--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nevertheless, (Jefferson) believed that…" description: "\"Nevertheless, (Jefferson) believed that the habit of skepticism is an essential prerequisite for responsible citizenship. He argued that the cost of ed..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fa/carl-sagan-160_citizenship_nevertheless-jefferson-believed-that-the_2540839.jpg" --- # Nevertheless, (Jefferson) believed that the habit of… ![“Nevertheless, (Jefferson) believed that the habit of skepticism is an essential prerequisite for responsible citizenship. He argued that the cost of education is trivial compared to the cost of ignorance, of leaving government to the wolves. He taught that the country is safe only when the people…” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fa/carl-sagan-160_citizenship_nevertheless-jefferson-believed-that-the_2540839.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fa/carl-sagan-160_citizenship_nevertheless-jefferson-believed-that-the_2540839.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fa/carl-sagan-160_citizenship_nevertheless-jefferson-believed-that-the_2540839.jpg) > “Nevertheless, (Jefferson) believed that the habit of skepticism is an essential prerequisite for responsible citizenship. He argued that the cost of education is trivial compared to the cost of ignorance, of leaving government to the wolves. He taught that the country is safe only when the people rule.” [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. Skepticism is vital for informed citizens; ignorance costs more than education. **In simple terms:** Questioning protects democracy. Key Takeaway Cultivate critical thinking. Themes citizenship education skepticism Mood thoughtful concerned Type political educational When to use this quote - voting - public debate - media consumption - community meetings Key Concepts democratic responsibility public discourse Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance healthy doubt with decisive civic engagement? - What education methods best foster critical inquiry? A Different Perspective Skepticism alone may paralyze action without constructive solutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Citizenship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizenship/) [Citizenship Argued](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizenship-argued-1432084/) [Cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost/) [Cost of education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost-of-education-38322/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Essentials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essentials/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habit Skepticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit-skepticism-1432083/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Jefferson Believed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jefferson-believed-1432082/) [Leaving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaving/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Responsible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsible/) [Safe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safe/) [Skepticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skepticism/) [Skepticism Essential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skepticism-essential-1266098/) [Taught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught/) ## Related quotes > [You must develop the habit of skepticism, not swallow every piece of superstition you are told by witch-doctors and professors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/you-must-develop-the-habit-of-skepticism-not-swallow-every-piece-of/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [The capacity to combine commitment with skepticism is essential to democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-catherine-bateson/the-capacity-to-combine-commitment-with-skepticism-is-essential-to/) [Mary Catherine Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-catherine-bateson/) > [Skepticism is essential to the quest for knowledge, for it is in the seedbed of puzzlement that genuine inquiry takes root. Without skepticism, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/skepticism-is-essential-to-the-quest-for-knowledge-for-it-is-in-the/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [We stand in the shadow of Jefferson who believed that a society founded upon the rule of law and liberty was dependent upon public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-blunt/we-stand-in-the-shadow-of-jefferson-who-believed-that-a-society/) [Matt Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-blunt/) > [Thomas Jefferson believed that to preserve the very foundations of our nation, we would need dramatic change from time to time. Well, my fellow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/thomas-jefferson-believed-that-to-preserve-the-very-foundations-of/) [William J. 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Well, my fellow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/thomas-jefferson-believed-that-to-preserve-the-very-foundations-of-2/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [If you think the cost of education is high, think about ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-bok/if-you-think-the-cost-of-education-is-high-think-about-ignorance/) [Derek Bok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-bok/) > [I guess it's easier to bash rap artists than to talk about the country's real problems, such as the AIDS crisis, poverty, the cost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bushwick-bill/i-guess-it-s-easier-to-bash-rap-artists-than-to-talk-about-the/) [Bushwick Bill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bushwick-bill/) > [“Paying the high cost of education is better than paying the high price of ignorance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/paying-the-high-cost-of-education-is-better-than-paying-the-high/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [We have been restraining the growth of the cost of education-that is, tuition, room and board-to be within approximately one and a half percentage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-have-been-restraining-the-growth-of-the-cost-of-education-that-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We need to tap into new issues. There's a way to resurrect the sound policies of our party, but also to look toward new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-tantaros/we-need-to-tap-into-new-issues-there-s-a-way-to-resurrect-the-sound/) [Andrea Tantaros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-tantaros/) > [Just like a house is worth whatever a bank's going to lend against it, an education is worth whatever the bank is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/just-like-a-house-is-worth-whatever-a-bank-s-going-to-lend-against-it/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [My parents were not scientists. They knew almost nothing about science. But in introducing me simultaneously to skepticism and to wonder, they taught me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/my-parents-were-not-scientists-they-knew-almost-nothing-about-science/) [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. 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They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [If you don't plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your God and to walking in obedience to Him, then don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-arthur/if-you-don-t-plan-to-live-the-christian-life-totally-committed-to/) [Kay Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-arthur/) > [Let us at all times remember that all American citizens are brothers of a common country, and should dwell together in bonds of fraternal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/let-us-at-all-times-remember-that-all-american-citizens-are-brothers/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [There can be a debate on the Citizenship Amendment Act, but why should we shelter someone who has come to India illegally from outside?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raj-thackeray/there-can-be-a-debate-on-the-citizenship-amendment-act-but-why-should/) [Raj Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raj-thackeray/) > [Motherland is our property and we have right to handle our properties as pleased. 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