--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On the other hand it is probably safe to…" description: "\"“On the other hand it is probably safe to assume that Rembrandt and Spinoza surely would have at least passed on the street, now and again. Or even run..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/david-markson-10450_good-day_on-the-other-hand-it-is-probably-safe-to_160349.png" --- # On the other hand it is probably safe to assume that… ![“On the other hand it is probably safe to assume that Rembrandt and Spinoza surely would have at least passed on the street, now and again. Or even run into each other quite frequently, if only at some neighborhood shop or other. And certainly they would have exchanged amenities as well, after a…” quote by David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/david-markson-10450_good-day_on-the-other-hand-it-is-probably-safe-to_160349.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/david-markson-10450_good-day_on-the-other-hand-it-is-probably-safe-to_160349.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/david-markson-10450_good-day_on-the-other-hand-it-is-probably-safe-to_160349.png) > ““On the other hand it is probably safe to assume that Rembrandt and Spinoza surely would have at least passed on the street, now and again. Or even run into each other quite frequently, if only at some neighborhood shop or other. And certainly they would have exchanged amenities as well, after a time. Good morning, Rembrandt. Good morning to you, Spinoza. I was extremely sorry to hear about your bankruptcy, Rembrandt. I was extremely sorry to hear about your excommunication, Spinoza. Do have a good day, Rembrandt. Do have the same, Spinoza. All of this would have been said in Dutch, incidentally. I mention that simply because it is known that Rembrandt did not speak any other language except Dutch. Even if Spinoza may have preferred Latin. Or Jewish.”” [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A whimsical imagined encounter between Rembrandt and Spinoza highlights how great minds could have casually interacted despite different fields. **In simple terms:** Great thinkers might have met and chatted in everyday life. Key Takeaway Value interdisciplinary dialogue and humility. Themes art philosophy history Mood reflective playful Type literary humorous When to use this quote - museum tours - academic conferences - public lectures Key Concepts cultural exchange intellectual curiosity Questions to Reflect On - How can we foster cross‑disciplinary conversation today? - What can we learn from imagined meetings? A Different Perspective Historical accuracy is uncertain; speculation may romanticize. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-day/) [Good morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-morning/) [Morning Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning-spinoza-1760926/) [Rembrandt Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rembrandt-spinoza-1760928/) [Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spinoza/) [Spinoza Preferred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spinoza-preferred-1760927/) [Spinoza Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spinoza-said-1760925/) ## Related quotes > [“Spinoza said that we dream with our eyes open. We trick ourselves into believing we have free will, but free will is an illusion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anni-taylor/spinoza-said-that-we-dream-with-our-eyes-open-we-trick-ourselves-into/) [Anni Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anni-taylor/) > [“Baruch Spinoza, who said, “There is no mind absolute or free will, but the mind is determined for willing this or that by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-gazzaniga/baruch-spinoza-who-said-there-is-no-mind-absolute-or-free-will-but/) [Michael S. Gazzaniga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-gazzaniga/) > [A writer must always try to have a philosophy and he should also have a psychology and a philology and many other things. Without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/a-writer-must-always-try-to-have-a-philosophy-and-he-should-also-have/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“Spinoza compares the feeling of free will to a stone’s thinking, as it travels through space, that it determines its own trajectory and selects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/spinoza-compares-the-feeling-of-free-will-to-a-stone-s-thinking-as-it/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [“Dostoevsky's nature was two-fold, like Spinoza's, and like that of nearly all those who try to awaken humanity from its torpor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-shestov/dostoevsky-s-nature-was-two-fold-like-spinoza-s-and-like-that-of/) [Lev Shestov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-shestov/) > [ The impersonal aspect \[of God\] (Nirakara, Nirguna) is called Brahman, or 'unknowable' by Herbert Spencer, 'will' by Schopenhauer, Absolute Noumenon by some 'substance' by… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sivananda/the-impersonal-aspect-of-god-nirakara-nirguna-is-called-brahman-or/) [Sivananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sivananda/) > [“Both I and my troubles became the object of an interesting psychoscientific study undertaken by myself. What does Spinoza say in his Ethics?