You are clever man, friend John; you reason well, and your…
““You are clever man, friend John; you reason well, and your wit is bold; but you are too prejudiced. You do not let your eyes see nor your ears hear, and that which is outside your daily life is not of account to you. Do you not think that there are things which you cannot understand, and yet which are; that some people see things that others cannot? But there are things old and new which must not be contemplate by men’s eyes, because they know – or think they know – some things which other men have told them. Ah, it is the fault of our science that it wants to explain all; and if it explain not, then it says there is nothing to explain. But yet we see around us every day the growth of new beliefs, which think themselves new; and which are yet but the old, which pretend to be young – like the fine ladies at the opera.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The passage warns that overconfidence in reason blinds us to unseen truths and that new ideas often disguise old ones.
In simple terms: Reason can blind; new ideas may be old in disguise.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions and stay open to mystery.
Themes
knowledge
prejudice
perception
humility
science
Mood
curious
skeptical
reflective
Type
aphilosophical
literary
cautionary
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- personal relationships
- media consumption
- spiritual practice
Key Concepts
epistemology
psychology
philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- What beliefs do you dismiss as too simple?
- How might hidden biases shape your understanding?
A Different Perspective
Overreliance on rationalism can ignore intuition and cultural nuance.