---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mystery causes a mental itch, which the…"
description: "\"Mystery causes a mental itch, which the brain tries to soothe with the balm of reasonable talk.\" — Diane Ackerman"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/diane-ackerman-1035_brain_mystery-causes-a-mental-itch-which-the-b_1010015.png"
---

#  Mystery causes a mental itch, which the brain tries to…

![“Mystery causes a mental itch, which the brain tries to soothe with the balm of reasonable talk.” quote by Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/diane-ackerman-1035_brain_mystery-causes-a-mental-itch-which-the-b_1010015.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/diane-ackerman-1035_brain_mystery-causes-a-mental-itch-which-the-b_1010015.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/diane-ackerman-1035_brain_mystery-causes-a-mental-itch-which-the-b_1010015.png)

> “Mystery causes a mental itch, which the brain tries to soothe with the balm of reasonable talk.”

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Our curiosity creates discomfort that the mind eases by rational discussion, turning uncertainty into conversation.

**In simple terms:** Mystery makes us uneasy; talking helps calm it.

Key Takeaway

Talk through unknowns to reduce anxiety.

Themes

curiosity psychology communication

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- research brainstorming
- therapy sessions
- team meetings

Key Concepts

cognitive dissonance mental comfort

Questions to Reflect On

- How does conversation change our perception of mystery?
- When is silence more appropriate?

A Different Perspective

Rational talk may not fully resolve deeper existential concerns.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mystery/) [Observation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observation/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/)

## Related quotes

> [“Newt looked at the Cranks, then back at Thomas. 'It comes and goes, man. I can't explain it. Sometimes I can't control myself, barely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dashner/newt-looked-at-the-cranks-then-back-at-thomas-it-comes-and-goes-man-i/)

[James Dashner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dashner/)

> [“This means that, in some sense, free will is a fake. Decisions are made ahead of time by the brain, without the input of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/this-means-that-in-some-sense-free-will-is-a-fake-decisions-are-made/)

[Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/)

> [The anxiety was like poison ivy. It took nothing to set off that mental itch-a chance remark, remembering an event from the day before-but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-thompson/the-anxiety-was-like-poison-ivy-it-took-nothing-to-set-off-that/)

[Tracy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-thompson/)

> [Fear is an acid which is pumped into one's atmosphere. It causes mental, moral and spiritual asphyxiation, and sometimes death; death to energy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-fletcher/fear-is-an-acid-which-is-pumped-into-one-s-atmosphere-it-causes/)

Horace Fletcher

> [“Education lays the foundation of a large portion of the causes of mental disorder”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/education-lays-the-foundation-of-a-large-portion-of-the-causes-of/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“A professor once asked his class to answer the question, “What causes mental illness?” The students wrote the kinds of answers you might expect:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ettensohn/a-professor-once-asked-his-class-to-answer-the-question-what-causes/)

Mark Ettensohn

> [“What if the child’s dependence on her twin is so great that the separation causes a mental trauma such that the damaged mind provides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-setterfield/what-if-the-child-s-dependence-on-her-twin-is-so-great-that-the/)

[Diane Setterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-setterfield/)

> [There are many kinds of adult adversities that can provoke severe psychological distress, including debt and unemployment, dysfunctional marital relationships and occupational stress. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bentall/there-are-many-kinds-of-adult-adversities-that-can-provoke-severe/)

[Richard Bentall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bentall/)

> [ The man Hillary \[Clinton\] introduced at the meeting goes so far as to say that no amount of trauma to children - or poor… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-breggin/the-man-hillary-clinton-introduced-at-the-meeting-goes-so-far-as-to/)

[Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-breggin/)

> [It's not reasonable for companies that have chief executives and board members who are paid very considerable sums to subsidise low pay through in-work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-johnson/it-s-not-reasonable-for-companies-that-have-chief-executives-and/)

[Boris Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-johnson/)

> [I find very reasonable the Celtic belief that the souls of our dearly departed are trapped in some inferior being, in an animal, aplant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/i-find-very-reasonable-the-celtic-belief-that-the-souls-of-our-dearly/)

[Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/)

> [“A reasonable looking guy with a sense of humour to go to parties with: surely that´s not too much to ask, is it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-alexander/a-reasonable-looking-guy-with-a-sense-of-humour-to-go-to-parties-with/)

[Nick Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-alexander/)

> [Time, which wears down and diminishes all things, augments and increases good deeds, because a good turn liberally offered to a reasonable man grows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/time-which-wears-down-and-diminishes-all-things-augments-and/)

[Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/)

> [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/)

[Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/)

> [“They were inconveniently reasonable, these women.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/they-were-inconveniently-reasonable-these-women/)

[Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/)

