--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Human affairs are so obscure and various…" description: "\"Human affairs are so obscure and various that nothing can be clearly known. This was the sound conclusion of the Academic sceptics, who were the least ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/desiderius-erasmus-3351_academic_human-affairs-are-so-obscure-and-various_1987184.jpg" --- # Human affairs are so obscure and various that nothing can… ![“Human affairs are so obscure and various that nothing can be clearly known. This was the sound conclusion of the Academic sceptics, who were the least surly of philosophers.” quote by Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/desiderius-erasmus-3351_academic_human-affairs-are-so-obscure-and-various_1987184.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/desiderius-erasmus-3351_academic_human-affairs-are-so-obscure-and-various_1987184.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/desiderius-erasmus-3351_academic_human-affairs-are-so-obscure-and-various_1987184.jpg) > “Human affairs are so obscure and various that nothing can be clearly known. This was the sound conclusion of the Academic sceptics, who were the least surly of philosophers.” [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human affairs are complex and ambiguous, making certainty impossible; even skeptical philosophers admit the limits of knowledge. **In simple terms:** Human affairs are too complex for absolute certainty. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty in knowledge. Themes philosophy skepticism complexity Mood thoughtful skeptical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - political analysis - ethical debates - personal decision making Key Concepts epistemology relativism human nature Questions to Reflect On - What can we do to navigate ambiguity? - Is some certainty ever achievable? A Different Perspective The statement may dismiss the value of striving for clearer understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic/) [Affair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affair/) [Conclusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conclusion/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosopher/) [Philosophers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophers/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Sceptic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sceptic/) [Sceptics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sceptics/) [Skepticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skepticism/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Surly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surly/) [Uncertainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncertainty/) ## Related quotes > [Human affairs are so obscure and various that nothing can be clearly known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/human-affairs-are-so-obscure-and-various-that-nothing-can-be-clearly/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [I note that warmists are often banging on about the fact that sceptics like Christopher Booker and myself 'only' have arts degrees. But actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-delingpole/i-note-that-warmists-are-often-banging-on-about-the-fact-that/) [James Delingpole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-delingpole/) > [The world would be astonished if it knew how great a proportion of its brightest ornaments, of those distinguished even in popular estimation for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-world-would-be-astonished-if-it-knew-how-great-a-proportion-of-2/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [The sceptics end in the infidelity which asserts the problem to be insoluble, or in the atheism which denies the existence of any orderly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/the-sceptics-end-in-the-infidelity-which-asserts-the-problem-to-be/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [I always got a bit pissed off with those broadsheet sceptics who make their living being passionately angry about homeopathy, God, synchronicity or whatever,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/i-always-got-a-bit-pissed-off-with-those-broadsheet-sceptics-who-make/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [The sceptics, like bees, give their one sting and die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sceptics-like-bees-give-their-one-sting-and-die/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In the way that scepticism is sometimes applied to issues of public concern, there is a tendency to belittle, to condescend, to ignore the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/in-the-way-that-scepticism-is-sometimes-applied-to-issues-of-public/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Nothing fortifies scepticism more than that there are some who are not sceptics; if all were so, they would be wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/nothing-fortifies-scepticism-more-than-that-there-are-some-who-are/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Sceptics are yet the most credulous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/sceptics-are-yet-the-most-credulous/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Materialism prevails in Europe today. You may pray for the salvation of the modern sceptics, but they do not yield, they want reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/materialism-prevails-in-europe-today-you-may-pray-for-the-salvation/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [The sceptics assert, though absurdly, that the origin of all religious worship was derived from the utility of inanimate objects,as the sun and moon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-sceptics-assert-though-absurdly-that-the-origin-of-all-religious/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [The problems with this world cannot possibly be solved by sceptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/the-problems-with-this-world-cannot-possibly-be-solved-by-sceptics-or/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/many-orthodox-people-speak-as-though-it-were-the-business-of-sceptics-2/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [It is effectively BBC policy to ignore climate change sceptics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sissons/it-is-effectively-bbc-policy-to-ignore-climate-change-sceptics/) Peter Sissons > [Sceptics are generally ready to believe anything, provided it is sufficiently improbable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-ludwig-von-knebel/sceptics-are-generally-ready-to-believe-anything-provided-it-is/) [Karl Ludwig von Knebel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-ludwig-von-knebel/) ## More by Desiderius Erasmus > [Wherever you encounter truth, look upon it as Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/wherever-you-encounter-truth-look-upon-it-as-christianity/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [War is delightful for those who don't know it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/war-is-delightful-for-those-who-don-t-know-it/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [They may attack me with an army of six hundred syllogisms; and if I do not recant, they will proclaim me a heretic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/they-may-attack-me-with-an-army-of-six-hundred-syllogisms-and-if-i-do/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [Invoked or not invoked, the god is present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/invoked-or-not-invoked-the-god-is-present/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [Eagles don't catch flies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/eagles-don-t-catch-flies/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [The entire world is my temple, and a very fine one too, if I'm not mistaken, and I'll never lack priests to serve it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/the-entire-world-is-my-temple-and-a-very-fine-one-too-if-i-m-not/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [A good prince will tax as lightly as possible those commodities which are used by the poorest members of society: grain, bread, beer, wine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/a-good-prince-will-tax-as-lightly-as-possible-those-commodities-which/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [Christians would show sense if they dispatched these argumentative Scotists and pigheaded Ockhamists and undefeated Albertists along with the whole regiment of Sophists