--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The modern Agnostic improves upon the…" description: "\"The modern Agnostic improves upon the ancient by adding \"I don't care\" to \"I don't know.\" — Coventry Patmore" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/coventry-patmore-14170_agnostic_the-modern-agnostic-improves-upon-the-an_1335952.jpg" --- # The modern Agnostic improves upon the ancient by adding "I… ![“The modern Agnostic improves upon the ancient by adding "I don't care" to "I don't know.” quote by Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/coventry-patmore-14170_agnostic_the-modern-agnostic-improves-upon-the-an_1335952.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/coventry-patmore-14170_agnostic_the-modern-agnostic-improves-upon-the-an_1335952.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/coventry-patmore-14170_agnostic_the-modern-agnostic-improves-upon-the-an_1335952.jpg) > “The modern Agnostic improves upon the ancient by adding "I don't care" to "I don't know.” [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern agnostics add indifference to uncertainty, moving beyond mere ignorance. **In simple terms:** Adding “I don’t care” to “I don’t know.” Key Takeaway Recognize the role of apathy in belief. Themes belief uncertainty apathy Mood skeptical contemplative Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - personal faith journeys - academic debate - public discourse Key Concepts philosophy of religion skepticism Questions to Reflect On - Why do we become apathetic about unknowns? - Can caring improve understanding? A Different Perspective It may dismiss genuine curiosity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agnostic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agnostic/) [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) ## Related quotes > [A certain alloy of expediency improves the gold of morality and makes it wear all the longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-marquis/a-certain-alloy-of-expediency-improves-the-gold-of-morality-and-makes/) [Don Marquis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-marquis/) > [That's why I wrote this book: to show how these people can imbue us with hope. I read somewhere that when a person takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/that-s-why-i-wrote-this-book-to-show-how-these-people-can-imbue-us/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [Writing improves in direct ratio to the things we can keep out of it that shouldn't be there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/writing-improves-in-direct-ratio-to-the-things-we-can-keep-out-of-it/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [I've seen time and time again the way that the process of trying to say something dignifies and improves a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-ve-seen-time-and-time-again-the-way-that-the-process-of-trying-to/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [Technologists provide tools that can improve people's lives. But I want to be clear that I don't think technology by itself improves people's lives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/technologists-provide-tools-that-can-improve-people-s-lives-but-i/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [“Irish improves a poet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sina-queyras/irish-improves-a-poet/) [Sina Queyras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sina-queyras/) > [I think anything which improves services is in principle a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/i-think-anything-which-improves-services-is-in-principle-a-good-thing/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [“Negativity never improves productivity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-conner/negativity-never-improves-productivity/) Chris Conner > [Improve your business, your life, your relationships, your finances and your health. When you do the whole world improves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-victor-hansen/improve-your-business-your-life-your-relationships-your-finances-and/) [Mark Victor Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-victor-hansen/) > [“What gets watched improves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-gets-watched-improves/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If the national economy improves, Chicago will improve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-l-evans/if-the-national-economy-improves-chicago-will-improve/) [Charles L. Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-l-evans/) > [We all know business financial performance improves when more women are in senior levels of management and leadership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-brooke/we-all-know-business-financial-performance-improves-when-more-women/) [Beth Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-brooke/) > [We're starting to see, as the economy improves, that the unemployment rate among veterans and military spouses - we're seeing some improvement in those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-re-starting-to-see-as-the-economy-improves-that-the-unemployment/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [I've seen people be effective, even among local teams, by offering something that improves wellbeing in a small way - people who get passionate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rath/i-ve-seen-people-be-effective-even-among-local-teams-by-offering/) [Tom Rath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rath/) > [As your golf improves, your concentration will improve with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babe-didrikson-zaharias/as-your-golf-improves-your-concentration-will-improve-with-it/) [Babe Didrikson Zaharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babe-didrikson-zaharias/) ## More by Coventry Patmore > [Ah, whither shall a maiden flee, When a bold youth so swift pursues, And siege of tenderest courtesy, With hope perseverant, still renews!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/ah-whither-shall-a-maiden-flee-when-a-bold-youth-so-swift-pursues-and/) [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) > [Fortunately for themselves and the world, nearly all men are cowards and dare not act on what they believe. Nearly all our disasters come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/fortunately-for-themselves-and-the-world-nearly-all-men-are-cowards/) [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) > [O, Heart, remember thee That Man is none, Save One.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/o-heart-remember-thee-that-man-is-none-save-one/) [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) > [Ah, wasteful woman, she who may On her sweet self set her own price, Knowing man cannot choose but pay, How has she cheapened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/ah-wasteful-woman-she-who-may-on-her-sweet-self-set-her-own-price/) [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) > [The ardour chills us which we do not share.