"I hate facts. I always say the chief end of man is to form general propositions - adding that no general proposition is worth a damn"

In this quote, Oliver Wendell Holmes is expressing his disdain for facts and his choice for basic proposals. He believes that facts are not as valuable as basic proposals, which are more abstract and open up to analysis. He implies that facts are too concrete and minimal in scope, whereas basic propositions can be used to a range of circumstances. He also suggests that general proposals are better due to the fact that they can be used to draw conclusions and make choices. By saying that no basic proposition is worth a damn, he is emphasizing the significance of forming basic proposals in order to make sense of the world. He is recommending that truths alone are insufficient to comprehend the intricacies of life, which general propositions are essential to acquire a much deeper understanding.