All models are wrong

The phrase "all models are wrong" was first attributed to George Box in a 1976 paper published in the Journal of the American Statistical Association.

[4] Although the aphorism is most commonly associated with George Box, the underlying idea has been historically expressed by various thinkers in the past.

[11] In response, Andrew Gelman acknowledged Steele’s point but defended the usefulness of the aphorism, particularly in drawing attention to the inherent imperfections of models.

[12] Philosopher Peter Truran, in a 2013 essay, discussed how seemingly incompatible models can make accurate predictions by representing different aspects of the same phenomenon, illustrating the point with an example of two observers viewing a cylindrical object from different angles.

[13] In 2014, David Hand reiterated that models are meant to aid in understanding or decision-making about the real world, a point emphasized by Box’s famous remark.