--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If history and science have taught us…" description: "\"If history and science have taught us anything, it is that passion and desire are not the same as truth.\" — E. O. Wilson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/e-o-wilson-1348_desire_if-history-and-science-have-taught-us-an_1151840.png" --- # If history and science have taught us anything, it is that… ![“If history and science have taught us anything, it is that passion and desire are not the same as truth.” quote by E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/e-o-wilson-1348_desire_if-history-and-science-have-taught-us-an_1151840.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/e-o-wilson-1348_desire_if-history-and-science-have-taught-us-an_1151840.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81d/e-o-wilson-1348_desire_if-history-and-science-have-taught-us-an_1151840.png) > “If history and science have taught us anything, it is that passion and desire are not the same as truth.” [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) ## 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 distinguishes passion and desire from truth, warning that strong emotions can mislead us if not aligned with factual understanding. **In simple terms:** Passion and desire differ from truth. Key Takeaway Seek truth beyond emotional impulses. Themes truth reason emotion knowledge science Mood analytical cautious inquisitive Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - academic debate - personal decision making - media consumption Key Concepts epistemology critical thinking philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How do you separate desire from evidence? - When have you mistaken passion for truth? A Different Perspective Emotions can bias perception of facts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Passion and desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion-and-desire/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [History without the history of science, to alter slightly an apothegm of Lord Bacon, resembles a statue of Polyphemus without his eye-that very feature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-bernard-cohen/history-without-the-history-of-science-to-alter-slightly-an-apothegm/) [I. Bernard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-bernard-cohen/) > [Science has taught us how to put the atom to work. But to make it work for good instead of for evil lies in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-baruch/science-has-taught-us-how-to-put-the-atom-to-work-but-to-make-it-work/) [Bernard Baruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-baruch/) > [Almost everyone shuts down when science becomes too technical; you've got to infuse it with entertainment and storytelling to make it effective. From high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-graffin/almost-everyone-shuts-down-when-science-becomes-too-technical-you-ve/) [Greg Graffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-graffin/) > [Physical science has taught us to associate Deity with the normal rather than with the abnormal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-edward-hartpole-lecky/physical-science-has-taught-us-to-associate-deity-with-the-normal/) [William Edward Hartpole Lecky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-edward-hartpole-lecky/) > [Imagine if baseball were taught the way science is taught in most inner-city schools. Schoolchildren would get lectures about the history of the World…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/imagine-if-baseball-were-taught-the-way-science-is-taught-in-most/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [No star seemed less than what science has taught us that it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/no-star-seemed-less-than-what-science-has-taught-us-that-it-is/) [James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/) > [Science has taught us how to put the atom to work. But to make it work for good instead of for evil lies in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-baruch/science-has-taught-us-how-to-put-the-atom-to-work-but-to-make-it-work-2/) [Bernard Baruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-baruch/) > [Women tend to be more intuitive, or to admit to being intuitive, and maybe the hard science approach isn't so attractive. The way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/women-tend-to-be-more-intuitive-or-to-admit-to-being-intuitive-and/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [I think evolution should be taught as an accepted principle. I say that also as the daughter of a school teacher, a science teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/i-think-evolution-should-be-taught-as-an-accepted-principle-i-say/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [Science should be taught not in order to support religion and not in order to destroy religion. Science should be taught simply ignoring religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/science-should-be-taught-not-in-order-to-support-religion-and-not-in/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [We live in an enlightened age, however, an age that has learned to see and to value other living things as they are, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-charles-wilson/we-live-in-an-enlightened-age-however-an-age-that-has-learned-to-see/) [Robert Charles Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-charles-wilson/) > [“How do we change the way science is taught? Ask anybody how many teachers truly made a difference in their life, and you never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/how-do-we-change-the-way-science-is-taught-ask-anybody-how-many/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“Science has taught us that what we see and touch is not what is really there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-christian-von-baeyer/science-has-taught-us-that-what-we-see-and-touch-is-not-what-is/) [Hans Christian Von Baeyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-christian-von-baeyer/) > [I did physics because of my love of nature. As a young student of science, I was taught that physics was the way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vandana-shiva/i-did-physics-because-of-my-love-of-nature-as-a-young-student-of/) [Vandana Shiva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vandana-shiva/) > [Science is taught like the history of science, and it's boring. Doing science fair, anything that's project-based learning, that involves field trips, that's really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-smith/science-is-taught-like-the-history-of-science-and-it-s-boring-doing/) [Megan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-smith/) ## More by E. O. Wilson > [Without a trace of irony I can say I have been blessed with brilliant enemies. I owe them a great debt, because they redoubled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/without-a-trace-of-irony-i-can-say-i-have-been-blessed-with-brilliant/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [It's always been a dream of mine, of exploring the living world, of classifying all the species and finding out what makes up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/it-s-always-been-a-dream-of-mine-of-exploring-the-living-world-of/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Competing is intense among humans, and within a group, selfish individuals always win. But in contests between groups, groups of altruists always beat groups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/competing-is-intense-among-humans-and-within-a-group-selfish/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [When all else fails, men turn to reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/when-all-else-fails-men-turn-to-reason/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The commitment must be much deeper - to let no species knowingly die; to take all reasonable action to protect every species and race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-commitment-must-be-much-deeper-to-let-no-species-knowingly-die-to/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Science is not marginal. Like art, it is a universal possession of humanity, and scientific knowledge has become a vital part of our species'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/science-is-not-marginal-like-art-it-is-a-universal-possession-of/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The living environment is the biosphere, the thin layer around the world of living organisms. We're part of that. Our existence is dependent on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-living-environment-is-the-biosphere-the-thin-layer-around-the/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The biological evolutionary perception of life and of human qualities is radically different from that of traditional religion, whether it's Southern Baptist or Islam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-biological-evolutionary-perception-of-life-and-of-human-qualities/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [We should preserve every scrap of biodiversity as priceless while we learn to use it and come to understand what it means to humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/we-should-preserve-every-scrap-of-biodiversity-as-priceless-while-we/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [In many environments, take away the ants and there would be partial collapses in many of the land ecosystems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/in-many-environments-take-away-the-ants-and-there-would-be-partial/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [If those committed to the quest fail, they will be forgiven. When lost, they will find another way. The moral imperative of humanism is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/if-those-committed-to-the-quest-fail-they-will-be-forgiven-when-lost/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The extinctions ongoing worldwide promise to be at least as great as the mass extinction that occurred at the end of the age of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-extinctions-ongoing-worldwide-promise-to-be-at-least-as-great-as/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Most people are surprised when they hear my somber figures: we know of 2 million species of plants, animals and microorganisms, and we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/most-people-are-surprised-when-they-hear-my-somber-figures-we-know-of/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Because the living environment is what really sustains us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/because-the-living-environment-is-what-really-sustains-us/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The variety of genes on the planet in viruses exceeds, or is likely to exceed, that in all of the rest of life combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-variety-of-genes-on-the-planet-in-viruses-exceeds-or-is-likely-to/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) [Explore all 253 E. O. Wilson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) ## More Desire quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) [Browse all 15,155 Desire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If history and science have taught us anything, it is that passion and desire are not the same as truth.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "E. O. 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