--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Do you believe in UFOs?” I’m always…" description: "\"“Do you believe in UFOs?” I’m always struck by how the question is phrased, the suggestion that this is a matter of belief and not of evidence. I’m alm..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b8/carl-sagan-160_faith_do-you-believe-in-ufos-i-m-always-struck_159431.jpg" --- # Do you believe in UFOs?” I’m always struck by how the… ![“Do you believe in UFOs?” I’m always struck by how the question is phrased, the suggestion that this is a matter of belief and not of evidence. I’m almost never asked, “How good is the evidence that UFOs are alien spaceships?” I” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b8/carl-sagan-160_faith_do-you-believe-in-ufos-i-m-always-struck_159431.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b8/carl-sagan-160_faith_do-you-believe-in-ufos-i-m-always-struck_159431.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b8/carl-sagan-160_faith_do-you-believe-in-ufos-i-m-always-struck_159431.jpg) > ““Do you believe in UFOs?” I’m always struck by how the question is phrased, the suggestion that this is a matter of belief and not of evidence. I’m almost never asked, “How good is the evidence that UFOs are alien spaceships?” I”” [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## 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 critiques framing UFOs as a belief issue rather than an evidence‑based one, urging a focus on empirical proof. **In simple terms:** It challenges the belief‑vs‑evidence framing of UFOs. Key Takeaway Demand evidence, not belief. Themes skepticism science critical thinking Mood inquisitive skeptical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - public discourse - media reporting - policy making - education - research funding Key Concepts epistemology burden of proof scientific method Questions to Reflect On - How can we improve evidence collection on UFOs? - What standards should guide UFO investigations? A Different Perspective Evidence is often scarce and interpretations vary, making definitive conclusions hard. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alien Spaceships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alien-spaceships-1752140/) [Believe Ufos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-ufos-318020/) [Evidence Ufos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence-ufos-1281872/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Truth Seeking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-seeking/) [Ufos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ufos/) [Ufos Alien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ufos-alien-1281873/) ## Related quotes > [After I give lectures-on almost any subject-I am often asked, "Do you believe in UFOs?" I'm always struck by how the question is phrased,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/after-i-give-lectures-on-almost-any-subject-i-am-often-asked-do-you/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [I know other astronauts share my feelings… And we know the government is sitting on hard evidence of UFOs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-cooper/i-know-other-astronauts-share-my-feelings-and-we-know-the-government/) [Gordon Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-cooper/) > [When authoritative reports of radical-design craft having spectacular performance are viewed in the light of a stream of astrobiological discoveries, the possibility that some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-berliner/when-authoritative-reports-of-radical-design-craft-having-spectacular/) [Don Berliner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-berliner/) > [The evidence is overwhelming that Planet Earth is being visited by intelligently controlled extraterrestrial spacecraft. In other words, SOME UFOs are alien spacecraft. Most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanton-t-friedman/the-evidence-is-overwhelming-that-planet-earth-is-being-visited-by/) [Stanton T. Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanton-t-friedman/) > [I will stress once again that we do not know the source from which the UFOs or the alien beings come whether or not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-vallee/i-will-stress-once-again-that-we-do-not-know-the-source-from-which/) [Jacques Vallee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-vallee/) > [One thing that makes me believe in UFOs is, sometimes I lose stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/one-thing-that-makes-me-believe-in-ufos-is-sometimes-i-lose-stuff/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I'm a Christian - I really don't believe in UFOs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mr-t/i-m-a-christian-i-really-don-t-believe-in-ufos/) [Mr. T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mr-t/) > [Several days in a row we sighted groups of metallic, saucer-shaped vehicles at great altitudes over the base Germany, 1951 and we tried to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-cooper/several-days-in-a-row-we-sighted-groups-of-metallic-saucer-shaped/) [Gordon Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-cooper/) > [Today more people believe in UFOs than believe that Social Security will take care of their retirement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/today-more-people-believe-in-ufos-than-believe-that-social-security/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The more scientists I talk to, the less I believe in UFOs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-doohan/the-more-scientists-i-talk-to-the-less-i-believe-in-ufos/) [James Doohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-doohan/) > [People think that alien spaceships would be solid and made of metal and have lights all over them and move slowly through the sky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/people-think-that-alien-spaceships-would-be-solid-and-made-of-metal/) [Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/) > [I believe in UFOs, I believe in extraterrestrials, and I believe in angels. And maybe they'll protect all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/i-believe-in-ufos-i-believe-in-extraterrestrials-and-i-believe-in/) [Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/) > [“Just as there are those who accept every UFO report at face value, there are also those who dismiss the idea of alien visitation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/just-as-there-are-those-who-accept-every-ufo-report-at-face-value/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [UFOs: The reliable cases are uninteresting and in the interesting cases are unreliable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/ufos-the-reliable-cases-are-uninteresting-and-in-the-interesting/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Even if the aliens are short, dour, and sexually obsessed—if they’re here, I want to know about them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/even-if-the-aliens-are-short-dour-and-sexually-obsessed-if-they-re/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## More by Carl Sagan > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The prediction of