—"Affectus, qui…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/both-i-and-my-troubles-became-the-object-of-an-interesting/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“Spinoza writes, “A free man, that is to say, a man who lives according to the dictates of reason alone, is not led by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/spinoza-writes-a-free-man-that-is-to-say-a-man-who-lives-according-to/) [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) > [I can understand your aversion to the use of the term 'religion' to describe an emotional and psychological attitude which shows itself most clearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/i-can-understand-your-aversion-to-the-use-of-the-term-religion-to/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“Consistency is the virtue of small minds, and Spinoza had a great mind—he was inconsistent all over the place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-holt/consistency-is-the-virtue-of-small-minds-and-spinoza-had-a-great-mind/) [Jim Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-holt/) > [“Spinoza left a celebrated description of his life’s endeavour: After experience had taught me that all things which frequently take place in ordinary life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/spinoza-left-a-celebrated-description-of-his-life-s-endeavour-after/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Malebranche teaches that we see all things in God himself. This is certainly equivalent to explaining something unknown by something even more unknown. Moreover,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/malebranche-teaches-that-we-see-all-things-in-god-himself-this-is/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [ the ordinary man's experience is chaotic, irregular, fragmentary. \[He\] falls in love or reads Spinoza, and these two experiences have nothing to do with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/the-ordinary-man-s-experience-is-chaotic-irregular-fragmentary-he/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [“Exactly. We know that the great Goethe carried a copy of Spinoza’s Ethics in his pocket for a year. Imagine that—an entire year! And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/exactly-we-know-that-the-great-goethe-carried-a-copy-of-spinoza-s/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“If this conviction had not been a strongly emotional one and if those searching for knowledge had not been inspired by Spinoza 's Amor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/if-this-conviction-had-not-been-a-strongly-emotional-one-and-if-those/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) ## More by David Markson > [“Si es arte no es para todos, y si es para todos no es arte.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/si-es-arte-no-es-para-todos-y-si-es-para-todos-no-es-arte/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“One can very agreeably ignore a rain by walking in it. In fact it is when one allows a rain to prevent one from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/one-can-very-agreeably-ignore-a-rain-by-walking-in-it-in-fact-it-is/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [Doubtless these are inconsequential perplexities. Still, inconsequential perplexities have now and again been known to become the fundamental mood of existence, one suspects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/doubtless-these-are-inconsequential-perplexities-still/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“Have I ever said that Turner once actually had himself lashed to the mast of a ship, to be able to later do a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/have-i-ever-said-that-turner-once-actually-had-himself-lashed-to-the/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“A simple creature unlettyrde. Julian of Norwich called herself. The most unlearned and uninformed female who ever dared to be an authoress. Echoed Jane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/a-simple-creature-unlettyrde-julian-of-norwich-called-herself-the/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [In fact one frequently seemed to gather all sorts of similar information about subjects one had less than profound interest in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/in-fact-one-frequently-seemed-to-gather-all-sorts-of-similar/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“Every single one of the letters having been identical.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/every-single-one-of-the-letters-having-been-identical/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“Very possibly this was what was in Wittgenstein's own mind all of those years later, in face, when he said that you do no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/very-possibly-this-was-what-was-in-wittgenstein-s-own-mind-all-of/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“In the beginning, sometimes I left messages in the street.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/in-the-beginning-sometimes-i-left-messages-in-the-street/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“Mahatma Gandhi: No veo virtud en estar desinformado.