--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What then, had I discovered? That there…" description: "\"“What then, had I discovered? That there is nobody so duplicitous as oneself? That certainty is nothing but unreasonable belief? That there can be no a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/a-j-west-90336_death_what-then-had-i-discovered-that-there-is_983072.jpg" --- # What then, had I discovered? That there is nobody so… ![“What then, had I discovered? That there is nobody so duplicitous as oneself? That certainty is nothing but unreasonable belief? That there can be no answer to death? That there should be no answer to it, at least not for the living? That we have in all of us, written into our very matter, an…” quote by A.J.West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/a-j-west-90336_death_what-then-had-i-discovered-that-there-is_983072.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/a-j-west-90336_death_what-then-had-i-discovered-that-there-is_983072.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/a-j-west-90336_death_what-then-had-i-discovered-that-there-is_983072.jpg) > ““What then, had I discovered? That there is nobody so duplicitous as oneself? That certainty is nothing but unreasonable belief? That there can be no answer to death? That there should be no answer to it, at least not for the living? That we have in all of us, written into our very matter, an unpassable divide; and if there is a bridge between this world and the next, then surely there is only one toll to pay.”” [A.J.West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-west/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An exploration of existential uncertainty, death, and the inscrutable divide between life and afterlife, questioning certainty and belief. **In simple terms:** Life’s big questions lack clear answers, especially about death. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty, find meaning despite unknowns. Themes existential death certainty philosophy self‑reflection Mood thoughtful serious Type Certainty:1 Death:1 Death and dying:0 Death quotes:0 Deathbed:0 Faith:0 Life:1 Life and living:0 Life lessons:0 Life philosophy:0 Oneself Certainty:0 Certainty Unreasonable:0 Unreasonable Belief:0 Unpassable Divide:0 When to use this quote - personal contemplation - academic discourse - spiritual inquiry Key Concepts metaphysics belief human condition mortality Questions to Reflect On - How does embracing uncertainty affect living? - What bridges exist between life and death? A Different Perspective Highly abstract, may be dense. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Certainty Unreasonable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty-unreasonable-1964214/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death and dying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-and-dying/) [Death quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-quotes/) [Deathbed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deathbed/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life and living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-living/) [Life lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-lessons/) [Life philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-philosophy/) [Oneself Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oneself-certainty-1964213/) [Unpassable Divide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unpassable-divide-1964216/) [Unreasonable Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unreasonable-belief-1964215/) ## Related quotes > [Although Kim Jong Un is a very unreasonable leader and has a firm, unreasonable belief that nuclear and missile weapons will protect him and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/although-kim-jong-un-is-a-very-unreasonable-leader-and-has-a-firm/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [“Someone sitting on a completely unreasonable belief is sitting on a time bomb. The apparently harmless, idiosyncratic belief of the Catholic Church that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-blackburn/someone-sitting-on-a-completely-unreasonable-belief-is-sitting-on-a/) [Simon Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-blackburn/) > [“We all want to become more than we are, we want to live forever, that is why we hate death and create the afterlife.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/we-all-want-to-become-more-than-we-are-we-want-to-live-forever-that/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“Success is guaranteed to a select few, but death is for all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/success-is-guaranteed-to-a-select-few-but-death-is-for-all/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [“Time is your acquaintance, life is your friend, death is your enemy, and existence is your soulmate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/time-is-your-acquaintance-life-is-your-friend-death-is-your-enemy-and/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“Death is not the villain of the piece. It is the next phase of life in unfamiliar clothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/death-is-not-the-villain-of-the-piece-it-is-the-next-phase-of-life-in/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [“No matter how death may inch over me, there will always be an unconquerable place inside my being that is beyond the perception of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anoir-ou-chad/no-matter-how-death-may-inch-over-me-there-will-always-be-an/) [Anoir Ou-Chad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anoir-ou-chad/) > [“Life is an endless trial and death its certain verdict, but there are many recesses to enjoy before then.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/life-is-an-endless-trial-and-death-its-certain-verdict-but-there-are/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [“If anyone ever reported my death incorrectly, I'd confirm it was true on Twitter and that I was tweeting through a Ouija board.