nuclear winter is drawn not, of course, from any direct experience with the consequences of global nuclear war, but rather from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-prediction-of-nuclear-winter-is-drawn-not-of-course-from-any/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion or in politics, but it is not the path to knowledge; it has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-suppression-of-uncomfortable-ideas-may-be-common-in-religion-or/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Telepathy’ literally means to feel at a distance, just as ‘telephone’ is to hear at a distance and ‘television’ is to see at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/telepathy-literally-means-to-feel-at-a-distance-just-as-telephone-is/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“On the scale of worlds—to say nothing of stars or galaxies—humans are inconsequential, a thin film of life on an obscure and solitary lump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/on-the-scale-of-worlds-to-say-nothing-of-stars-or-galaxies-humans-are/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-one-of-us-is-in-the-cosmic-perspective-precious-if-a-human/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [In our time, we have sifted the sands of Mars, we have established a presence there, we have fulfilled a century of dreams!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/in-our-time-we-have-sifted-the-sands-of-mars-we-have-established-a/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ “\[ When a religious couple wrote to Sagan about fulfilled prophecies, he wrote back in May 1996 :\] If ‘fulfilled prophecy’ is your criterion,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/when-a-religious-couple-wrote-to-sagan-about-fulfilled-prophecies-he/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Don't judge everyone else by your own limited experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/don-t-judge-everyone-else-by-your-own-limited-experience/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Books permit us to voyage through time, to tap the wisdom of our ancestors. The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/books-permit-us-to-voyage-through-time-to-tap-the-wisdom-of-our/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [We live on a hunk of rock and metal that circles a humdrum star that is one of 400 billion other stars that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-live-on-a-hunk-of-rock-and-metal-that-circles-a-humdrum-star-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [A tiny blue dot set in a sunbeam. Here it is. That's where we live. That's home. We humans are one species and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/a-tiny-blue-dot-set-in-a-sunbeam-here-it-is-that-s-where-we-live-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Any sufficiently crisp question can be answered by a single binary digit-0 or 1, yes or no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/any-sufficiently-crisp-question-can-be-answered-by-a-single-binary/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Humans — who enslave, castrate, experiment on, and fillet other animals — have had an understandable penchant for pretending animals do not feel pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/humans-who-enslave-castrate-experiment-on-and-fillet-other-animals/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Every star may be a sun to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-star-may-be-a-sun-to-someone/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) [Explore all 1,043 Carl Sagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## More Faith quotes > [“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/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Keep the faith, and keep going strong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/keep-the-faith-and-keep-going-strong/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) [Riffat Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riffat-hassan/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [“No man is prejudiced in favour of a thing, knowing it to be wrong. He is attached to it on the belief of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/no-man-is-prejudiced-in-favour-of-a-thing-knowing-it-to-be-wrong-he/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Holiness sincerity, and faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/holiness-sincerity-and-faith/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“The only limitations for your life are the limiting beliefs in your mind. —Matt Morris”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-morris-1/the-only-limitations-for-your-life-are-the-limiting-beliefs-in-your/) [Matt Morris (1](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-morris-1/) > [“Just because your faith is shaken doesn’t mean the faith is shaken. The eternal truths of the Kingdom aren’t altered or affected by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/just-because-your-faith-is-shaken-doesn-t-mean-the-faith-is-shaken/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self belief - everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/grit-determination-the-right-amount-of-crazy-self-belief-everything/) [Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Once you pull the trigger, you've got to throw balls aggressively and with conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-smith/once-you-pull-the-trigger-you-ve-got-to-throw-balls-aggressively-and/) [Alex Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-smith/) [Browse all 37,796 Faith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Do you believe in UFOs?” I’m always struck by how the question is phrased, the suggestion that this is a matter of belief and not of evidence. I’m almost never asked, “How good is the evidence that UFOs are alien spaceships?” I”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carl Sagan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/do-you-believe-in-ufos-i-m-always-struck-by-how-the-question-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Faith" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/do-you-believe-in-ufos-i-m-always-struck-by-how-the-question-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b8/carl-sagan-160_faith_do-you-believe-in-ufos-i-m-always-struck_159431.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b8/carl-sagan-160_faith_do-you-believe-in-ufos-i-m-always-struck_159431.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b8/carl-sagan-160_faith_do-you-believe-in-ufos-i-m-always-struck_159431.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Do you believe in UFOs?” I’m always struck by how the question is phrased, the suggestion that this is a…” — Carl Sagan", "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": "Carl Sagan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Do you believe in UFOs?” I’m...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/do-you-believe-in-ufos-i-m-always-struck-by-how-the-question-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/do-you-believe-in-ufos-i-m-always-struck-by-how-the-question-is/#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 } } ] } ```