Belief like any other moving body follows the path of least resistance.
Samuel ButlerRead
To know God better is only to realize how impossible it is that we should ever know him at all. I know not which is more childish to deny him, or define him.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding God deepens our awareness of the limits of human comprehension.
Samuel Butler's quote suggests that as we seek to understand God, we come to recognize the immense mystery surrounding this divine figure, making it apparent that our grasp is ultimately limited. He posits that the attempts to either deny or strictly define God may be naively simplistic, as such efforts fail to acknowledge the complexity and vastness of the concept of divinity.
Themes
GodKnowledgeMysteryUnderstandingFaith
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a philosophical discussion about the nature of divinity.
More from Samuel Butler
All quotes →Academic and aristocratic people live in such an uncommon atmosphere that common sense can rarely reach them.
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An apology for the devil: it must be remembered that we have heard one side of the case. God has written all the books.
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Young people have a marvelous faculty of either dying or adapting themselves to circumstances.
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People care more about being thought to have taste than about being thought either good, clever or amiable.
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A friend who cannot at a pinch remember a thing or two that never happened is as bad as one who does not know how to forget.
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