--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is one of those views which are so…" description: "\"This is one of those views which are so absolutely absurd that only very learned men could possibly adopt them.\" — Bertrand Russell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/bertrand-russell-69_absurd_this-is-one-of-those-views-which-are-so_1919803.jpg" --- # This is one of those views which are so absolutely absurd… ![“This is one of those views which are so absolutely absurd that only very learned men could possibly adopt them.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/bertrand-russell-69_absurd_this-is-one-of-those-views-which-are-so_1919803.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/bertrand-russell-69_absurd_this-is-one-of-those-views-which-are-so_1919803.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/bertrand-russell-69_absurd_this-is-one-of-those-views-which-are-so_1919803.jpg) > “This is one of those views which are so absolutely absurd that only very learned men could possibly adopt them.” [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Some ideas are so irrational that only highly educated individuals could possibly accept them, highlighting the gap between intellect and absurdity. **In simple terms:** Only scholars might adopt wildly absurd ideas. Key Takeaway Question dubious claims critically. Themes critical thinking intellectual humility absurdity Mood skeptical analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - academic debate - political rhetoric - media consumption Key Concepts philosophy logic education Questions to Reflect On - What makes an idea absurd? - Who decides what is 'learned'? A Different Perspective Intellectual elitism can dismiss valid outsider perspectives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) [Confusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confusion/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [There is more felicity on the far side of baldness than young men can possibly imagine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-pearsall-smith/there-is-more-felicity-on-the-far-side-of-baldness-than-young-men-can/) [Logan Pearsall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-pearsall-smith/) > [There's absolutely no reason for NATO to be sticking its fingers up the nostrils of Russia at every orifice. I mean, it's absurd. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashid-khalidi/there-s-absolutely-no-reason-for-nato-to-be-sticking-its-fingers-up/) [Rashid Khalidi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashid-khalidi/) > [My point was very simple, and it was that it is absolutely absurd for the United States of America to continue to urge us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-johnson/my-point-was-very-simple-and-it-was-that-it-is-absolutely-absurd-for/) [Boris Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-johnson/) > [So as grave and learned men may doubt, without any imputation to them; for the most learned doubteth most, and the more ignorant for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-coke/so-as-grave-and-learned-men-may-doubt-without-any-imputation-to-them/) [Edward Coke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-coke/) > [I learned about machinery, I learned how men behaved under pressure, and I learned about Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-wouk/i-learned-about-machinery-i-learned-how-men-behaved-under-pressure/) [Herman Wouk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-wouk/) > [“The search for knowledge demands foregoing the pleasures of companionship, but this is usually understood to mean frivolous and unprofi table human relations. Knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-rosenthal/the-search-for-knowledge-demands-foregoing-the-pleasures-of/) [Franz Rosenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-rosenthal/) > [Love of fame is the last thing even learned men can bear to be parted from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-of-fame-is-the-last-thing-even-learned-men-can-bear-to-be-parted/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The greatest lessons in life, if we would but stoop and humble ourselves, we would learn not from the grown-up learned men, but from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-greatest-lessons-in-life-if-we-would-but-stoop-and-humble/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Things take indeed a wondrous turn When learned men do stoop to learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/things-take-indeed-a-wondrous-turn-when-learned-men-do-stoop-to-learn/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [Many much-learned men have no intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/democritus/many-much-learned-men-have-no-intelligence/) [Democritus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/democritus/) > [When learned men begin to use their reason, then I generally discover that they haven't got any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-learned-men-begin-to-use-their-reason-then-i-generally-discover/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A learned man said: The learned men are the lights of the ages. 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Amid such a world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/such-in-outline-but-even-more-purposeless-more-void-of-meaning-is-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Dr. Arnold . . . the admired reformer of public schools, came across some cranks who thought it a mistake to flog boys. Anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/dr-arnold-the-admired-reformer-of-public-schools-came-across-some/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Of all evils of war the greatest is the purely spiritual evil: the hatred, the injustice, the repudiation of truth, the artificial conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/of-all-evils-of-war-the-greatest-is-the-purely-spiritual-evil-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Aristotle maintained that women have fewer teeth than men; although he was twice married, it never occurred to him to verify this statement by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/aristotle-maintained-that-women-have-fewer-teeth-than-men-although-he/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-an-opinion-contrary-to-your-own-makes-you-angry-that-is-a-sign/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I cannot escape from the conclusion that the great ages of progress have depended upon a small number of individuals of transcendent ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-cannot-escape-from-the-conclusion-that-the-great-ages-of-progress/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I think it would be just to say the most essential characteristic of mind is memory, using this word in its broadest sense