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/if-anyone-ever-reported-my-death-incorrectly-i-d-confirm-it-was-true/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [“Death is a great tyrant; none can overthrow him. Life is a priceless ruby; none can afford it. Eternity is a noble mistress; none…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/death-is-a-great-tyrant-none-can-overthrow-him-life-is-a-priceless/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“I love to walk. Walking is a spiritual journey and a reflection of living. Each of us must determine which path to take and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edie-littlefield-sundby/i-love-to-walk-walking-is-a-spiritual-journey-and-a-reflection-of/) [Edie Littlefield Sundby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edie-littlefield-sundby/) > [“Clemo, Nonini, Jua Cali wakianzisha Genge, ilishika but hawakuwa na clear plan. Now it's dead and burried with Mejja as the only survivor mwenye…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-santo/clemo-nonini-jua-cali-wakianzisha-genge-ilishika-but-hawakuwa-na/) [DON SANTO](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-santo/) > [“The seed we bury in soil, Flourish, even after we die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neymat-khan/the-seed-we-bury-in-soil-flourish-even-after-we-die/) [Neymat Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neymat-khan/) > [“When monks deny the existence of the I, they are not denying the existence of humanity or of man in general; but that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/when-monks-deny-the-existence-of-the-i-they-are-not-denying-the/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [“Transition or transformation are the correct and softest words to describe death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/transition-or-transformation-are-the-correct-and-softest-words-to/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) ## More by A.J.West > [“Certain men are liable to be duped, and there is no creature so gullible as the certain man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-west/certain-men-are-liable-to-be-duped-and-there-is-no-creature-so/) [A.J.West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-west/) [Explore all 2 A.J.West quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-west/) ## More Certainty quotes > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [In the mental disturbance and effort of writing, what sustains you is the certainty that on every page there is something left unsaid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/in-the-mental-disturbance-and-effort-of-writing-what-sustains-you-is/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [Of course I doubt. I do not practice a certainty. I practice a faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/of-course-i-doubt-i-do-not-practice-a-certainty-i-practice-a-faith/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [The world is a wonderfully weird place, consensual reality is significantly flawed, no institution can be trusted, certainty is a mirage, security a delusion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-world-is-a-wonderfully-weird-place-consensual-reality-is/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [As a businessman, I know that businesses need certainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-foster/as-a-businessman-i-know-that-businesses-need-certainty/) [Bill Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-foster/) > [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [Every single person who is a member of our party deserves to have certainty. They deserve to know that my attention and focus is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annamie-paul/every-single-person-who-is-a-member-of-our-party-deserves-to-have/) [Annamie Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annamie-paul/) > [The significance and volume of repairs that are needed across the country demand that we give state and local governments the long-term certainty they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-graves/the-significance-and-volume-of-repairs-that-are-needed-across-the/) [Sam Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-graves/) > [“Death is the one great certainty in life. That’s what my dad used to say. Nothing else is certain. Not love. Not happiness. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mila-gray/death-is-the-one-great-certainty-in-life-that-s-what-my-dad-used-to/) [Mila Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mila-gray/) > [ \[I\]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bacon/i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-at-certainty-without-doubt-and/) [Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bacon/) > [Do not lose hope; St. Joseph also experienced moments of difficulty, but he never lost faith and was able to overcome them, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/do-not-lose-hope-st-joseph-also-experienced-moments-of-difficulty-but/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [As the future is never known with certainty, the evaluation of the prospective benefits requires the formation of expectations. An acceptable house, partner or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/as-the-future-is-never-known-with-certainty-the-evaluation-of-the/) [Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/) > [Finding someone that trusted my vision helped me find certainty in who I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/finding-someone-that-trusted-my-vision-helped-me-find-certainty-in/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) [Browse all 1,776 Certainty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What then, had I discovered? That there is nobody so duplicitous as oneself? That certainty is nothing but unreasonable belief? That there can be no answer to death? That there should be no answer to it, at least not for the living? That we have in all of us, written into our very matter, an unpassable divide; and if there is a bridge between this world and the next, then surely there is only one toll to pay.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "A.J.West" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-west/what-then-had-i-discovered-that-there-is-nobody-so-duplicitous-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Certainty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-west/what-then-had-i-discovered-that-there-is-nobody-so-duplicitous-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/a-j-west-90336_death_what-then-had-i-discovered-that-there-is_983072.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/a-j-west-90336_death_what-then-had-i-discovered-that-there-is_983072.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/a-j-west-90336_death_what-then-had-i-discovered-that-there-is_983072.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What then, had I discovered? That there is nobody so duplicitous as oneself? That certainty is nothing but…” — A.J.West", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "A.J.West", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-west/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“What then, had I discovered? That...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-west/what-then-had-i-discovered-that-there-is-nobody-so-duplicitous-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-west/what-then-had-i-discovered-that-there-is-nobody-so-duplicitous-as/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```