## More by Diane Ackerman

> [A self is a frightening thing to waste, it's the lens through which one's whole life is viewed, and few people are willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/a-self-is-a-frightening-thing-to-waste-it-s-the-lens-through-which/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [“Our lives together, our duet, also continues to evolve, and even if we can’t go back to how it was, we’re designing a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/our-lives-together-our-duet-also-continues-to-evolve-and-even-if-we/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Hit a tripwire of smell and memories explode all at once. A complex vision leaps out of the undergrowth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/hit-a-tripwire-of-smell-and-memories-explode-all-at-once-a-complex/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Horses have made civilization possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/horses-have-made-civilization-possible/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Look at your feet. You are standing in the sky. When we think of the sky, we tend to look up, but the sky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/look-at-your-feet-you-are-standing-in-the-sky-when-we-think-of-the/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Who would deduce the dragonfly from the larva, the iris from the bud, the lawyer from the infant? ...We are all shape-shifters and magical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/who-would-deduce-the-dragonfly-from-the-larva-the-iris-from-the-bud/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Though we marry as adults, we don't marry adults. We marry children who have grown up and still rejoice in being children, especially if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/though-we-marry-as-adults-we-don-t-marry-adults-we-marry-children-who/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Libraries change lives. They are the soul of a people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/libraries-change-lives-they-are-the-soul-of-a-people/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [“The etymology of the Hebrew word for prophet, navi, combines three processes: navach (to cry out), nava (to gush or flow), and navuv (to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/the-etymology-of-the-hebrew-word-for-prophet-navi-combines-three/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Knee-deep in the cosmic overwhelm, I’m stricken by the ricochet wonder of it all: the plain everythingness of everything, in cahoots with the everythingness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/knee-deep-in-the-cosmic-overwhelm-i-m-stricken-by-the-ricochet-wonder/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [ Symbolic of life, hair bolts from our head\[s\]. Like the earth, it can be harvested, but it will rise again. We can change its… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/symbolic-of-life-hair-bolts-from-our-head-s-like-the-earth-it-can-be/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [“Most people know that 30 to 40 percent of the world's Jews were killed during World War II, but not that 80 to 90…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/most-people-know-that-30-to-40-percent-of-the-world-s-jews-were/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Choice is a signature of our species.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/choice-is-a-signature-of-our-species/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [The further we distance ourselves from the spell of the present, explored by our senses, the harder it will be to understand and protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/the-further-we-distance-ourselves-from-the-spell-of-the-present/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Culture is what people invent when they have lost nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/culture-is-what-people-invent-when-they-have-lost-nature/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

[Explore all 304 Diane Ackerman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

## More Brain quotes

> [The brain abhors discrepancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/the-brain-abhors-discrepancies/)

[Vilayanur S. Ramachandran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/)

> [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/)

[Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

> [down with ought with because with every brain that thinks it thinks nor dares to feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/down-with-ought-with-because-with-every-brain-that-thinks-it-thinks/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/)

[Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/)

> [I prefer the word 'musician.' I'm a musician and a composer. I have a problem with the word 'artist.' I don't know if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-prefer-the-word-musician-i-m-a-musician-and-a-composer-i-have-a/)

[Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/)

> [Thinking of sex provides enough mental stimulation to reduce risk of diseases that damage the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thinking-of-sex-provides-enough-mental-stimulation-to-reduce-risk-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. I read what I wrote the day before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/my-writing-routine-is-get-son-off-to-school-and-sit-down-at-8-a-m-i/)

[Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/)

> [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/)

[Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/)

> [Without illusions. I love you because you are fallible and because your poor misguided testosterone-corrupted brain has you doing cartwheels trying not to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-gerard/without-illusions-i-love-you-because-you-are-fallible-and-because/)

[Cindy Gerard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-gerard/)

> [being asked to decide between your passion for work and your passion for children was like being asked by your doctor whether you preferred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-bevington/being-asked-to-decide-between-your-passion-for-work-and-your-passion/)

[Helen Bevington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-bevington/)

> [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-boyle/i-was-told-i-had-brain-damage-i-always-knew-it-was-an-unfair-label/)

[Susan Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-boyle/)

> [The act of learning to read added an entirely new circuit to our hominid brain's repertoire. The long developmental process of learning to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-act-of-learning-to-read-added-an-entirely-new-circuit-to-our/)

[Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/)

> [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/)

[Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/)

> [I am the way I am. If you like me because I'm glamorous, so be it. If you like me, because I speak well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malaika-arora-khan/i-am-the-way-i-am-if-you-like-me-because-i-m-glamorous-so-be-it-if/)

[Malaika Arora Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malaika-arora-khan/)

[Browse all 8,465 Brain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Mystery causes a mental itch, which the brain tries to soothe with the balm of reasonable talk.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Diane Ackerman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/mystery-causes-a-mental-itch-which-the-brain-tries-to-soothe-with-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Brain"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/mystery-causes-a-mental-itch-which-the-brain-tries-to-soothe-with-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/diane-ackerman-1035_brain_mystery-causes-a-mental-itch-which-the-b_1010015.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/diane-ackerman-1035_brain_mystery-causes-a-mental-itch-which-the-b_1010015.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/726/diane-ackerman-1035_brain_mystery-causes-a-mental-itch-which-the-b_1010015.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Mystery causes a mental itch, which the brain tries to soothe with the balm of reasonable talk.” — Diane Ackerman",
                "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": "Diane Ackerman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Mystery causes a mental itch, which...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/mystery-causes-a-mental-itch-which-the-brain-tries-to-soothe-with-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/mystery-causes-a-mental-itch-which-the-brain-tries-to-soothe-with-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
