{"generator":"GNU social 1.2.0-beta4","title":"Notices tagged with fourcircles","totalItems":1,"items":[{"actor":{"id":"http:\/\/tantek.com\/","displayName":"Tantek","status_net":{"avatarLinks":[{"url":"https:\/\/status.blaise.ca\/theme\/neo-gnu\/default-avatar-profile.png","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/png","width":96,"height":96},{"url":"https:\/\/status.blaise.ca\/theme\/neo-gnu\/default-avatar-stream.png","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/png","width":48,"height":48},{"url":"https:\/\/status.blaise.ca\/theme\/neo-gnu\/default-avatar-mini.png","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/png","width":24,"height":24}],"profile_info":{"local_id":"207"}},"image":{"url":"https:\/\/status.blaise.ca\/theme\/neo-gnu\/default-avatar-profile.png","rel":"avatar","type":"image\/png","width":96,"height":96},"objectType":"person","url":"http:\/\/tantek.com\/","portablecontacts_net":{"displayName":"Tantek","addresses":{"formatted":"\nSan Francisco, CA\n"}}},"content":"Discussed Venn diagrams with a couple of friends this morning, especially in the context of illustrating the utility of including all 3 or 4 of a specific set of design principles when creating certain kinds of things, and learned about the difference between Venn diagrams and Euler diagrams.
In short:
* a Venn diagram shows ALL possible relationships between different sets
* an Euler diagram shows only some relationships between different sets, typically focused on conveying relevant or the more important relationships
If you want to dive into their history and why these differences matter, bookmark (or open new tab) this Scientific American article to rabbithole later:
* https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/venn-diagrams-history-and-popularity-outside-of-math-explained\/<\/a>
In pop culture and media, nearly any diagram of overlapping circles with labeled regions is (errantly) referred to as a \u201cVenn diagram\u201d.
This is imprecise at best, outright incorrect in many cases, especially diagrams of four circles.
A classic example is the \u201cIkigai\u201d diagram:
<\/a>
Many (examples below) call this a Venn diagram. It is not a Venn diagram. It is an Euler diagram.
The Ikigai diagram fails to express two specific relationships between different sets, the two that contain opposing side circles but neither of the other two. The missing Ikigai sets relationships in particular:
1. only \u201cyou are good at\u201d AND \u201cthe world needs\u201d (with neither of the other two)
2. only \u201cyou love\u201d AND \u201cyou can be paid for\u201d (again with neither of the other two)
If you Google web search for \"examples of four circle venn diagrams\", Gemini gets this wrong:
<\/a>
And so do the majority of articles that Google shows in top results (which I\u2019m not helping by linking here, but hey it\u2019s Google\u2019s job to fix its search quality, not mine. I was able to use Internet Archive links for two of them at least.)
* https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260823204717\/https:\/\/boardmix.com\/knowledge\/4-circle-venn-diagrams\/<\/a>
* https:\/\/miro.com\/templates\/4-circle-venn-diagram\/<\/a> (Miro\u2019s own top template there is wrong, though others have contributed proper 4 set Venn diagrams)
* https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260823205434\/https:\/\/www.istockphoto.com\/illustrations\/venn-4-circles-diagram<\/a>
* https:\/\/www.educationworld.com\/tools_templates\/EW_venndiagram_4<\/a>
This has interesting implications for expertise and trust.
Clearly by this one example search result, we cannot trust the expertise of \"design tool\" websites (boardmix, miro), nor stock photo websites.
Nor can we trust educationworld as a place to be educated.
Nor can we trust Google Search (or Google Gemini) to surface expertise above popular misconceptions.
Perhaps a good example of when to use Wikipedia search instead of Google (or other generic) web search.
Personally I generalize this example to \u201call proper nouns\u201d, that is:
* Wikipedia search proper nouns instead of Google or other general web searching.
You can make this more convenient by setting up \u201cw\u201d as a search shortcut for Wikipedia: https:\/\/tantek.com\/2024\/287\/t2\/setup-search-shortcuts-firefox<\/a>
For reference \/ more reading on Venn diagrams and Euler diagrams:
* https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Venn_diagram<\/a>
* https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Euler_diagram<\/a>
#Venn<\/span> #diagram<\/span> #diagrams<\/span> #VennDiagram<\/span> #VennDiagrams<\/span> #EulerDiagram<\/span> #math<\/span> #maths<\/span> #sets<\/span> #setTheory<\/span> #relationships<\/span> #Ikigai<\/span> #fourCircles<\/span> #fourCirclesVenn<\/span> #fourCirclesVennDiagram<\/span> #misconception<\/span> #popMisconception<\/span> #Google<\/span> #GoogleSearch<\/span> #GoogleWebSearch<\/span> #webSearch<\/span> #search<\/span> #Gemini<\/span> #GoogleGemini<\/span> #GeminiWrong<\/span> #expertise<\/span> #trust<\/span> #webTrust<\/span> #Wikipedia<\/span>
#Blaugust<\/span> #Blaugust2026<\/span>","generator":{"id":"tag:status.net,2009:notice-source:ostatus","objectType":"application","status_net":{"source_code":"ostatus"}},"id":"https:\/\/tantek.com\/2026\/235\/t1\/venn-diagrams-euler-difference","object":{"id":"https:\/\/tantek.com\/2026\/235\/t1\/venn-diagrams-euler-difference","objectType":"note","content":"Discussed Venn diagrams with a couple of friends this morning, especially in the context of illustrating the utility of including all 3 or 4 of a specific set of design principles when creating certain kinds of things, and learned about the difference between Venn diagrams and Euler diagrams.
