--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Had I been present at the Creation, I…" description: "\"Had I been present at the Creation, I would have given some useful hints for the better ordering of the universe. Remarking on the complexity of Ptolem..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/alfonso-x-of-castile-61830_advice_had-i-been-present-at-the-creation-i-wou_3083411.jpg" --- # Had I been present at the Creation, I would have given… ![“Had I been present at the Creation, I would have given some useful hints for the better ordering of the universe. Remarking on the complexity of Ptolemaic model of the universe after it was explained to him. Footnote: Carlyle says, in his History of Frederick the Great, book ii. chap. vii. that…” quote by Alfonso X of Castile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/alfonso-x-of-castile-61830_advice_had-i-been-present-at-the-creation-i-wou_3083411.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/alfonso-x-of-castile-61830_advice_had-i-been-present-at-the-creation-i-wou_3083411.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a4/alfonso-x-of-castile-61830_advice_had-i-been-present-at-the-creation-i-wou_3083411.jpg) > “Had I been present at the Creation, I would have given some useful hints for the better ordering of the universe. Remarking on the complexity of Ptolemaic model of the universe after it was explained to him. Footnote: Carlyle says, in his History of Frederick the Great, book ii. chap. vii. that this saying of Alphonso about Ptolemy's astronomy, 'that it seemed a crank machine; that it was pity the Creator had not taken advice,' is still remembered by mankind, - this and no other of his many sayings.” [Alfonso X of Castile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-x-of-castile/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He suggests that even the creator of the universe could have benefited from better design advice. **In simple terms:** Even divine creation might need improvement. Key Takeaway Consider the value of constructive criticism. Themes humor science history Mood reflective witty Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - academic debate - science education - philosophical discussion Key Concepts cosmology critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - What would you advise a creator of a complex system? - Does humor help critique serious topics? A Different Perspective Historical context may be obscure to modern readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Astronomy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomy/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Chaps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chaps/) [Complexity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexity/) [Complexity Ptolemaic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexity-ptolemaic-1185889/) [Crank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crank/) [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [Creation Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation-given-251164/) [Creator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creator/) [Footnotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/footnotes/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frederick-the-great/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Great book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-book/) [Hints](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hints/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/models/) [Ordering Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordering-universe-4966862/) [Pity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pity/) [Ptolemaic Model](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ptolemaic-model-5268888/) [Remembered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remembered/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Universe Remarking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-remarking-5268887/) ## Related quotes > [Had I been present at the creation, I would have given some useful hints for the better ordering of the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-x-of-castile/had-i-been-present-at-the-creation-i-would-have-given-some-useful/) [Alfonso X of Castile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-x-of-castile/) > [If the Lord Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon his creation, I should have recommended something simpler. Remarking on the complexity of Ptolemaic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-x-of-castile/if-the-lord-almighty-had-consulted-me-before-embarking-upon-his/) [Alfonso X of Castile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-x-of-castile/) > [Whenever someone creates something with all of their heart, then that creation is given a soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayao-miyazaki/whenever-someone-creates-something-with-all-of-their-heart-then-that/) [Hayao Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayao-miyazaki/) > [If creation was given no limit, ultimately everything would cease to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/if-creation-was-given-no-limit-ultimately-everything-would-cease-to/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [“The greatest gift creation has given to all of you is that life is fundamentally meaningless. That means it has no built-in meaning. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar/the-greatest-gift-creation-has-given-to-all-of-you-is-that-life-is/) [Bashar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar/) > [You can't look at the Noah story and not see some kind of environmental connection. The Creator wants to start over. He wants creation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-aronofsky/you-can-t-look-at-the-noah-story-and-not-see-some-kind-of/) [Darren Aronofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-aronofsky/) > [“Speed is not always a constituent to great work, the process of creation should be given time and thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/speed-is-not-always-a-constituent-to-great-work-the-process-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Creation was given to people as a clean window through which the light of God could shine into people's souls. Sun and moon, night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/creation-was-given-to-people-as-a-clean-window-through-which-the/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Crowdsourcing is a great way to approach creation because in any given point there's always somebody on the Internet who knows something better