My father once told me that respect for truth comes close to being the basis for all morality. 'Something cannot emerge from nothing,' he said. This is profound thinking if you understand how unstable 'the truth' can be.
Frank HerbertRead
All proofs inevitably lead to propositions which have no proof! All things are known because we want to believe in them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that not all beliefs can be substantiated by proof, highlighting the role of human desire in knowledge.
Frank Herbert's quote emphasizes the paradox of knowledge where certain truths exist beyond proof. It underscores the idea that our convictions often rely on belief rather than evidence, suggesting that sometimes our desires shape what we consider to be true. In this context, the quote challenges the notion of absolute certainty in knowledge and invites reflection on the nature of belief.
Themes
BeliefKnowledgeProofTruthPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophical debate about the nature of knowledge, this quote can underscore a point about subjective belief.
More from Frank Herbert
All quotes βIf you need something to worship, then worship life - all life, every last crawling bit of it! We're all in this beauty together!
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Religion must remain an outlet for people who say to themselves, "I am not the kind of person I want to be." It must never sink into an assemblage of the self-satisfied.
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To know a thing well, know it's limits; Only when pushed beyond it's tolerance will it's true nature be seen. -The Amtal Rule
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Technology tends toward avoidance of risks by investors. Uncertainty is ruled out if possible. People generally prefer the predictable. Few recognize how destructive this can be, how it imposes severe limits on variability and thus makes whole populations fatally vulnerable to the shocking ways our universe can throw the dice.
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It is impossible to live in the past, difficult to live in the present and a waste to live in the future.
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