In short:
* a Venn diagram shows ALL possible relationships between different sets
* an Euler diagram shows only some relationships between different sets, typically focused on conveying relevant or the more important relationships
If you want to dive into their history and why these differences matter, bookmark (or open new tab) this Scientific American article to rabbithole later:
* https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/venn-diagrams-history-and-popularity-outside-of-math-explained\/<\/a>
In pop culture and media, nearly any diagram of overlapping circles with labeled regions is (errantly) referred to as a \u201cVenn diagram\u201d.
This is imprecise at best, outright incorrect in many cases, especially diagrams of four circles.
A classic example is the \u201cIkigai\u201d diagram:
<\/a>
Many (examples below) call this a Venn diagram. It is not a Venn diagram. It is an Euler diagram.
The Ikigai diagram fails to express two specific relationships between different sets, the two that contain opposing side circles but neither of the other two. The missing Ikigai sets relationships in particular:
1. only \u201cyou are good at\u201d AND \u201cthe world needs\u201d (with neither of the other two)
2. only \u201cyou love\u201d AND \u201cyou can be paid for\u201d (again with neither of the other two)
If you Google web search for \"examples of four circle venn diagrams\", Gemini gets this wrong:
<\/a>
And so do the majority of articles that Google shows in top results (which I\u2019m not helping by linking here, but hey it\u2019s Google\u2019s job to fix its search quality, not mine. I was able to use Internet Archive links for two of them at least.)
* https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260823204717\/https:\/\/boardmix.com\/knowledge\/4-circle-venn-diagrams\/<\/a>
* https:\/\/miro.com\/templates\/4-circle-venn-diagram\/<\/a> (Miro\u2019s own top template there is wrong, though others have contributed proper 4 set Venn diagrams)
* https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260823205434\/https:\/\/www.istockphoto.com\/illustrations\/venn-4-circles-diagram<\/a>
* https:\/\/www.educationworld.com\/tools_templates\/EW_venndiagram_4<\/a>
This has interesting implications for expertise and trust.
Clearly by this one example search result, we cannot trust the expertise of \"design tool\" websites (boardmix, miro), nor stock photo websites.
Nor can we trust educationworld as a place to be educated.
Nor can we trust Google Search (or Google Gemini) to surface expertise above popular misconceptions.
Perhaps a good example of when to use Wikipedia search instead of Google (or other generic) web search.
Personally I generalize this example to \u201call proper nouns\u201d, that is:
* Wikipedia search proper nouns instead of Google or other general web searching.
You can make this more convenient by setting up \u201cw\u201d as a search shortcut for Wikipedia: https:\/\/tantek.com\/2024\/287\/t2\/setup-search-shortcuts-firefox<\/a>
For reference \/ more reading on Venn diagrams and Euler diagrams:
* https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Venn_diagram<\/a>
* https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Euler_diagram<\/a>
#Venn<\/span> #diagram<\/span> #diagrams<\/span> #VennDiagram<\/span> #VennDiagrams<\/span> #EulerDiagram<\/span> #math<\/span> #maths<\/span> #sets<\/span> #setTheory<\/span> #relationships<\/span> #Ikigai<\/span> #fourCircles<\/span> #fourCirclesVenn<\/span> #fourCirclesVennDiagram<\/span> #misconception<\/span> #popMisconception<\/span> #Google<\/span> #GoogleSearch<\/span> #GoogleWebSearch<\/span> #webSearch<\/span> #search<\/span> #Gemini<\/span> #GoogleGemini<\/span> #GeminiWrong<\/span> #expertise<\/span> #trust<\/span> #webTrust<\/span> #Wikipedia<\/span>
#Blaugust<\/span> #Blaugust2026<\/span>","url":"https:\/\/tantek.com\/2026\/235\/t1\/venn-diagrams-euler-difference","status_net":{"notice_id":116342},"tags":[{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"blaugust2026"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"diagram"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"diagrams"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"eulerdiagram"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"expertise"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"fourcircles"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"fourcirclesvenn"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"fourcirclesvenndiagram"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"gemini"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"geminiwrong"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"google"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"googlegemini"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"googlesearch"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"googlewebsearch"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"ikigai"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"math"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"maths"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"misconception"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"popmisconception"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"relationships"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"search"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"sets"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"settheory"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"trust"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"venndiagram"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"venndiagrams"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"websearch"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"webtrust"},{"objectType":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/object\/hashtag","displayName":"wikipedia"}]},"to":[{"objectType":"http:\/\/activitystrea.ms\/schema\/1.0\/collection","id":"http:\/\/activityschema.org\/collection\/public"}],"status_net":{"conversation":"tag:status.blaise.ca,2026-08-24:objectType=thread:nonce=717d819c1e6cdd44","notice_info":{"local_id":"116342","source":"ostatus"}},"published":"2026-08-23T20:13:00+00:00","provider":{"objectType":"service","displayName":"stadeus","url":"http:\/\/status.blaise.ca\/"},"verb":"post","url":"https:\/\/tantek.com\/2026\/235\/t1\/venn-diagrams-euler-difference"}],"links":[{"url":"https:\/\/status.blaise.ca\/tag\/fourcircles","rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html"}]}