to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-think-it-would-be-just-to-say-the-most-essential-characteristic-of/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The newspapers at one time said that I was dead but after carefully examining the evidence I came to the conclusion that this statement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-newspapers-at-one-time-said-that-i-was-dead-but-after-carefully/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Persecution is used in theology, not in arithmetic, because in arithmetic there is knowledge, but in theology there is only opinion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/persecution-is-used-in-theology-not-in-arithmetic-because-in/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/many-orthodox-people-speak-as-though-it-were-the-business-of-sceptics/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [There is no greater reason for children to honour parents than for parents to honour children except, that while the children are young, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-is-no-greater-reason-for-children-to-honour-parents-than-for/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) [Explore all 1,620 Bertrand Russell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## More Absurd quotes > [“It seem absurd to me that they don't know, haven't felt any change or tremor, even as my life has been completely turned upside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-seem-absurd-to-me-that-they-don-t-know-haven-t-felt-any-change-or/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [When a person’s tongue is extensively wrong, it is absurd, no less than unscriptural, to say that their heart is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/when-a-person-s-tongue-is-extensively-wrong-it-is-absurd-no-less-than/) [J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [It is human nature to think wisely and to act in an absurd fashion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/it-is-human-nature-to-think-wisely-and-to-act-in-an-absurd-fashion/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [It is a dangerous and fateful presumption, besides the absurd temerity that it implies, to disdain what we do not comprehend. For after you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-a-dangerous-and-fateful-presumption-besides-the-absurd-temerity/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I thought to myself: if it’s true that every person has a star in the sky, mine must be distant, dim, and absurd. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadegh-hedayat/i-thought-to-myself-if-it-s-true-that-every-person-has-a-star-in-the/) [Sadegh Hedayat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadegh-hedayat/) > [If, indeed, a firearm were more dangerous to its possessors than to potential aggressors, would it not make sense for the government to arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/if-indeed-a-firearm-were-more-dangerous-to-its-possessors-than-to/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. "But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-were-torturing-a-cat-she-says-with-a-freaking-prod-a-prod-i-built/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [I have never heard enough classical music to be able to enjoy it; & the simple truth is, I detest it. Not mildly, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-have-never-heard-enough-classical-music-to-be-able-to-enjoy-it-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [To deprecate human reason by saying that none of us is or can be omniscient is absurd, for it takes an impossible standard as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/to-deprecate-human-reason-by-saying-that-none-of-us-is-or-can-be/) [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) > [“Rachel got up and did this happy little shuffle, like she was some cheerful farmer chick who'd just stepped outside to find the hick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/rachel-got-up-and-did-this-happy-little-shuffle-like-she-was-some/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [The absurd duty, too often inculcated, of obeying a parent only on account of his being a parent, shackles the mind, and prepares it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/the-absurd-duty-too-often-inculcated-of-obeying-a-parent-only-on/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [The workman of today works every day in his life at the same tasks, and this fate is no less absurd. But it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-workman-of-today-works-every-day-in-his-life-at-the-same-tasks/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I was once part of a Christmas cabaret. I sang 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.' I tap-danced. I had a ten-gallon hat. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dinklage/i-was-once-part-of-a-christmas-cabaret-i-sang-i-saw-mommy-kissing/) [Peter Dinklage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dinklage/) > [Solitude produces originality, bold and astonishing beauty, poetry. But solitude also produces perverseness, the disproportianate, the absurd and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/solitude-produces-originality-bold-and-astonishing-beauty-poetry-but/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) [Browse all 1,644 Absurd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This is one of those views which are so absolutely absurd that only very learned men could possibly adopt them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bertrand Russell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/this-is-one-of-those-views-which-are-so-absolutely-absurd-that-only/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absurd" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/this-is-one-of-those-views-which-are-so-absolutely-absurd-that-only/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/bertrand-russell-69_absurd_this-is-one-of-those-views-which-are-so_1919803.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/bertrand-russell-69_absurd_this-is-one-of-those-views-which-are-so_1919803.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/bertrand-russell-69_absurd_this-is-one-of-those-views-which-are-so_1919803.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This is one of those views which are so absolutely absurd that only very learned men could possibly adopt…” — Bertrand Russell", "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": "Bertrand Russell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "This is one of those views...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/this-is-one-of-those-views-which-are-so-absolutely-absurd-that-only/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/this-is-one-of-those-views-which-are-so-absolutely-absurd-that-only/#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 } } ] } ```