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/mahatma-gandhi-no-veo-virtud-en-estar-desinformado/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“Demasiadas notas, mi querido Mozart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/demasiadas-notas-mi-querido-mozart/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“Helen ran off with a lover only once in her life herself, and for three thousand years nobody would ever let her forget about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/helen-ran-off-with-a-lover-only-once-in-her-life-herself-and-for/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [Is T.S. Eliot the only poet one can think of who could have spent a year on his own in Paris at twenty-three—and managed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/is-t-s-eliot-the-only-poet-one-can-think-of-who-could-have-spent-a/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“Coincidences undeniably imply meaning. I am rereading Hart Crane. I notice the date On which he stepped off that boat Was April 26. Tomorrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/coincidences-undeniably-imply-meaning-i-am-rereading-hart-crane-i/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [Once, I had a dream of fame. Generally, even then, I was lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/once-i-had-a-dream-of-fame-generally-even-then-i-was-lonely/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) [Explore all 54 David Markson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) ## More Good day quotes > [Today I didn't even have to even use my A.K ! I got to say it was a good day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/today-i-didn-t-even-have-to-even-use-my-a-k-i-got-to-say-it-was-a/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) > [“My mum always taught me the value of knowing, recognizing and acknowledging when you had a good day. There are so many bad days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/my-mum-always-taught-me-the-value-of-knowing-recognizing-and/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [Today I will do my best.If I have a good day,i will be pruod of myself.If I have a bad day,I will not dwell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix-mae/today-i-will-do-my-best-if-i-have-a-good-day-i-will-be-pruod-of/) [Nix Mae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix-mae/) > [Remember, success is not measured by heights attained but by obstacles overcome. We're going to pass through many obstacles in our lives: good days,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-jenner/remember-success-is-not-measured-by-heights-attained-but-by-obstacles/) [Bruce Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-jenner/) > [“Peter warns us, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech” (1 PETER 3:10).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-smith-pegues/peter-warns-us-whoever-would-love-life-and-see-good-days-must-keep/) [Deborah Smith Pegues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-smith-pegues/) > [People used to say my son looked like a Mexican Biggie. And when he was first born, memories of Biggie... you know, we didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-evans/people-used-to-say-my-son-looked-like-a-mexican-biggie-and-when-he/) [Faith Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-evans/) > [If you have a bad day,pray. If you have a good day,pray. Pray for the best. Pray with the best. Prayer is the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/if-you-have-a-bad-day-pray-if-you-have-a-good-day-pray-pray-for-the/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [I'm 5 feet tall, and that's on a good day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabela-moner/i-m-5-feet-tall-and-that-s-on-a-good-day/) [Isabela Moner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabela-moner/) > [“Any day above ground is a good day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gerus/any-day-above-ground-is-a-good-day/) [Robert Gerus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gerus/) > [God can you make sure that everybody will have a good day and be safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-can-you-make-sure-that-everybody-will-have-a-good-day-and-be-safe/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Good days are not memorable but bad experiences are always in our memory”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osunsakin-adewale/good-days-are-not-memorable-but-bad-experiences-are-always-in-our/) [Osunsakin Adewale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osunsakin-adewale/) > [I have my good days and my bad days, but I don't have as much energy as I used to back when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/i-have-my-good-days-and-my-bad-days-but-i-don-t-have-as-much-energy/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [“amusement in her eyes and had to grin. 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And You Are Going To Let Just ONE Person To Ruin Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/just-think-about-this-there-are-almost-9-billion-people-on-earth-and/) [Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/) [Browse all 1,005 Good day quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-day/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“On the other hand it is probably safe to assume that Rembrandt and Spinoza surely would have at least passed on the street, now and again. Or even run into each other quite frequently, if only at some neighborhood shop or other. And certainly they would have exchanged amenities as well, after a time. Good morning, Rembrandt. Good morning to you, Spinoza. I was extremely sorry to hear about your bankruptcy, Rembrandt. I was extremely sorry to hear about your excommunication, Spinoza. Do have a good day, Rembrandt. Do have the same, Spinoza. All of this would have been said in Dutch, incidentally. I mention that simply because it is known that Rembrandt did not speak any other language except Dutch. Even if Spinoza may have preferred Latin. 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