We are slow to believe that which if believed would hurt our feelings.
OvidRead
The cause is hidden; the effect is visible to all.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding the world requires recognizing that causes are often not apparent while their effects are clear.
This quote by Ovid highlights the distinction between the unseen forces that drive events and the clear outcomes that result from those forces. It suggests that while the reasons behind certain phenomena may be obscured, the consequences are evident and can be observed by everyone. This reflection encourages deeper thought about the complexities of causation in life and nature.
Themes
CauseEffectPhilosophyObservationConsequence
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture about the importance of critical thinking, this quote can serve to illustrate how we must dig deeper to understand the reasons behind events.
More from Ovid
All quotes βAll things human hang by a slender thread; and that which seemed to stand strong suddenly falls and sinks in ruins.
OvidRead
A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a quip and worried to death by a frown on the right man's brow.
OvidRead
Fas est ab hoste doceri._x000D_ One should learn even from one's enemies.
OvidRead
Be patient and tough; someday this pain will be useful to you.
OvidRead
The end doesn't justify the means.
OvidRead
Similar quotes
A MAN WITH A CONVICTION is a hard man to change. Tell him you disagree and he turns away. Show him facts or figures and he questions your sources. Appeal to logic and he fails to see your point.
Leon FestingerRead
Despite the obvious emphasis of Scripture (in regard to suffering), we are bombarded by suggestions that the 'successful' Christian living takes place in the realm of constant victory, health, wholeness, and financial prosperity. In response to this we are not to pretend that suffering doesnβt exist or that it might be instantly cured. Such notions are the product of empty heads and closed Bibles.
Alistair BeggRead
God has given you one face, and you make yourself another.
William ShakespeareRead
All significant concepts of the modern theory of the state are secularized theological concepts.
Carl SchmittRead
Even if I accepted that Jesus - like almost every other prophet on record - was born of a virgin, I cannot think that this proves the divinity of his father or the truth of his teachings. The same would be true if I accepted that he had been resurrected.
Christopher HitchensRead
The idea that an individual can find God is terribly self-centered. It is like a wave thinking it can find the sea.
John TempletonRead