--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can call it God or a conscience, or…" description: "\"“You can call it God or a conscience, or you can dismiss it as that intuitive knowing we all have as human beings, as living storytellers; but there is..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/donald-miller-607_character_you-can-call-it-god-or-a-conscience-or-y_1534284.jpg" --- # You can call it God or a conscience, or you can dismiss it… ![“You can call it God or a conscience, or you can dismiss it as that intuitive knowing we all have as human beings, as living storytellers; but there is a knowing I feel that guides me toward better stories, toward being a better character. I believe there is a writer outside ourselves, plotting a…” quote by Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/donald-miller-607_character_you-can-call-it-god-or-a-conscience-or-y_1534284.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/donald-miller-607_character_you-can-call-it-god-or-a-conscience-or-y_1534284.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/donald-miller-607_character_you-can-call-it-god-or-a-conscience-or-y_1534284.jpg) > ““You can call it God or a conscience, or you can dismiss it as that intuitive knowing we all have as human beings, as living storytellers; but there is a knowing I feel that guides me toward better stories, toward being a better character. I believe there is a writer outside ourselves, plotting a better story for us, interacting with us, even, and whispering a better story into our consciousness.”” [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests an inner guiding intuition, likened to a divine writer, that steers us toward better narratives and personal growth. **In simple terms:** An inner voice guides us to better stories and characters. Key Takeaway Listen to your inner guidance for personal improvement. Themes creativity spirituality self‑development Mood inspired thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - writing - personal reflection - creative projects - career decisions Key Concepts intuition storytelling higher purpose inner guidance Questions to Reflect On - How does your inner voice influence your daily choices? - Can you identify moments when intuition improved a story? A Different Perspective The concept may be too abstract for pragmatic decision‑making. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“You can call it God or a conscience… but there is a knowing I feel that guides me toward better stories, toward being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/you-can-call-it-god-or-a-conscience-but-there-is-a-knowing-i-feel/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Whoever knows and fears God has conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/whoever-knows-and-fears-god-has-conscience/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [The human character, we believe, requires in general constant and immediate control to prevent its being biased from right by the seductions of self-love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-human-character-we-believe-requires-in-general-constant-and/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“The will to believe has given us our great saints. The will to doubt has given us our great scientists. The goal of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-frank/the-will-to-believe-has-given-us-our-great-saints-the-will-to-doubt/) Glenn Frank > [All we have is the story we tell. Everything we do, every decision we make, our strength, weakness, motivation, history, and character-what we believe-none…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-walter/all-we-have-is-the-story-we-tell-everything-we-do-every-decision-we/) [Jess Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-walter/) > [It can be frustrating and even frightening to observe the success which sometimes comes to outlaws and rogues who seem to refute notions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/it-can-be-frustrating-and-even-frightening-to-observe-the-success/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [Trying to pull off a character, you have to believe in it or the fans won't believe it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-gunn/trying-to-pull-off-a-character-you-have-to-believe-in-it-or-the-fans/) [Billy Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-gunn/) > [Once I decide to play a character, I believe in giving my best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/supriya-pathak/once-i-decide-to-play-a-character-i-believe-in-giving-my-best/) [Supriya Pathak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/supriya-pathak/) > [Belief is everything when you're performing something. If you don't have the belief behind it, then that actually puts a shunt on the character.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-callis/belief-is-everything-when-you-re-performing-something-if-you-don-t/) [James Callis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-callis/) > [When you heard that a mountain was moved, believe it; but when you hear that someone changed his character do not believe it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arabian-proverb/when-you-heard-that-a-mountain-was-moved-believe-it-but-when-you-hear/) Arabian Proverb > [I really, deeply believe in the primacy of character. I believe that my job as a writer is to put a believable human being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/i-really-deeply-believe-in-the-primacy-of-character-i-believe-that-my/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [Think of every character as a main character. They believe they're the main characters in their stories. No one should just be an obstacle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-edlund/think-of-every-character-as-a-main-character-they-believe-they-re-the/) [Ben Edlund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-edlund/) > [For me, being able to be vulnerable is difficult, but it's just something that I feel comfortable doing. I need to fully understand why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-lerman/for-me-being-able-to-be-vulnerable-is-difficult-but-it-s-just/) [Logan Lerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-lerman/) > [I think you always want to be open to things... it's just