--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Over immense periods of time the…" description: "\"Over immense periods of time the intellect produced nothing but errors. A few of these proved to be useful and helped to preserve the species: those wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef9/friedrich-nietzsche-15_articles_over-immense-periods-of-time-the-intelle_21318.jpg" --- # Over immense periods of time the intellect produced… ![“Over immense periods of time the intellect produced nothing but errors. A few of these proved to be useful and helped to preserve the species: those who hit upon or inherited these had better luck in their struggle for themselves and their progeny. Such erroneous articles of faith... include the…” quote by Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef9/friedrich-nietzsche-15_articles_over-immense-periods-of-time-the-intelle_21318.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef9/friedrich-nietzsche-15_articles_over-immense-periods-of-time-the-intelle_21318.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef9/friedrich-nietzsche-15_articles_over-immense-periods-of-time-the-intelle_21318.jpg) > “Over immense periods of time the intellect produced nothing but errors. A few of these proved to be useful and helped to preserve the species: those who hit upon or inherited these had better luck in their struggle for themselves and their progeny. Such erroneous articles of faith... include the following: that there are things, substances, bodies; that a thing is what it appears to be; that our will is free; that what is good for me is also good in itself.” [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human intellect, over vast epochs, generates mostly mistakes; only a few erroneous beliefs prove advantageous for survival and reproduction. **In simple terms:** Mistakes dominate thought, few aid survival. Key Takeaway Errors can be evolutionarily useful. Themes Epistemology Evolutionary biology Philosophy of mind Determinism Free will Mood Reflective Skeptical Cautious Type Philosophical Critical Reflective When to use this quote - Scientific theorizing - Cultural tradition formation - Personal decision making - Societal norm development Key Concepts Error as adaptive Survival advantage Inherited beliefs Practical Applications - Critical analysis of belief systems - Design of resilient institutions Questions to Reflect On - How do we differentiate useful errors from harmful ones? - What role does error play in cultural evolution? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Intellect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellect/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Progeny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progeny/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [We have arranged for ourselves a world in which we can live - by positing bodies, lines, planes, causes and effects, motion and rest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/we-have-arranged-for-ourselves-a-world-in-which-we-can-live-by/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [WHEN reading my present treatise, bear in mind that by "faith" we do not understand merely that which is uttered with the lips, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maimonides/when-reading-my-present-treatise-bear-in-mind-that-by-faith-we-do-not/) [Maimonides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maimonides/) > [“Hence the fact that some happen to doubt about articles of faith is not due to the uncertain nature of the truths, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/hence-the-fact-that-some-happen-to-doubt-about-articles-of-faith-is/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [“ Combien de choses nous servoyent hier d’articles de foy, qui nous sont fables aujourd’huy? 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