--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe in order that I may understand." description: "\"I believe in order that I may understand.\" — Anselm of Canterbury" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/anselm-of-canterbury-23059_believe_i-believe-in-order-that-i-may-understand_988327.png" --- # I believe in order that I may understand. ![“I believe in order that I may understand.” quote by Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/anselm-of-canterbury-23059_believe_i-believe-in-order-that-i-may-understand_988327.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/anselm-of-canterbury-23059_believe_i-believe-in-order-that-i-may-understand_988327.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/anselm-of-canterbury-23059_believe_i-believe-in-order-that-i-may-understand_988327.png) > “I believe in order that I may understand.” [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote expresses that logical order and structure are necessary for true comprehension. **In simple terms:** Understanding requires order. Key Takeaway Seek clarity through organization. Themes philosophy logic understanding Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - academic study - theological debate - problem solving - teaching Key Concepts ontology epistemology rationalism Questions to Reflect On - How does structure aid your learning? - Can chaos also lead to insight? A Different Perspective Order alone may not guarantee insight without critical thinking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canterbury/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) ## Related quotes > [I believe in order to understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/i-believe-in-order-to-understand/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [I believe in order to make a friend, you have to be a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/weili-dai/i-believe-in-order-to-make-a-friend-you-have-to-be-a-friend/) [Weili Dai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/weili-dai/) > [God was conceived of a most pure Virgin ... it was fitting that the virgin should be radiant with a purity so great that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/god-was-conceived-of-a-most-pure-virgin-it-was-fitting-that-the/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [God is that, the greater than which cannot be conceived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/god-is-that-the-greater-than-which-cannot-be-conceived/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [A Prayer of Anselm My God, I pray that I may so know you and love you that I may rejoice in you. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/a-prayer-of-anselm-my-god-i-pray-that-i-may-so-know-you-and-love-you/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [Everything in life is in perfect order whether you understand it yet or not. It just takes some time to connect all the dots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/everything-in-life-is-in-perfect-order-whether-you-understand-it-yet/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“What, should we get rid of our ignorance, the very substance of our lives, merely in order to understand one another?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-p-blackmur/what-should-we-get-rid-of-our-ignorance-the-very-substance-of-our/) R.P. Blackmur > [In order to understand others, you must understand yourself first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/in-order-to-understand-others-you-must-understand-yourself-first/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [In order to understand, I destroyed myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/in-order-to-understand-i-destroyed-myself/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“You must forgive in order to understand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/you-must-forgive-in-order-to-understand/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [One doesn't have to understand in order to look. One has to look, in order to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-charles-wilson/one-doesn-t-have-to-understand-in-order-to-look-one-has-to-look-in/) [Robert Charles Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-charles-wilson/) > [We do not write in order to be understood; we write in order to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-do-not-write-in-order-to-be-understood-we-write-in-order-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Know that everything is in perfect order whether you understand it or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/know-that-everything-is-in-perfect-order-whether-you-understand-it-or/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Believe in order to Understand and Understand in order to Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/believe-in-order-to-understand-and-understand-in-order-to-believe/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [“I believe in order, tenderness, and piety.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-believe-in-order-tenderness-and-piety/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) ## More by Anselm of Canterbury > [Let no worldly prosperity divert you, nor any worldly adversity restrain you from His praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/let-no-worldly-prosperity-divert-you-nor-any-worldly-adversity/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [Remove grace, and you have nothing whereby to be saved. Remove free will and you have nothing that could be saved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/remove-grace-and-you-have-nothing-whereby-to-be-saved-remove-free/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [Thus you are just not because you give what is owed, but because you do what is appropriate to you as the highest good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/thus-you-are-just-not-because-you-give-what-is-owed-but-because-you/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [It is impossible to save one's soul without devotion to Mary and without her protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/it-is-impossible-to-save-one-s-soul-without-devotion-to-mary-and/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [If it can be conceived at all - it must exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/if-it-can-be-conceived-at-all-it-must-exist/) [Anselm Of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [A Prayer of Anselm My God, I pray that I may so know you and love you that I may rejoice in you. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/a-prayer-of-anselm-my-god-i-pray-that-i-may-so-know-you-and-love-you/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [God often works more by the life of the illiterate seeking the things that are God's, than by the ability of the learned seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/god-often-works-more-by-the-life-of-the-illiterate-seeking-the-things/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [Therefore Lord, not only are you that than which a greater cannot be thought but you are also something greater than can be thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/therefore-lord-not-only-are-you-that-than-which-a-greater-cannot-be/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [God does not delay to hear our prayers because He has no mind to give; but that, by enlarging our desires, He may give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/god-does-not-delay-to-hear-our-prayers-because-he-has-no-mind-to-give/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [God hath promised pardon to him that repenteth, but he hath not promised repentance to him that sinneth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/god-hath-promised-pardon-to-him-that-repenteth-but-he-hath-not/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [ And indeed we believe you \[God\] to be something than which a greater cannot be conceived. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/and-indeed-we-believe-you-god-to-be-something-than-which-a-greater/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [Disasters teach us humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/disasters-teach-us-humility/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [Therefore Lord God, you are more truly omnipotent, because you have no power through impotence and nothing can be against you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/therefore-lord-god-you-are-more-truly-omnipotent-because-you-have-no/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [For I do not seek to understand in order to believe, but I believe in order to understand. For I believe this: unless I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/for-i-do-not-seek-to-understand-in-order-to-believe-but-i-believe-in/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) > [O supreme and unapproachable light! O whole and blessed truth, how far art thou from me, who am so near to thee! How far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/o-supreme-and-unapproachable-light-o-whole-and-blessed-truth-how-far/) [Anselm of Canterbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) [Explore all 26 Anselm of Canterbury quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I believe in order that I may understand.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anselm of Canterbury" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/i-believe-in-order-that-i-may-understand/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/i-believe-in-order-that-i-may-understand/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/anselm-of-canterbury-23059_believe_i-believe-in-order-that-i-may-understand_988327.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/anselm-of-canterbury-23059_believe_i-believe-in-order-that-i-may-understand_988327.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/anselm-of-canterbury-23059_believe_i-believe-in-order-that-i-may-understand_988327.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I believe in order that I may understand.” — Anselm of Canterbury", "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": "Anselm of Canterbury", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anselm-of-canterbury/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I believe in order that I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/i-believe-in-order-that-i-may-understand/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anselm-of-canterbury/i-believe-in-order-that-i-may-understand/#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 } } ] } ```