the matter of finding something I believe in, finding a character I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolk/i-think-you-always-want-to-be-open-to-things-it-s-just-the-matter-of/) [James Wolk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolk/) > [A character has to believe in himself, so I have to find a way to believe in them. Or at least sympathize to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mckean/a-character-has-to-believe-in-himself-so-i-have-to-find-a-way-to/) [Michael McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mckean/) ## More by Donald Miller > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [I think each of us can, through our writing, discover our super power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-think-each-of-us-can-through-our-writing-discover-our-super-power/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [If you don't feel free and be yourself, you can't connect. Find people who accept your quirks. They'll heal your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/if-you-don-t-feel-free-and-be-yourself-you-can-t-connect-find-people/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [And so I have come to understand that strength, inner strength, comes from receiving love as much as it comes from giving it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/and-so-i-have-come-to-understand-that-strength-inner-strength-comes/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“Humans, as a species, are constantly, and in every way, comparing themselves to one another, which, given the brief nature of their existence, seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/humans-as-a-species-are-constantly-and-in-every-way-comparing/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“alone, lonely, and loneliness are three of the most powerful words in the English language... Those words say that we are human; they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/alone-lonely-and-loneliness-are-three-of-the-most-powerful-words-in/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“It isn't about what you don't get done; it's about what you do get done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/it-isn-t-about-what-you-don-t-get-done-it-s-about-what-you-do-get-done/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“Most Christians have enormous respect for the space and freedom of others, it is only that they have found a joy in Jesus they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/most-christians-have-enormous-respect-for-the-space-and-freedom-of/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“The soul needs to interact with other people to be healthy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/the-soul-needs-to-interact-with-other-people-to-be-healthy/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Don't let go of your strength or your beauty. It was given to you by God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/don-t-let-go-of-your-strength-or-your-beauty-it-was-given-to-you-by/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [There's a lot of letters, and a lot of people come say "hi" at book signings, but I'm amazed at how normal everybody is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-a-lot-of-letters-and-a-lot-of-people-come-say-hi-at-book/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [I am something of a recluse by nature. I am that cordless screwdriver that has to charge for twenty hours to earn ten minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-am-something-of-a-recluse-by-nature-i-am-that-cordless-screwdriver/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [The most important thing that happens within Christian spirituality is when a person falls in love with Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/the-most-important-thing-that-happens-within-christian-spirituality/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Every day you live is a page. Every year, a chapter. Your life, a book. What is it about?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/every-day-you-live-is-a-page-every-year-a-chapter-your-life-a-book/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“And that’s the first time I realized that the idea a character is what he does makes as much sense in life as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/and-that-s-the-first-time-i-realized-that-the-idea-a-character-is/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) [Explore all 448 Donald Miller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) David Hudgins > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You can call it God or a conscience, or you can dismiss it as that intuitive knowing we all have as human beings, as living storytellers; but there is a knowing I feel that guides me toward better stories, toward being a better character. I believe there is a writer outside ourselves, plotting a better story for us, interacting with us, even, and whispering a better story into our consciousness.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Donald Miller" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/you-can-call-it-god-or-a-conscience-or-you-can-dismiss-it-as-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/you-can-call-it-god-or-a-conscience-or-you-can-dismiss-it-as-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/donald-miller-607_character_you-can-call-it-god-or-a-conscience-or-y_1534284.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/donald-miller-607_character_you-can-call-it-god-or-a-conscience-or-y_1534284.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/donald-miller-607_character_you-can-call-it-god-or-a-conscience-or-y_1534284.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can call it God or a conscience, or you can dismiss it as that intuitive knowing we all have as human…” — Donald Miller", "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": "Donald Miller", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“You can call it God or...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/you-can-call-it-god-or-a-conscience-or-you-can-dismiss-it-as-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/you-can-call-it-god-or-a-conscience-or-you-can-dismiss-it-as-that/#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 } } ] } ```