---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What again could this astonishing thing…"
description: "\"“What again could this astonishing thing be like which people were so anxious to contradict, that in doing so they did not mind contradicting themselve..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f10/g-k-chesterton-224_christianity_what-again-could-this-astonishing-thing_1820943.jpg"
---

#  What again could this astonishing thing be like which…

![“What again could this astonishing thing be like which people were so anxious to contradict, that in doing so they did not mind contradicting themselves?” quote by G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f10/g-k-chesterton-224_christianity_what-again-could-this-astonishing-thing_1820943.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f10/g-k-chesterton-224_christianity_what-again-could-this-astonishing-thing_1820943.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f10/g-k-chesterton-224_christianity_what-again-could-this-astonishing-thing_1820943.jpg)

> ““What again could this astonishing thing be like which people were so anxious to contradict, that in doing so they did not mind contradicting themselves?””

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People often argue against ideas without fully understanding them, leading to self‑contradiction.

**In simple terms:** People contradict themselves when anxious to oppose.

Key Takeaway

Seek clarity before opposing.

Themes

argument self‑contradiction anxiety

Mood

thoughtful skeptical

Type

philosophical analytical

When to use this quote

- debates
- political discourse
- academic discussions

Key Concepts

critical thinking philosophical inquiry

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do we feel compelled to contradict?
- How can we ensure arguments are well‑founded?

A Different Perspective

Might oversimplify complex ideas.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/)

## Related quotes

> [Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I can bear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/do-i-contradict-myself-very-well-then-i-can-bear-it/)

[Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/)

> [The principles of logic and mathematics are true universally simply because we never allow them to be anything else. And the reason for this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-ayer/the-principles-of-logic-and-mathematics-are-true-universally-simply/)

[A.J. Ayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-ayer/)

> [How can what an Englishman believes be hearsay? It is a contradiction in terms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/how-can-what-an-englishman-believes-be-hearsay-it-is-a-contradiction/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [“in the course of my observation, these disputing, contradicting, and confuting people are generally unfortunate in their affairs. They get victory sometimes, but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/in-the-course-of-my-observation-these-disputing-contradicting-and/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [We who live in free market societies believe that growth, prosperity and ultimately human fulfillment, are created from the bottom up, not the government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/we-who-live-in-free-market-societies-believe-that-growth-prosperity/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Most of us are in touch with our intuition whether we know it or not, but we're usually in the habit of doubting or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/most-of-us-are-in-touch-with-our-intuition-whether-we-know-it-or-not/)

[Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/)

> [man is free, in so far as he has the power of contradicting himself and his essential nature. Man is free even from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/man-is-free-in-so-far-as-he-has-the-power-of-contradicting-himself/)

[Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/)

> [In writing a novel, the writer must be able to identify emotionally and intellectually with two or three or four contradicting perspectives and give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/in-writing-a-novel-the-writer-must-be-able-to-identify-emotionally/)

[Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/)

> [In science the new is an advance; but in morals, as contradicting our inner ideals and historic idols, it is ever a retrogression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul/in-science-the-new-is-an-advance-but-in-morals-as-contradicting-our/)

[Jean Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul/)

> [God is angry with man. Unless we believe and repent we shall all be damned. It is impossible, indeed, for its advocates even to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/god-is-angry-with-man-unless-we-believe-and-repent-we-shall-all-be/)

[Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/)

> [“Think of mental energy as broadcasting on a certain wavelength,” he tried to explain. “People with powers of the mind can tap into that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-a-george/think-of-mental-energy-as-broadcasting-on-a-certain-wavelength-he/)

[M.A. George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-a-george/)

> [Placed as the fossils are in their several tiers of burial-places the one over the other; we have in them true witnesses of successive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roderick-murchison/placed-as-the-fossils-are-in-their-several-tiers-of-burial-places-the/)

[Roderick Murchison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roderick-murchison/)

> [Theory is worth but little, unless it can explain its own phenomena, and it must effect this without contradicting itself; therefore, the facts are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/theory-is-worth-but-little-unless-it-can-explain-its-own-phenomena/)

[Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/)

