - **Direct or authoritative text:** [The Conduct of Life, “Considerations by the Way”](https://oll-resources.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/oll3/store/titles/1836/Emerson_1236_06_EBk_v6.0.pdf) — Online Library of Liberty edition of Emerson’s works, *The Conduct of Life*, “Considerations by the Way.” - **Why it belongs here:** The passage describes improvement, revelation, learning, or increased capability through opposition, error, difficulty, or adversity. It does not imply that unlimited injury is beneficial. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Book:** [[books/Chimping Out|Chimping Out]] - **Article:** [[articles/Ideas as Lindy Organisms|Ideas as Lindy Organisms]] - **Article:** [[articles/artificial-intelligence/Cybernetic Domestication Syndrome of Men and AI|Cybernetic Domestication Syndrome of Men and AI]] - **Article:** [[articles/Authorship After the Threshold|Authorship After the Threshold]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Antifragility|Antifragility]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, The Conduct of Life, “Considerations by the Way” https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-ralph-emerson-bad-times-scientific-value ```