Age Quote by Dan Abnett
“Maybe belief is the biggest lie. In ages past, the earliest philosophers tried to explain the stars in the sky and the world around them. One of them conceived of the notion that the universe was mounted on giant crystal spheres controlled by a giant machine, which explained the movements of the heavens. He was laughed at and told that such a machine would be so huge and noisy that everyone would hear it. He simply replied that we are born with that noise all around us, and that we are so used to hearing it that we cannot hear it at all.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Science Fiction, 2014
Ancient philosophers imagined a noisy, massive machine moving the heavens; we ignore it because we’re accustomed to background noise
In simple terms: We overlook pervasive background noise due to familiarity
Key Takeaway
Recognize hidden influences in perception
Themes
philosophy
cosmology
perception
Mood
contemplative
inquisitive
Type
novel
philosophical
When to use this quote
- media analysis
- psychology
- critical thinking
Key Concepts
noise
ancient myth
scientific skepticism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does background noise shape belief?
- Can we become aware of ignored influences?
A Different Perspective
Noise may be misinterpreted as normal
