--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The less the mind understands and the…" description: "\"The less the mind understands and the more things it perceives, the greater its power of feigning is; and the more things it understands, the more that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/016/baruch-spinoza-1338_feigning_the-less-the-mind-understands-and-the-mo_1061381.jpg" --- # The less the mind understands and the more things it… ![“The less the mind understands and the more things it perceives, the greater its power of feigning is; and the more things it understands, the more that power is diminished.” quote by Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/016/baruch-spinoza-1338_feigning_the-less-the-mind-understands-and-the-mo_1061381.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/016/baruch-spinoza-1338_feigning_the-less-the-mind-understands-and-the-mo_1061381.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/016/baruch-spinoza-1338_feigning_the-less-the-mind-understands-and-the-mo_1061381.jpg) > “The less the mind understands and the more things it perceives, the greater its power of feigning is; and the more things it understands, the more that power is diminished.” [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding reduces deception; ignorance fuels illusion. **In simple terms:** Knowledge limits false appearances. Key Takeaway Seek deeper understanding. Themes knowledge perception truth illusion philosophy Mood analytical reflective Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - education - media literacy - scientific research Key Concepts epistemology cognitive bias critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How does ignorance protect comfort? - When is deception justified? A Different Perspective Complex truths can be unsettling. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feigning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feigning/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [We all appear as dunces when feigning an interest in things we care nothing about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-all-appear-as-dunces-when-feigning-an-interest-in-things-we-care/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A mature mind is one who understands the impossibility of knowing the ultimate, and with this understanding there is a new dimension: the dimension…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/a-mature-mind-is-one-who-understands-the-impossibility-of-knowing-the/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Drawing at its best is not what your eyes see but what our mind understands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millard-sheets/drawing-at-its-best-is-not-what-your-eyes-see-but-what-our-mind/) [Millard Sheets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millard-sheets/) > [I had learned how it felt to want more than the sweet touch of hand to cheek or lips to palm, more than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliet-marillier/i-had-learned-how-it-felt-to-want-more-than-the-sweet-touch-of-hand/) [Juliet Marillier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliet-marillier/) > [That mind which understands itself is the mind of a free man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/that-mind-which-understands-itself-is-the-mind-of-a-free-man/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [A curious mind does not say to consumers "What do you want?" A curious mind understands context, understands behavior, understands spending and spending patterns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-silverstein/a-curious-mind-does-not-say-to-consumers-what-do-you-want-a-curious/) [Michael J. Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-silverstein/) > [Further, there are things of which the mind understands one part, but remains ignorant of the other; and when man is able to comprehend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maimonides/further-there-are-things-of-which-the-mind-understands-one-part-but/) [Maimonides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maimonides/) > [“I think that this feigning, this ceaseless pretense of interest in matters to me supremely boring, was what wore me out more than anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/i-think-that-this-feigning-this-ceaseless-pretense-of-interest-in/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [Blow, blow, thou winter wind Thou art not so unkind, As man's ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/blow-blow-thou-winter-wind-thou-art-not-so-unkind-as-man-s-ingratitude/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [How can we expect our students to become bold and fearless in thought and action if we encase them in sentimental shrines feigning a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gropius/how-can-we-expect-our-students-to-become-bold-and-fearless-in-thought/) [Walter Gropius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gropius/) > [Twas never merry world Since lowly feigning was called compliment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/twas-never-merry-world-since-lowly-feigning-was-called-compliment/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [People are shuffling by in long coats, with shopping bags and takeout, smoking cigarettes and feigning laughter - filling up their lives with distractions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-payne/people-are-shuffling-by-in-long-coats-with-shopping-bags-and-takeout/) [Rob Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-payne/) > [The feigning sleeper can delude others he cannot delude himself. The false mystic, unfortunately, can delude both others and himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-feigning-sleeper-can-delude-others-he-cannot-delude-himself-the/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [“The best about cats is they love cannot feign...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-advise/the-best-about-cats-is-they-love-cannot-feign/) Will Advise > [The main Business of Natural Philosophy is to argue from Phænomena without feigning Hypotheses, and to deduce Causes from Effects till we come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/the-main-business-of-natural-philosophy-is-to-argue-from-ph-nomena/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) ## More by Baruch Spinoza > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [. . . to know the order of nature, and regard the universe as orderly is the highest function of the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/to-know-the-order-of-nature-and-regard-the-universe-as-orderly-is-the/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [If anyone conceives that he is loved by another, and believes that he has given no cause for such love, he will love that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/if-anyone-conceives-that-he-is-loved-by-another-and-believes-that-he/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [The world would be happier if men had the same capacity to be silent that they have to speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/the-world-would-be-happier-if-men-had-the-same-capacity-to-be-silent/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“So they will pursue their questions from cause to cause, till at last you take refuge in the will of God—in other words, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/so-they-will-pursue-their-questions-from-cause-to-cause-till-at-last/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [As men's habits of mind differ, so that some more readily embrace one form of faith, some another, for what moves one to pray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/as-men-s-habits-of-mind-differ-so-that-some-more-readily-embrace-one/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [If a man had begun to hate an object of his love, so that love is thoroughly destroyed, he will, causes being equal, regard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/if-a-man-had-begun-to-hate-an-object-of-his-love-so-that-love-is/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [I make this chief distinction