--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Believe nothing you hear, and only one…" description: "\"“Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see.”\" — Edgar Allan Poe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/edgar-allan-poe-315_believe_believe-nothing-you-hear-and-only-one-ha_334477.jpg" --- # Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see. ![“Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see.” quote by Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/edgar-allan-poe-315_believe_believe-nothing-you-hear-and-only-one-ha_334477.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/edgar-allan-poe-315_believe_believe-nothing-you-hear-and-only-one-ha_334477.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/edgar-allan-poe-315_believe_believe-nothing-you-hear-and-only-one-ha_334477.jpg) > ““Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see.”” [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Skepticism toward unverified information; trust only what is directly observed and verified. **In simple terms:** Question what you hear; trust only half of what you see. Key Takeaway Verify before believing. Themes skepticism critical thinking information Mood cautious inquisitive Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - news consumption - scientific research - personal decisions - media literacy Key Concepts epistemology perception truth Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify sources? - What evidence do you need before believing? A Different Perspective Blind trust can lead to misinformation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) ## Related quotes > [Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/believe-none-of-what-you-hear-and-half-of-what-you-see/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Where there is SMOKE there is usually FIRE. Believe NONE of what you hear and HALF of what you SEE!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-michelle-rhames/where-there-is-smoke-there-is-usually-fire-believe-none-of-what-you/) L. Michelle Rhames > [Never believe what you hear, and only half of what you see](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-believe-what-you-hear-and-only-half-of-what-you-see/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-j-halter/don-t-believe-anything-you-hear-and-only-half-of-what-you-see/) Stanley J Halter > [Benjamin Franklin said it best, 'Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-muhney/benjamin-franklin-said-it-best-believe-none-of-what-you-hear-and-half/) Michael Muhney > [Believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrthrill/believe-nothing-of-what-you-hear-and-only-half-of-what-you-see/) Mrthrill > [“Believe none of what you hear. Half of what you see. And everything you write.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeph-loeb/believe-none-of-what-you-hear-half-of-what-you-see-and-everything-you/) [Jeph Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeph-loeb/) > [“A man convinced against his will Is of the same opinion still”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/a-man-convinced-against-his-will-is-of-the-same-opinion-still/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [“Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn—and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/any-fool-can-criticize-complain-and-condemn-and-most-fools-do-but-it/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [Never believe what you hear, believe what you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-believe-what-you-hear-believe-what-you-see/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You can't believe everything you hear. Sometimes, you can't even believe your eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/you-can-t-believe-everything-you-hear-sometimes-you-can-t-even/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [As you well know, you just can't believe everything you see and hear, can you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimi-hendrix/as-you-well-know-you-just-can-t-believe-everything-you-see-and-hear/) [Jimi Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimi-hendrix/) > [I think Abraham Lincoln said believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/i-think-abraham-lincoln-said-believe-nothing-of-what-you-hear-and/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [At school, I used to hear, 'You're a half-caste.' They'd laugh at my figure and say, 'Are you a boy or a girl?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-birkin/at-school-i-used-to-hear-you-re-a-half-caste-they-d-laugh-at-my/) [Jane Birkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-birkin/) > [When they called my name, I had this feeling I could hear half of America going, 'Oh no. Come on... Her, again?' You know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/when-they-called-my-name-i-had-this-feeling-i-could-hear-half-of/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) ## More by Edgar Allan Poe > [“From childhood’s hour I have not been As others were—I have not seen As others saw—I could not bring My passions from a common…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/from-childhood-s-hour-i-have-not-been-as-others-were-i-have-not-seen/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [There is no passion in nature so demoniacally impatient, as that of him who, shuddering upon the edge of a precipice, thus meditates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/there-is-no-passion-in-nature-so-demoniacally-impatient-as-that-of/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [To vilify a great man is the readiest way in which a little man can himself attain greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/to-vilify-a-great-man-is-the-readiest-way-in-which-a-little-man-can/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [“A skillful literary artist has constructed a tale. If wise, he has not fashioned his thoughts to accommodate his incidents; but having conceived, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/a-skillful-literary-artist-has-constructed-a-tale-if-wise-he-has-not/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [“For eyes we have no models in the remotely antique.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/for-eyes-we-have-no-models-in-the-remotely-antique/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [“During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/during-the-whole-of-a-dull-dark-and-soundless-day-in-the-autumn-of/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things that escape those who dream only at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/those-who-dream-by-day-are-cognizant-of-many-things-that-escape-those/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [“I have said that the sole effect of my somewhat childish experiment—that of looking down within the tarn—had been to deepen the first singular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/i-have-said-that-the-sole-effect-of-my-somewhat-childish-experiment/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [And all my days are trances, And all my nightly dreams Are where thy dark eye glances, And where thy footstep gleams-- In what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/and-all-my-days-are-trances-and-all-my-nightly-dreams-are-where-thy/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [“Other friends have flown before — On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.” Quoth the raven, “Nevermore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/other-friends-have-flown-before-on-the-morrow-he-will-leave-me-as-my/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [“To the right and left, as far as the eye could reach, there lay outstretched, like ramparts of the world, lines of horridly black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/to-the-right-and-left-as-far-as-the-eye-could-reach-there-lay/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [Men die nightly in their beds, wringing the hands of ghostly confessors ... on account of the hideousness of mysteries which will not suffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/men-die-nightly-in-their-beds-wringing-the-hands-of-ghostly/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [And the Raven, never flitting, Still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas Just above my chamber door; And his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/and-the-raven-never-flitting-still-is-sitting-still-is-sitting-on-the/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [I was forced to fall back upon the unsatisfactory conclusion, that while, beyond doubt, there are combinations of very simple natural objects which have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/i-was-forced-to-fall-back-upon-the-unsatisfactory-conclusion-that/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [“For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise but i feel the bright…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/for-the-moon-never-beams-without-bringing-me-dreams-of-the-beautiful/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) [Explore all 615 Edgar Allan Poe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edgar Allan Poe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/believe-nothing-you-hear-and-only-one-half-that-you-see/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/believe-nothing-you-hear-and-only-one-half-that-you-see/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/edgar-allan-poe-315_believe_believe-nothing-you-hear-and-only-one-ha_334477.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/edgar-allan-poe-315_believe_believe-nothing-you-hear-and-only-one-ha_334477.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/edgar-allan-poe-315_believe_believe-nothing-you-hear-and-only-one-ha_334477.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see.” — Edgar Allan Poe", "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": "Edgar Allan Poe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Believe nothing you hear, and only...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/believe-nothing-you-hear-and-only-one-half-that-you-see/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/believe-nothing-you-hear-and-only-one-half-that-you-see/#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 } } ] } ```