All models are wrong

All models are wrong is a common aphorism and anapodoton in statistics; it is often expanded as "All models are wrong, but some are useful". The aphorism acknowledges that statistical models always fall short of the complexities of reality but can still be useful nonetheless. The aphorism originally referred just to statistical models, but it is now sometimes used for scientific models in general. The aphorism is generally attributed to the statistician George Box. The underlying concept, though, predates Box's writings. The first record of Box saying "all models are wrong" is in a 1976 paper published in the Journal of the American Statistical Association. The 1976 paper contains the aphorism twice. The two sections of the paper that contain the aphorism state: 2.3 ParsimonySince all models are wrong the scientist cannot obtain a "correct" one by excessive elaboration. On the contrary following William of Occam he should seek an economical description of natural phenomena. Just as the ability to devise simple but evocative models is the signature of the great scientist so overelaboration and overparameterization is often the mark of mediocrity. 2.4 Worrying SelectivelySince all models are wrong the scientist must be alert to what is importantly wrong. It is inappropriate to be concerned about mice when there are tigers abroad. Box repeated the aphorism in a paper that was published in the proceedings of a 1978 statistics workshop. The paper contains a section entitled "All models are wrong but some are useful". The section states (p 202-3): Now it would be very remarkable if any system existing in the real world could be exactly represented by any simple model. However, cunningly chosen parsimonious models often do provide remarkably useful approximations. For example, the law PV = nRT relating pressure P, volume V and temperature T of an "ideal" gas via a constant R is not exactly true for any real gas, but it frequently provides a useful approximation and furthermore its structure is informative since it springs from a physical view of the behavior of gas molecules.