--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A wise man apportions his beliefs to the…" description: "\"“A wise man apportions his beliefs to the evidence.”\" — David Hume" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ee/david-hume-538_faith_a-wise-man-apportions-his-beliefs-to-the_936286.jpg" --- # A wise man apportions his beliefs to the evidence. ![“A wise man apportions his beliefs to the evidence.” quote by David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ee/david-hume-538_faith_a-wise-man-apportions-his-beliefs-to-the_936286.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ee/david-hume-538_faith_a-wise-man-apportions-his-beliefs-to-the_936286.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ee/david-hume-538_faith_a-wise-man-apportions-his-beliefs-to-the_936286.jpg) > ““A wise man apportions his beliefs to the evidence.”” [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Beliefs should be proportioned to the strength of the evidence supporting them. **In simple terms:** Match belief to evidence. Key Takeaway Seek evidence before believing. Themes skepticism reason belief Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - scientific research - decision making - law - education Key Concepts evidence rationality philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle uncertain evidence? - When should you suspend belief? A Different Perspective Evidence can be ambiguous or incomplete. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apportions Beliefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apportions-beliefs-1564357/) [Beliefs Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beliefs-evidence-1146091/) [Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Man Apportions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-apportions-1564358/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wise man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-man/) ## Related quotes > [“The amount of evidence and its quality do not count for much, because poor evidence can make a very good story. For some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-amount-of-evidence-and-its-quality-do-not-count-for-much-because/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“we’re addicted to our beliefs; we’re addicted to the emotions of our past. We see our beliefs as truths, not ideas that we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dispenza/we-re-addicted-to-our-beliefs-we-re-addicted-to-the-emotions-of-our/) [Joe Dispenza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dispenza/) > [“For some of our most important beliefs we have no evidence at all, except that people we love and trust hold these beliefs. Considering”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/for-some-of-our-most-important-beliefs-we-have-no-evidence-at-all/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [Once we have taken the backward step to an abstract view of our whole system of beliefs, evidence, and justification, and seen that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nagel/once-we-have-taken-the-backward-step-to-an-abstract-view-of-our-whole/) [Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/) > [A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/a-wise-man-proportions-his-belief-to-the-evidence/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [In our reasonings concerning matter of fact, there are all imaginable degrees of assurance, from the highest certainty to the lowest species of moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/in-our-reasonings-concerning-matter-of-fact-there-are-all-imaginable/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [A wise man, therefore, proportions his belief to the evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david/a-wise-man-therefore-proportions-his-belief-to-the-evidence/) [David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david/) > [“A wise man did not pour wildfire on a brazier. 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Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [A wise man listens no matter how stupidly someone is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-wise-man-listens-no-matter-how-stupidly-someone-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You are what you believe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/you-are-what-you-believe/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“He was a wise man who invented God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/he-was-a-wise-man-who-invented-god/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“A wise man knows how little he knows and upon his death he drinks wisdom from an empty cup.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tarttelin/a-wise-man-knows-how-little-he-knows-and-upon-his-death-he-drinks/) [John Tarttelin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tarttelin/) > [“A wise man once said nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-wise-man-once-said-nothing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Surely it becomes a wise man, at a time like this, to turn to the pages of prophecy and to inquire what is yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-lifsey/surely-it-becomes-a-wise-man-at-a-time-like-this-to-turn-to-the-pages/) [Dalton Lifsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-lifsey/) > [“Things are more like they are now...than they have EVER been before!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uncle-arnie-mamath/things-are-more-like-they-are-now-than-they-have-ever-been-before/) [Uncle Arnie Mamath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uncle-arnie-mamath/) ## More by David Hume > [“Beauty in things exists in the mind that contemplates them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/beauty-in-things-exists-in-the-mind-that-contemplates-them/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [“It is impossible for us to think of any thing, which we have not antecedently felt, either by our external or internal senses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/it-is-impossible-for-us-to-think-of-any-thing-which-we-have-not/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [All morality depends upon our sentiments; and when any action or quality of the mind pleases us after a certain manner we say it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/all-morality-depends-upon-our-sentiments-and-when-any-action-or/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [And indeed nothing but the most determined scepticism, along with a great degree of indolence, can justify this aversion to metaphysics. 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