than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/crowdsourcing-is-a-great-way-to-approach-creation-because-in-any/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [Young Alexander conquered India. He alone? Caesar beat the Gauls. Was there not even a cook in his army? Philip of Spain wept as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/young-alexander-conquered-india-he-alone-caesar-beat-the-gauls-was/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [ Hitler's historical hero had always been Frederick the Great. \[Later\], under Goebbels' prompting ... Napoleon emerged ... as his model. … Frederick the Great… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-hanfstaengl/hitler-s-historical-hero-had-always-been-frederick-the-great-later/) [Ernst Hanfstaengl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-hanfstaengl/) > [To them belong, not only the truly great statesmen, but all other great reformers as well. Beside Frederick the Great stands Martin Luther as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/to-them-belong-not-only-the-truly-great-statesmen-but-all-other-great/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [“Whatever happened to “In victory, magnanimity; in defeat, defiance.” So said Frederick the Great.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/whatever-happened-to-in-victory-magnanimity-in-defeat-defiance-so/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [“After the battle the king can do what he likes with my head, but during the battle will he please allow me to use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-von-seydlitz/after-the-battle-the-king-can-do-what-he-likes-with-my-head-but/) [Friedrich von Seydlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-von-seydlitz/) > [“Some gay soldiers and officers, particularly those with a college education, carried with them a mythology, developed from reading the classics and in conversations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-b-rub/some-gay-soldiers-and-officers-particularly-those-with-a-college/) [Allan Bérubé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-b-rub/) ## More by Alfonso X of Castile > [Had I been present at the creation, I would have given some useful hints for the better ordering of the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-x-of-castile/had-i-been-present-at-the-creation-i-would-have-given-some-useful/) [Alfonso X of Castile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-x-of-castile/) > [If God had consulted me before embarking on the Creation, I would have suggested something simpler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-x-of-castile/if-god-had-consulted-me-before-embarking-on-the-creation-i-would-have/) [Alfonso X of Castile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-x-of-castile/) > [If the Lord Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon his creation, I should have recommended something simpler. Remarking on the complexity of Ptolemaic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-x-of-castile/if-the-lord-almighty-had-consulted-me-before-embarking-upon-his/) [Alfonso X of Castile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-x-of-castile/) > [Sensible men no longer belive in miracles; they were invented by priests to humbug the peasants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-x-of-castile/sensible-men-no-longer-belive-in-miracles-they-were-invented-by/) [Alfonso X of Castile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-x-of-castile/) [Explore all 5 Alfonso X of Castile quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-x-of-castile/) ## More Advice quotes > [The sensible person is always serious about sensible advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/the-sensible-person-is-always-serious-about-sensible-advice/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthijs-de-ligt/i-ask-for-tips-for-advice-what-i-have-also-learnt-is-that-i-need-to/) [Matthijs de Ligt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthijs-de-ligt/) > [Don't get too attached to someone you know you can't be together with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-get-too-attached-to-someone-you-know-you-can-t-be-together-with/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [A low-minded person should not be given good advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/a-low-minded-person-should-not-be-given-good-advice/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [The best way to succeed in this world is to act on the advice you give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-best-way-to-succeed-in-this-world-is-to-act-on-the-advice-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Time is priceless. You have it, but you don't own it. You spend it, but you can't keep it. And once it's gone, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-is-priceless-you-have-it-but-you-don-t-own-it-you-spend-it-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't need to take a persons advice to make him feel good, just ask him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-persons-advice-to-make-him-feel-good-just/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [“If your clothes are enough to drive would-be friends away, they're not the kind of friends you want." Typical mother advice. Sweet, honest, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aprilynne-pike/if-your-clothes-are-enough-to-drive-would-be-friends-away-they-re-not/) [Aprilynne Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aprilynne-pike/) > [“My kingdom not for a horse, but for a good piece of advice!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/my-kingdom-not-for-a-horse-but-for-a-good-piece-of-advice/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I always advise people not to act upon the advice that I give them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-always-advise-people-not-to-act-upon-the-advice-that-i-give-them/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [My relationship with Ibrahimovic was completely neutral. He is not the type of player to approach the younger players and give them advice. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-coman/my-relationship-with-ibrahimovic-was-completely-neutral-he-is-not-the/) [Kingsley Coman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-coman/) [Browse all 8,535 Advice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Had I been present at the Creation, I would have given some useful hints for the better ordering of the universe. Remarking on the complexity of Ptolemaic model of the universe after it was explained to him. 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