between religion and superstition, that the latter is founded on ignorance, the former on knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/i-make-this-chief-distinction-between-religion-and-superstition-that/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [One and the same thing can at the same time be good, bad, and indifferent, e.g., music is good to the melancholy, bad to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/one-and-the-same-thing-can-at-the-same-time-be-good-bad-and/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [A good thing which prevents us from enjoying a greater good is in truth an evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/a-good-thing-which-prevents-us-from-enjoying-a-greater-good-is-in/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [But if men would give heed to the nature of substance they would doubt less concerning the Proposition that Existence appertains to the nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/but-if-men-would-give-heed-to-the-nature-of-substance-they-would/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [The more intelligible a thing is, the more easily it is retained in the memory, and counterwise, the less intelligible it is, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/the-more-intelligible-a-thing-is-the-more-easily-it-is-retained-in/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [In the state of nature, wrong-doing is impossible; or, if anyone does wrong, it is to himself, not to another. For no one by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/in-the-state-of-nature-wrong-doing-is-impossible-or-if-anyone-does/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [For peace is not mere absence of war, but is a virtue that springs from force of character: for obedience is the constant will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/for-peace-is-not-mere-absence-of-war-but-is-a-virtue-that-springs/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/peace-is-not-an-absence-of-war-it-is-a-virtue-a-state-of-mind-a/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) [Explore all 248 Baruch Spinoza quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) ## More Feigning quotes > [“The best about cats is they love cannot feign...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-advise/the-best-about-cats-is-they-love-cannot-feign/) Will Advise > [“I think that this feigning, this ceaseless pretense of interest in matters to me supremely boring, was what wore me out more than anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/i-think-that-this-feigning-this-ceaseless-pretense-of-interest-in/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [The main Business of Natural Philosophy is to argue from Phænomena without feigning Hypotheses, and to deduce Causes from Effects till we come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/the-main-business-of-natural-philosophy-is-to-argue-from-ph-nomena/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [Twas never merry world Since lowly feigning was called compliment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/twas-never-merry-world-since-lowly-feigning-was-called-compliment/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Blow, blow, thou winter wind Thou art not so unkind, As man's ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/blow-blow-thou-winter-wind-thou-art-not-so-unkind-as-man-s-ingratitude/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [How can we expect our students to become bold and fearless in thought and action if we encase them in sentimental shrines feigning a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gropius/how-can-we-expect-our-students-to-become-bold-and-fearless-in-thought/) [Walter Gropius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gropius/) > [We all appear as dunces when feigning an interest in things we care nothing about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-all-appear-as-dunces-when-feigning-an-interest-in-things-we-care/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People are shuffling by in long coats, with shopping bags and takeout, smoking cigarettes and feigning laughter - filling up their lives with distractions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-payne/people-are-shuffling-by-in-long-coats-with-shopping-bags-and-takeout/) [Rob Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-payne/) > [The feigning sleeper can delude others he cannot delude himself. The false mystic, unfortunately, can delude both others and himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-feigning-sleeper-can-delude-others-he-cannot-delude-himself-the/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [I get a sense of something thats wrong bout'cha, well think of it like this: nnn shit, the services that I provide, hit tha…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-long/i-get-a-sense-of-something-thats-wrong-bout-cha-well-think-of-it-like/) [Travis Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-long/) > [Most friendship is faining, most loving mere folly: Then, heigh-ho, the holly. This life is most jolly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/most-friendship-is-faining-most-loving-mere-folly-then-heigh-ho-the/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The world is not looking for Stepford-type Christians. People are tired of pretense. We struggle with failures; we long for intimacy. So why are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-walsh/the-world-is-not-looking-for-stepford-type-christians-people-are/) [Sheila Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-walsh/) > [Blow, blow, thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind As mans ingratitude Thy tooth is not so keen, Because thou art not seen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/blow-blow-thou-winter-wind-thou-art-not-so-unkind-as-mans-ingratitude/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [One can acquire some virtues by feigning them for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/one-can-acquire-some-virtues-by-feigning-them-for-a-long-time/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [If every day a man takes orders in silence from an incompetent superior, if every day he solemnly performs ritual acts which he privately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/if-every-day-a-man-takes-orders-in-silence-from-an-incompetent/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) [Browse all 19 Feigning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feigning/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The less the mind understands and the more things it perceives, the greater its power of feigning is; and the more things it understands, the more that power is diminished.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Baruch Spinoza" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/the-less-the-mind-understands-and-the-more-things-it-perceives-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Feigning" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/the-less-the-mind-understands-and-the-more-things-it-perceives-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/016/baruch-spinoza-1338_feigning_the-less-the-mind-understands-and-the-mo_1061381.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/016/baruch-spinoza-1338_feigning_the-less-the-mind-understands-and-the-mo_1061381.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/016/baruch-spinoza-1338_feigning_the-less-the-mind-understands-and-the-mo_1061381.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The less the mind understands and the more things it perceives, the greater its power of feigning is; and…” — Baruch Spinoza", "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": "Baruch Spinoza", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The less the mind understands and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/the-less-the-mind-understands-and-the-more-things-it-perceives-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/the-less-the-mind-understands-and-the-more-things-it-perceives-the/#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 } } ] } ```