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A few years ago I came across a quote attributed to a well-known mathematician: "a mathematician is someone who is cautious in the presence of the obvious". I really like this quote but I can't figure out who said it - does anyone know?

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    $\begingroup$ This does not seem to be a question in research-level mathematics, or even a reference request in the sense in which that is usually understood here. $\endgroup$
    – LSpice
    Commented Nov 20, 2021 at 20:09
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    $\begingroup$ perhaps a paraphrase of E.T. Bell's quote: "Obvious is the most dangerous word in mathematics." $\endgroup$
    – Carlo Beenakker
    Commented Nov 20, 2021 at 20:26

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Eric Temple Bell, The Development of Mathematics, page 76: "Like Euclid in his explicit statement of the parallel postulate, Archimedes had the true mathematician's caution in the presence of the obvious."

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    $\begingroup$ That's the only Google hit for "caution in the presence of the obvious". $\endgroup$
    – lhf
    Commented Nov 21, 2021 at 12:44

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