Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.
Alexander PopeRead
Lo! the poor Indian! whose untutor'd mind_x000D_ _x000D_ Sees God in clouds, or hears him in the wind;_x000D_ _x000D_ His soul proud Science never taught to stray_x000D_ _x000D_ Far as the solar walk or milky way.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the contrast between the uneducated mind and the vast knowledge of science.
In this quote, Alexander Pope illustrates a profound observation about the nature of belief and understanding. The 'poor Indian' represents those who perceive the divine and the natural world through instinct and emotion rather than formal education. While proud science offers a more expansive view of the universe, it may not encapsulate the spiritual connections that the unlearned experience through their simple yet profound interpretations of nature.
Themes
BeliefScienceNatureSpiritualityKnowledge
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on the intersections of science and spirituality, this quote can be used to highlight different perspectives on understanding the universe.
More from Alexander Pope
All quotes →What dire offence from am'rous causes springs, What mighty contests rise from trivial things.
Alexander PopeRead
Fair tresses man's imperial race ensnare; And beauty draws us with a single hair.
Alexander PopeRead
An honest man's the noblest work of God.
Alexander PopeRead
One thought of thee puts all the pomp to flight;_x000D_ _x000D_ Priests, tapers, temples, swim before my sight.
Alexander PopeRead
Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?
Alexander PopeRead
Similar quotes
There is nothing that war has ever achieved that we could not better achieve without it.
Havelock EllisRead
Life is the art of being well deceived; and in order that the deception may succeed it must be habitual and uninterrupted.
William HazlittRead
The universe is a continuous web. Touch it at any point and the whole web quivers.
Stanley KunitzRead
The man has a theory. The woman has hipbones. Here comes Death.
Anne CarsonRead
A consciousness of our powerlessness should cast us upon Him who has all power. Here then is where a vision and view of God's sovereignty helps, for it reveals His sufficiency and shows us our insufficiency.
Arthur W. PinkRead
If goodness has causes, it is not goodness; if it has effects, a reward, it is not goodness either. So goodness is outside the chain of cause and effect.
Leo TolstoyRead