Belief Quote by Emily M. Danforth
““I thought about that while he made his next calls, while I kept on with the newsletters. I thought about it during Sunday service at Word of Life, and during study hours in my room, with the Viking Erin and her squeaky pink highlighter. What it meant to really believe in something—for real. Belief. The big dictionary in the Promise library said it meant something one accepts as true or real; a firmly held conviction or opinion . But even that definition, as short and simple as it was, confused me. True or real : Those were definite words; opinion and conviction just weren't—opinions wavered and changed and fluctuated with the person, the situation. And most troubling of all was the word accepts. Something one accepts . I was much better at excepting everything than accepting anything, at least anything for certain, for definite. That much I knew. That much I believed.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh, 2022
The passage wrestles with the difficulty of defining belief, contrasting certainty with opinion, and the struggle to truly accept something as real.
In simple terms: Belief is hard to define and accept.
Key Takeaway
Examine what you truly accept versus what you merely tolerate.
Themes
faith
certainty
self‑reflection
language
philosophy
Mood
contemplative
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- personal journaling
- spiritual study
- dialogue with friends
- reading philosophy
Key Concepts
epistemology
identity
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- What does acceptance mean to you?
- How do you distinguish opinion from conviction?
A Different Perspective
Belief can be fluid and context‑dependent, making firm convictions elusive.
