Sturgeon’s Law

An aphorism associated with Theodore Sturgeon that cautions against dismissing a category because it contains much weak work. Its ninety-percent figure is not a universal empirical estimate.

Sturgeon's law is a rhetorical reminder that a field can contain much weak work while still containing worthwhile contributions. Its famous ninety-percent formulation is an aphorism, not a measured universal rate of quality. The practical point is to avoid dismissing an entire category from a poor or unrepresentative sample.

Match the sampling strategy to the question. To ask whether a field has anything valuable, inspect strong examples and informed criticism. To ask what a typical user will encounter, examine a representative range, including weak work. Looking only at the best can be as misleading for one purpose as looking only at the worst is for another.

When to use it

When a broad dismissal rests on poor examples, or when deciding whether typical quality or the best available work is the relevant comparison.

How it can help

Prompts a sampling strategy suited to the question, including strong examples when judging whether a field has valuable contributions.