Belief like any other moving body follows the path of least resistance.
Samuel ButlerRead
Let man be true and every god a liar.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that one's own truth is more important than the divine or established beliefs that may be false.
Samuel Butler's statement emphasizes the importance of personal integrity and truthfulness over adherence to potentially deceptive or misleading religious or societal doctrines. It challenges individuals to prioritize their own understanding and honesty instead of blindly following external authority figures or concepts of divinity that may not be true.
Themes
TruthIntegrityBeliefsPhilosophySelf-Discovery
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about moral values, one could cite this quote to emphasize the importance of personal conviction over societal norms.
More from Samuel Butler
All quotes →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.
Samuel ButlerRead
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.
Samuel ButlerRead
Young people have a marvelous faculty of either dying or adapting themselves to circumstances.
Samuel ButlerRead
People care more about being thought to have taste than about being thought either good, clever or amiable.
Samuel ButlerRead
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