--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some men covet knowledge out of a natural…" description: "\"Some men covet knowledge out of a natural curiosity and inquisitive temper; some to entertain the mind with variety and delight; some for ornament and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/francis-bacon-297_benefits_some-men-covet-knowledge-out-of-a-natura_3049141.jpg" --- # Some men covet knowledge out of a natural curiosity and… ![“Some men covet knowledge out of a natural curiosity and inquisitive temper; some to entertain the mind with variety and delight; some for ornament and reputation; some for victory and contention; many for lucre and a livelihood; and but few for employing the Divine gift of reason to the use and…” quote by Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/francis-bacon-297_benefits_some-men-covet-knowledge-out-of-a-natura_3049141.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/francis-bacon-297_benefits_some-men-covet-knowledge-out-of-a-natura_3049141.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/francis-bacon-297_benefits_some-men-covet-knowledge-out-of-a-natura_3049141.jpg) > “Some men covet knowledge out of a natural curiosity and inquisitive temper; some to entertain the mind with variety and delight; some for ornament and reputation; some for victory and contention; many for lucre and a livelihood; and but few for employing the Divine gift of reason to the use and benefit of mankind.” [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People pursue knowledge for varied motives—curiosity, entertainment, status, profit, or altruism—highlighting diverse human drives. **In simple terms:** Knowledge sought for many reasons. Key Takeaway Understand personal motives behind learning. Themes knowledge motivation curiosity status altruism Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - education - career planning - research - personal development Key Concepts philosophy psychology ethics human nature Questions to Reflect On - What drives your learning? - How do you balance self‑interest and altruism? A Different Perspective Motives can conflict, causing ethical dilemmas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Benefits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits/) [Contention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contention/) [Covet Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/covet-knowledge-615349/) [Curiosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity/) [Curiosity Inquisitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity-inquisitive-5062789/) [Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine/) [Employing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employing/) [Inquisitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inquisitive/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Livelihood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/livelihood/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Covet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-covet-5062788/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Natural curiosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-curiosity/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Ornaments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ornaments/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Reputation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reputation/) [Temper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temper/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Variety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/variety/) [Victory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victory/) ## Related quotes > [But the greatest error of all the rest is the mistaking or misplacing of the last or farthest end of knowledge: for men have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/but-the-greatest-error-of-all-the-rest-is-the-mistaking-or-misplacing/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [A playful mind is inquisitive, and learning is fun. If you indulge your natural curiosity and retain a sense of fun in new experience,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/a-playful-mind-is-inquisitive-and-learning-is-fun-if-you-indulge-your/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [“It is by the activity of our passions, that our reason improves: we covet knowledge merely because we covet enjoyment, and it is impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/it-is-by-the-activity-of-our-passions-that-our-reason-improves-we/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“Why covet a knowledge of new facts? Day and night, house and garden, a few books, a few actions, serve us as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/why-covet-a-knowledge-of-new-facts-day-and-night-house-and-garden-a/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Provide lots of opportunities for children's natural curiosity to manifest itself. With very young children, our role is one of supporter and guide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-katz/provide-lots-of-opportunities-for-children-s-natural-curiosity-to/) [Lilian Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-katz/) > [Science is fun. Science is curiosity. We all have natural curiosity. Science is a process of investigating. It's posing questions and coming up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-ride/science-is-fun-science-is-curiosity-we-all-have-natural-curiosity/) [Sally Ride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-ride/) > [I have a natural curiosity for people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-haslam/i-have-a-natural-curiosity-for-people/) [Nicholas Haslam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-haslam/) > [I have a natural curiosity about the world, and I just love to talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-campbell/i-have-a-natural-curiosity-about-the-world-and-i-just-love-to-talk/) [Danielle Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-campbell/) > [I have a natural curiosity about things, in general. I'm constantly trying to find out how things work and how I can put them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-monaghan/i-have-a-natural-curiosity-about-things-in-general-i-m-constantly/) [Dominic Monaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-monaghan/) > [The whole art of teaching is the only art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/the-whole-art-of-teaching-is-the-only-art-of-awakening-the-natural/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [“The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of the mind for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/the-whole-art-of-teaching-is-only-the-art-of-awakening-the-natural/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [“Or is there a natural curiosity and sense of wonder that arises and puts you very much in touch with all of the