to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/christians-would-show-sense-if-they-dispatched-these-argumentative/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/when-i-get-a-little-money-i-buy-books-and-if-any-is-left-i-buy-food/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [From hence, no question, has sprung an observation ... confirmed now into a settled opinion, that some long experienced souls in the world, before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/from-hence-no-question-has-sprung-an-observation-confirmed-now-into-a/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [Nothing is so foolish, they say, as for a man to stand for office and woo the crowd to win its vote, buy its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/nothing-is-so-foolish-they-say-as-for-a-man-to-stand-for-office-and/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [Retain the wind by compressing the belly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/retain-the-wind-by-compressing-the-belly/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [So our student will flit like a busy bee through the entire garden of literature, light on every blossom, collect a little nectar from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/so-our-student-will-flit-like-a-busy-bee-through-the-entire-garden-of/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [By identifying the new learning with heresy, you make orthodoxy synonymous with ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/by-identifying-the-new-learning-with-heresy-you-make-orthodoxy/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [Now what else is the whole life of mortals, but a sort of comedy in which the various actors, disguised by various costumes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/now-what-else-is-the-whole-life-of-mortals-but-a-sort-of-comedy-in/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) [Explore all 124 Desiderius Erasmus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) ## More Academic quotes > [When I went to college, as much as my parents emphasized academic achievement, they emphasized marriage even more. They told me that the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/when-i-went-to-college-as-much-as-my-parents-emphasized-academic/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Instead of explaining the sober facts of mechanics and electricity, I want to say a few words about the debt which we owe to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-bloch/instead-of-explaining-the-sober-facts-of-mechanics-and-electricity-i/) [Felix Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-bloch/) > [The Carnegie Foundation is well aware of the fact that their reports frequently find their way to dusty archives in academic institutions, but occasionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-everett-koop/the-carnegie-foundation-is-well-aware-of-the-fact-that-their-reports/) [C. Everett Koop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-everett-koop/) > [Marx, however imperfectly he worked out the details, set himself the task of discovering the law of motion of capitalism, and if there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-robinson/marx-however-imperfectly-he-worked-out-the-details-set-himself-the/) [Joan Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-robinson/) > [Now know I well what people sought formerly above all else when they sought Teachers of virtue. Good sleep they sought for themselves, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/now-know-i-well-what-people-sought-formerly-above-all-else-when-they/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Because my graduate academic training at law school was not one that included most of the intellectual traditions I find useful for understanding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-spade/because-my-graduate-academic-training-at-law-school-was-not-one-that/) [Dean Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-spade/) > [An academic discipline, or any other semiotic domain, for that matter, is not primarily content, in the sense of facts and principles. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-paul-gee/an-academic-discipline-or-any-other-semiotic-domain-for-that-matter/) [James Paul Gee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-paul-gee/) > [“In the end, ethical interpretation of the Bible means to think critically about how our practices of textual engagement might help us to become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/in-the-end-ethical-interpretation-of-the-bible-means-to-think/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [Perhaps art criticism cannot be reformed in a logical sense because it was never well-formed in the first place. Art criticism has long been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-elkins/perhaps-art-criticism-cannot-be-reformed-in-a-logical-sense-because/) [James Elkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-elkins/) > [And I'm the first one to tell people to break the rules. But you can only break the rules once you know what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/and-i-m-the-first-one-to-tell-people-to-break-the-rules-but-you-can/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [Nietzsche's ideas and plans: for example, the idea of giving up the whole wretched academic world to form a secular monastic community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-jaspers/nietzsche-s-ideas-and-plans-for-example-the-idea-of-giving-up-the/) [Karl Jaspers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-jaspers/) > [Quality afterschool programs provide safe, engaging and fun learning experiences to help children and youth develop their social, emotional, physical, cultural and academic skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-stabenow/quality-afterschool-programs-provide-safe-engaging-and-fun-learning/) [Debbie Stabenow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-stabenow/) > [The unary Photograph has every reason to be banal, 'unity' of composition being the first rule of vulgar (and notably, of academic) rhetoric: 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/the-unary-photograph-has-every-reason-to-be-banal-unity-of/) [Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/) > [Doctoral training is devoted almost entirely to learning to do research, even though most Ph.Ds who enter academic life spend far more time teaching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-bok/doctoral-training-is-devoted-almost-entirely-to-learning-to-do/) [Derek Bok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-bok/) > [I am not an academic who happens to have written a novel. I am a novelist who happens to be quite good academically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-byatt-2/i-am-not-an-academic-who-happens-to-have-written-a-novel-i-am-a/) [A. S. Byatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-byatt-2/) [Browse all 958 Academic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Human affairs are so obscure and various that nothing can be clearly known. This was the sound conclusion of the Academic sceptics, who were the least surly of philosophers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Desiderius Erasmus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/human-affairs-are-so-obscure-and-various-that-nothing-can-be-clearly-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Academic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/human-affairs-are-so-obscure-and-various-that-nothing-can-be-clearly-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/desiderius-erasmus-3351_academic_human-affairs-are-so-obscure-and-various_1987184.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/desiderius-erasmus-3351_academic_human-affairs-are-so-obscure-and-various_1987184.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/540/desiderius-erasmus-3351_academic_human-affairs-are-so-obscure-and-various_1987184.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Human affairs are so obscure and various that nothing can be clearly known. This was the sound conclusion of…” — Desiderius Erasmus", "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": "Desiderius Erasmus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Human affairs are so obscure and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/human-affairs-are-so-obscure-and-various-that-nothing-can-be-clearly-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/human-affairs-are-so-obscure-and-various-that-nothing-can-be-clearly-2/#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 } } ] } ```