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/the-ardour-chills-us-which-we-do-not-share/) [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) > [“ The Toys My little Son, who look'd from thoughtful eyes And moved and spoke in quiet grown-up wise, Having my law the seventh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/the-toys-my-little-son-who-look-d-from-thoughtful-eyes-and-moved-and/) [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) > [A moment's fruition of a true felicity is enough and eternity not too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/a-moment-s-fruition-of-a-true-felicity-is-enough-and-eternity-not-too/) [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) > [Creation differs from subsistence only as the first leap of a fountain differs from its continuance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/creation-differs-from-subsistence-only-as-the-first-leap-of-a/) [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) > [The woman is the man's glory, and she naturally delights in the praises which are assurances that she is fulfilling her function; and she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/the-woman-is-the-man-s-glory-and-she-naturally-delights-in-the/) [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) > [A saint is a person who does almost everything any other decent person does, only somewhat better and with a totally different motive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/a-saint-is-a-person-who-does-almost-everything-any-other-decent/) [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) > [One fool will deny more truth in half an hour than a wise man can prove in seven years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/one-fool-will-deny-more-truth-in-half-an-hour-than-a-wise-man-can/) [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) > [To have noughtIs to have all things without care or thought!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/to-have-noughtis-to-have-all-things-without-care-or-thought/) [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) > [Those who know God know that it is quite a mistake to suppose that there are only five senses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/those-who-know-god-know-that-it-is-quite-a-mistake-to-suppose-that/) [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) > [If we may credit certain hints contained in the lives of the saints, love raises the spirit above the sphere of reverence and worship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/if-we-may-credit-certain-hints-contained-in-the-lives-of-the-saints/) [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) > [Kind souls, you wonder why, love you, When you, you wonder why, love none We love, Fool, for the good we do, Not that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/kind-souls-you-wonder-why-love-you-when-you-you-wonder-why-love-none/) [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) [Explore all 47 Coventry Patmore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) ## More Agnostic quotes > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [The prayer of the agnostic: "O God, if there is a God, save my soul if I have a soul."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/the-prayer-of-the-agnostic-o-god-if-there-is-a-god-save-my-soul-if-i/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [I'm actually, for the most part, a complete agnostic politically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/i-m-actually-for-the-most-part-a-complete-agnostic-politically/) [Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/) > [Even when I was saying I was Agnostic and trying to figure out my thoughts, I felt God was allowing me to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfre-woodard/even-when-i-was-saying-i-was-agnostic-and-trying-to-figure-out-my/) [Alfre Woodard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfre-woodard/) > [There is, in fact, nothing about religious opinions that entitles them to any more respect than other opinions get. On the contrary, they tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/there-is-in-fact-nothing-about-religious-opinions-that-entitles-them/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Some people are so stiff and inhumane as the dogma's they believe in”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/some-people-are-so-stiff-and-inhumane-as-the-dogma-s-they-believe-in/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“An atheist is someone who is disappointed in his search of god. He is a man who strongly needed god but couldn't find him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-atheist-is-someone-who-is-disappointed-in-his-search-of-god-he-is/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [If a humanist or an atheist or an agnostic says, "We'll bake you a pie," we can go right into the kitchen and bake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/if-a-humanist-or-an-atheist-or-an-agnostic-says-we-ll-bake-you-a-pie/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [I'm agnostic because I went through the usual process of parents insisting you go to church, and yet they didn't. So there's me, sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-scott/i-m-agnostic-because-i-went-through-the-usual-process-of-parents/) [Ridley Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-scott/) > [Intellect, at its best, can make you agnostic. Being theist or atheist is still a matter of choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/intellect-at-its-best-can-make-you-agnostic-being-theist-or-atheist/) [Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/) > [To be agnostic is to be open-minded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-agnostic-is-to-be-open-minded/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All Gaza's temples are torn down and burned and the city is cleansed of every belief but the Christian faith. The most stubborn opponents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsay-macmullen/all-gaza-s-temples-are-torn-down-and-burned-and-the-city-is-cleansed/) [Ramsay MacMullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsay-macmullen/) > [I'm still agnostic. But in the words of Elton Richards, I'm now a reverant agnostic. Which isn't an oxymoron, I swear. I now believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-still-agnostic-but-in-the-words-of-elton-richards-i-m-now-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I'm agnostic. By definition, I'm unsure of what to believe in, but I'm also borderline-capable of believing in anything and everything, or nothing at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lola/i-m-agnostic-by-definition-i-m-unsure-of-what-to-believe-in-but-i-m/) [Lauren Lola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lola/) > [“The Agnostic is one who asserts 'what no one denies' that there are limits to the sphere of human intelligence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/the-agnostic-is-one-who-asserts-what-no-one-denies-that-there-are/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) [Browse all 492 Agnostic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agnostic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The modern Agnostic improves upon the ancient by adding \"I don't care\" to \"I don't know.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Coventry Patmore" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/the-modern-agnostic-improves-upon-the-ancient-by-adding-i-don-t-care/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Agnostic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/the-modern-agnostic-improves-upon-the-ancient-by-adding-i-don-t-care/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/coventry-patmore-14170_agnostic_the-modern-agnostic-improves-upon-the-an_1335952.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/coventry-patmore-14170_agnostic_the-modern-agnostic-improves-upon-the-an_1335952.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/coventry-patmore-14170_agnostic_the-modern-agnostic-improves-upon-the-an_1335952.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The modern Agnostic improves upon the ancient by adding \"I don't care\" to \"I don't know.” — Coventry Patmore", "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": "Coventry Patmore", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The modern Agnostic improves upon the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/the-modern-agnostic-improves-upon-the-ancient-by-adding-i-don-t-care/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/the-modern-agnostic-improves-upon-the-ancient-by-adding-i-don-t-care/#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 } } ] } ```