I believe in order that I may understand.
Interpretation
Understanding comes from a belief that drives the pursuit of knowledge.
This quote by Anselm of Canterbury reflects the idea that belief is a foundational aspect of seeking understanding. It suggests that one must first adopt a mindset of faith or trust in the process of inquiry, which then opens the door to deeper insights and comprehension of the world around us.
In practice
In a discussion about the importance of faith in personal growth.
A Prayer of Anselm My God, I pray that I may so know you and love you that I may rejoice in you. And if I may not do so fully in this life let me go steadily on to the day when I come to that fullness . . . Let me receive That which you promised through your truth, that my joy may be full.
For I do not seek to understand in order to believe, but I believe in order to understand. For I believe this: unless I believe, I will not understand.
Spare me through your mercy, do not punish me through your justice.
Remove grace, and you have nothing whereby to be saved. Remove free will and you have nothing that could be saved.
A single Mass offered for oneself during life may be worth more than a thousand celebrated for the same intention after death.
I have written the little work that follows . . . in the role of one who strives to raise his mind to the contemplation of God and one who seeks to understand what he believes.
The tongue is a small member, but it does big things. A religious who does not keep silence will never attain holiness; that is, she will never become a saint. Let her not delude herself - unless it is the Spirit of God who is speaking through her, for then she must not keep silent. But, in order to hear the voice of God, one has to have silence in one's soul and to keep silence; not a gloomy silence but an interior silence; that is to say, recollection in God.
If you're unhappy with what you've had over the last 50 years, you have an unfortunate misappraisal of life. It's as good as it gets, and it's very likely to get worse.
Granny was an old-fashioned witch. She didnβt do good for people, she did right by them.
It is of no profit to have learned well, if you neglect to do well.
When a man is at his wits' end it is not a cowardly thing to pray, it is the only way he can get in touch with Reality.
Needing to talk badly about others indicates low self esteem. That means, 'I feel so low that instead of picking myself up, I have to cut others down.' Letting go of negative things quickly is healthy.
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