--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The practice which obtains amongst the…" description: "\"“The practice which obtains amongst the Americans of fixing the standard of their judgment in themselves alone, leads them to other habits of mind. As ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e02/alexis-de-tocqueville-625_culture_the-practice-which-obtains-amongst-the-a_693475.jpg" --- # The practice which obtains amongst the Americans of fixing… ![“The practice which obtains amongst the Americans of fixing the standard of their judgment in themselves alone, leads them to other habits of mind. As they perceive that they succeed in resolving without assistance all the little difficulties which their practical life presents, they readily…” quote by Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e02/alexis-de-tocqueville-625_culture_the-practice-which-obtains-amongst-the-a_693475.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e02/alexis-de-tocqueville-625_culture_the-practice-which-obtains-amongst-the-a_693475.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e02/alexis-de-tocqueville-625_culture_the-practice-which-obtains-amongst-the-a_693475.jpg) > ““The practice which obtains amongst the Americans of fixing the standard of their judgment in themselves alone, leads them to other habits of mind. As they perceive that they succeed in resolving without assistance all the little difficulties which their practical life presents, they readily conclude that everything in the world may be explained, and that nothing in it transcends the limits of the understanding. Thus they fall to denying what they cannot comprehend; which leaves them but little faith for whatever is extraordinary, and an almost insurmountable distaste for whatever is supernatural.”” [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Americans trust their own reasoning, leading to skepticism of the supernatural and a preference for rational explanations. **In simple terms:** Americans favor rational over supernatural. Key Takeaway Cultivate humility about limits of knowledge. Themes rationalism skepticism culture Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - education - public discourse - science communication Key Concepts epistemic humility faith vs reason Questions to Reflect On - How can we respect both reason and mystery? - What role does faith play in modern society? A Different Perspective Excluding the supernatural can dismiss valuable perspectives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Denying Comprehend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denying-comprehend-5505342/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Habits Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits-mind-451873/) [Habits of mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits-of-mind/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-present/) [Little faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-faith/) [Mind Perceive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-perceive-857813/) [Practical life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practical-life/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Rationality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationality/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [We need a repeated discipline, a genuine training, in order to let go of our old habits of mind and to find and sustain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/we-need-a-repeated-discipline-a-genuine-training-in-order-to-let-go/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [The book, I think, like the map before it, like the clock, created or help create a revolution in the human mind in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-g-carr/the-book-i-think-like-the-map-before-it-like-the-clock-created-or/) [Nicholas G. 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Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) [Browse all 15,940 Culture quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The practice which obtains amongst the Americans of fixing the standard of their judgment in themselves alone, leads them to other habits of mind. As they perceive that they succeed in resolving without assistance all the little difficulties which their practical life presents, they readily conclude that everything in the world may be explained, and that nothing in it transcends the limits of the understanding. 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