mysterious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala/or-is-there-a-natural-curiosity-and-sense-of-wonder-that-arises-and/) [Nirmala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala/) > [I found, when I was working in restaurants, that I did have this sort of natural curiosity about why things work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-kenji-lopez-alt/i-found-when-i-was-working-in-restaurants-that-i-did-have-this-sort/) [J. Kenji Lopez-Alt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kenji-lopez-alt/) > [The whole plan hinged upon the natural curiosity of potatoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-lem/the-whole-plan-hinged-upon-the-natural-curiosity-of-potatoes/) [Stanislaw Lem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-lem/) > [In order for humanity to survive in the twenty-first century and beyond, we must nurture rather than repress children's natural curiosity. We must encourage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-k-chappell/in-order-for-humanity-to-survive-in-the-twenty-first-century-and/) [Paul K. Chappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-k-chappell/) ## More by Francis Bacon > [Princes are like heavenly bodies, which cause good or evil times, and which have much veneration, but no rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/princes-are-like-heavenly-bodies-which-cause-good-or-evil-times-and/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The best preservative to keep the mind in health is the faithful admonition of a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-best-preservative-to-keep-the-mind-in-health-is-the-faithful/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Since custom is the principal magistrate of man's life, let men by all means endeavor to obtain good customs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/since-custom-is-the-principal-magistrate-of-man-s-life-let-men-by-all/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Painting today is pure intuition and luck and taking advantage of what happens when you splash the stuff down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/painting-today-is-pure-intuition-and-luck-and-taking-advantage-of/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [I usually accept bribes from both sides so that tainted money can never influence my decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/i-usually-accept-bribes-from-both-sides-so-that-tainted-money-can/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Much bending breaks the bow; much unbending the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/much-bending-breaks-the-bow-much-unbending-the-mind/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [When Christ came into the world, peace was sung; and when He went out of the world, peace was bequeathed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/when-christ-came-into-the-world-peace-was-sung-and-when-he-went-out/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [...neither is it possible to discover the more remote and deeper parts of any science, if you stand but upon the level of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/neither-is-it-possible-to-discover-the-more-remote-and-deeper-parts/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The divisions of science are not like different lines that meet in one angle, but rather like the branches of trees that join in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-divisions-of-science-are-not-like-different-lines-that-meet-in/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The human understanding, when any preposition has been once laid down... forces everything else to add fresh support and confirmation; and although more cogent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-human-understanding-when-any-preposition-has-been-once-laid-down/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [I should have been, I don't know, a con-man, a robber or a prostitute. But it was vanity that made me choose painting, vanity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/i-should-have-been-i-don-t-know-a-con-man-a-robber-or-a-prostitute/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Wounds cannot be cured without searching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/wounds-cannot-be-cured-without-searching/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The French are wiser than they seem, and the Spaniards seem wiser than they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-french-are-wiser-than-they-seem-and-the-spaniards-seem-wiser-than/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [When a man laughs at his troubles he loses a great many friends. They never forgive the loss of their prerogative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/when-a-man-laughs-at-his-troubles-he-loses-a-great-many-friends-they/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Believing that I was born for the service of mankind, and regarding the care of the commonwealth as a kind of common property which,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/believing-that-i-was-born-for-the-service-of-mankind-and-regarding/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) [Explore all 711 Francis Bacon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) ## More Benefits quotes > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. Anything bad can be transformed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/anger-is-a-rough-water-if-you-can-canalize-it-into-a-water-mill-you/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Shortly after I turned 50, both Ted Turner and the AARP came into my life. The only difference? With AARP, there were benefits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/shortly-after-i-turned-50-both-ted-turner-and-the-aarp-came-into-my/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [Politics is about power. It is about the power of the state. It is about the power of the state as applied to individuals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rudd/politics-is-about-power-it-is-about-the-power-of-the-state-it-is/) [Kevin Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rudd/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Trust is about keeping commitments, but in many instances, circumstances change and organizations therefore shed commitments, things such as retiree medical benefits, pension obligations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/trust-is-about-keeping-commitments-but-in-many-instances/) [Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-us-think-of-education-as-the-means-of-developing-our-greatest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To really be of benefit to others as the Buddha always taught, we ourselves must first get out of the swamp. One of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/to-really-be-of-benefit-to-others-as-the-buddha-always-taught-we/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I won the seat of Oxley largely on an issue that has resulted in me being called a racist. 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