“It is not possible to run…” — Francis Bacon

It is not possible to run a course aright when the goal itself has not been rightly placed.

— Francis Bacon (1561–1626), Novum Organum (1620) — Book I, Aphorism 81

Ambition and achievement

What it means

You cannot run a good race if the finish line is in the wrong place. Bacon argues that choosing the right goal comes before effort.

Francis Bacon — English philosopher and statesman (1561–1626).

Source: Novum Organum (1620) — Book I, Aphorism 81
Reference: Francis Bacon on Wikiquote
Checked: Wording and source taken from the sourced section of the author’s Wikiquote page, which cites the work given here (accessed 2026-10-11).
Copyright: Public domain: the author died in 1626.

The explanation above is ToDoMatriX’s own reading of the quote, not the author’s words.

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