--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing, I believe, can really teach us…" description: "\"Nothing, I believe, can really teach us the nature and meaning of inspiration but personal experience of it. That we may all have such experience if we..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb5/caroline-emelia-stephen-62953_believe_nothing-i-believe-can-really-teach-us-th_2584712.jpg" --- # Nothing, I believe, can really teach us the nature and… ![“Nothing, I believe, can really teach us the nature and meaning of inspiration but personal experience of it. That we may all have such experience if we will but attend to the divine influences in our own hearts, is the cardinal doctrine of Quakerism.” quote by Caroline Emelia Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb5/caroline-emelia-stephen-62953_believe_nothing-i-believe-can-really-teach-us-th_2584712.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb5/caroline-emelia-stephen-62953_believe_nothing-i-believe-can-really-teach-us-th_2584712.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb5/caroline-emelia-stephen-62953_believe_nothing-i-believe-can-really-teach-us-th_2584712.jpg) > “Nothing, I believe, can really teach us the nature and meaning of inspiration but personal experience of it. That we may all have such experience if we will but attend to the divine influences in our own hearts, is the cardinal doctrine of Quakerism.” [Caroline Emelia Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-emelia-stephen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Inspiration is best learned through personal divine experience, not doctrine. **In simple terms:** Experience, not teaching, brings inspiration. Key Takeaway Seek personal divine moments. Themes spirituality experience inspiration Mood contemplative quiet Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - meditation - art creation - leadership development Key Concepts Quakerism personal revelation Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize divine inspiration? - What practices open you to personal insight? A Different Perspective Divine influence may be elusive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine/) [Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Personal experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-experience/) [Personal experiences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-experiences/) [Quaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quaker/) ## Related quotes > [In Quakerism, your understanding of God is revised in light of your own experience, while in research science, you revise your model in light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-bell-burnell/in-quakerism-your-understanding-of-god-is-revised-in-light-of-your/) [Jocelyn Bell Burnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-bell-burnell/) > [While I deplored and denounced the incivilities of Quakerism in my day (such as the going naked in public by some at sundry times),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-williams/while-i-deplored-and-denounced-the-incivilities-of-quakerism-in-my/) [Roger Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-williams/) > [Above all, it was the style of Quakerism I was brought up with - an aggressive contempt for popular opinion. The assumption is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starkey/above-all-it-was-the-style-of-quakerism-i-was-brought-up-with-an/) [David Starkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starkey/) > [“A BASIC TENET OF QUAKERISM WAS THAT IF A MAN or woman tended the divine fire that burned within each human breast, one could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-michener/a-basic-tenet-of-quakerism-was-that-if-a-man-or-woman-tended-the/) [James A. Michener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-michener/) > [Words may help and silence may help, but the one thing needful is that the heart should turn to its Maker as the needle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-emelia-stephen/words-may-help-and-silence-may-help-but-the-one-thing-needful-is-that/) [Caroline Emelia Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-emelia-stephen/) > [My List of Virtues contain'd at first but twelve: But a Quaker Friend having kindly inform'd me that I was generally thought proud; that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/my-list-of-virtues-contain-d-at-first-but-twelve-but-a-quaker-friend/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I was influenced by my children's education in Quaker schools in the Philadelphia area. I experienced a spiritual awakening and became a Christian, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-berenstain/i-was-influenced-by-my-children-s-education-in-quaker-schools-in-the/) [Mike Berenstain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-berenstain/) > [Could the peaceable principle of the Quakers be universally established, arms and the art of war would be wholly extirpated: But we live not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/could-the-peaceable-principle-of-the-quakers-be-universally/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [I was maybe 5 or 6, and my grandmother would begin sitting me in the Quaker meeting house. I asked my grandmother, 'What am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-turrell/i-was-maybe-5-or-6-and-my-grandmother-would-begin-sitting-me-in-the/) [James Turrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-turrell/) > [All that you seek is already within you. In Hinduism it is called the Atman, in Buddhism the pure Buddha-Mind. Christ said, 'the kingdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/all-that-you-seek-is-already-within-you-in-hinduism-it-is-called-the/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [All writers who can claim to be called 'living' must be political in a sense. They must have what the Quakers call a concern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/storm-jameson/all-writers-who-can-claim-to-be-called-living-must-be-political-in-a/) [Storm Jameson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/storm-jameson/) > [There is no way to find yourself until you discover how utterly to lose yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-jones/there-is-no-way-to-find-yourself-until-you-discover-how-utterly-to/) [Rufus Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-jones/) > [Out here you better have a gun, and a gun in the wagon ain't good for nothin'. I believe what the old Quaker said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-l-amour/out-here-you-better-have-a-gun-and-a-gun-in-the-wagon-ain-t-good-for/) [Louis L'Amour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-l-amour/) > [As the Quakers say, "When you pray, move your feet."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-butterworth/as-the-quakers-say-when-you-pray-move-your-feet/) [Eric Butterworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-butterworth/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) James Nayler ## More by Caroline Emelia Stephen > [True inward quietness ... is not vacancy, but stability - the steadfastness of a single purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-emelia-stephen/true-inward-quietness-is-not-vacancy-but-stability-the-steadfastness/) [Caroline Emelia Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-emelia-stephen/) > [True inward quietness is not that which may be produced by shutting out all outward causes of distraction -- a process which, when carried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-emelia-stephen/true-inward-quietness-is-not-that-which-may-be-produced-by-shutting/) [Caroline Emelia Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-emelia-stephen/) > [Words may help and silence may help, but the one thing needful is that the heart should turn to its Maker as the needle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-emelia-stephen/words-may-help-and-silence-may-help-but-the-one-thing-needful-is-that/) [Caroline Emelia Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-emelia-stephen/) > [Surely we may with reverence say that, in a true and deep sense, God Himself is the answer to prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-emelia-stephen/surely-we-may-with-reverence-say-that-in-a-true-and-deep-sense-god/) [Caroline Emelia Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-emelia-stephen/) [Explore all 5 Caroline Emelia Stephen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-emelia-stephen/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. 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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": "Nothing, I believe, can really teach us the nature and meaning of inspiration but personal experience of it. 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