> [The joy is an absurd yellow tulip, popping up in my life, contradicting all the evidence that shows it should not be there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-hornbacher/the-joy-is-an-absurd-yellow-tulip-popping-up-in-my-life-contradicting/)

[Marya Hornbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-hornbacher/)

> [I do feel the weight of being the steward of the greatest sport the world ever came up with. I grew up with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-baruchel/i-do-feel-the-weight-of-being-the-steward-of-the-greatest-sport-the/)

[Jay Baruchel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-baruchel/)

## More by G.K. Chesterton

> [“I never use paradox. The statements I make are wearisome and obvious common sense. I have even been driven to the tedium of reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/i-never-use-paradox-the-statements-i-make-are-wearisome-and-obvious/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [“Nothing, again, could be more prosaic and impenetrable than the domestic energies of Miss Diana Duke. But Innocent had somehow blundered on the discovery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/nothing-again-could-be-more-prosaic-and-impenetrable-than-the/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [“The mass of men have been forced to be gay about the little things, but sad about the big ones. Nevertheless (I offer my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-mass-of-men-have-been-forced-to-be-gay-about-the-little-things/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [“ask yourself how many people you have met who grumbled at a thing as incurable, and how many who attacked it as curable? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/ask-yourself-how-many-people-you-have-met-who-grumbled-at-a-thing-as/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [“The human race, to which so many of my readers belong, has been playing at children's games from the beginning, and will probably do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-human-race-to-which-so-many-of-my-readers-belong-has-been-playing/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [“Internationalism is in any case hostile to democracy….The only purely popular government is local, and founded on local knowledge. The citizens can rule the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/internationalism-is-in-any-case-hostile-to-democracy-the-only-purely/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [“There was a short railway official travelling up to the terminus, three fairly short market-gardeners picked up two stations afterwards, one very short widow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/there-was-a-short-railway-official-travelling-up-to-the-terminus/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [“Humility is the mother of giants. One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/humility-is-the-mother-of-giants-one-sees-great-things-from-the/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [“Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/anything-worth-doing-is-worth-doing-badly/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [“There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/there-exists-in-such-a-case-a-certain-institution-or-law-let-us-say/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [“Man, by a blind instinct, knew that if once things were wildly questioned, reason could be questioned first. The authority of priests to absolve,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/man-by-a-blind-instinct-knew-that-if-once-things-were-wildly/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [“It is idle to talk always of the alternative of reason and faith. Reason is itself a matter of faith. It is an act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/it-is-idle-to-talk-always-of-the-alternative-of-reason-and-faith/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [“But in order that life should be a story or romance to us, it is necessary that a great part of it, at any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/but-in-order-that-life-should-be-a-story-or-romance-to-us-it-is/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [“Buddhism seeks after God with the largest conception it can find, the all-producing and all-absorbing One; Christianity seeks after God with the most elementary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/buddhism-seeks-after-god-with-the-largest-conception-it-can-find-the/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [“Man is more himself, more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing and grief superficial.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/man-is-more-himself-more-manlike-when-joy-is-the-fundamental-thing/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

[Explore all 853 G.K. Chesterton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

## More Christianity quotes

> [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/)

[Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/)

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/)

[Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/)

> [“some of my good Baptist brethren in Georgia had done a little preaching from the pulpit against the KKK, I would have a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/some-of-my-good-baptist-brethren-in-georgia-had-done-a-little/)

[Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/)

> [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [“every church can treat each discipleship class and each worship service as an opportunity for continual rehearsal of what the words, stories, symbols, rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/every-church-can-treat-each-discipleship-class-and-each-worship/)

[Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/)

> [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [“A question for Christians who accept evolution: When did we gain a "soul"? Did Homo habilis have a soul? Homo ergaster? Did God only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/a-question-for-christians-who-accept-evolution-when-did-we-gain-a/)

[David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/)

> [The notion of a non-religious Christmas is ridiculous. But so is the insistence on the part of Christians that politicians and retailers carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/the-notion-of-a-non-religious-christmas-is-ridiculous-but-so-is-the/)

[Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/)

> [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/)

[Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/)

> [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-platt/every-saved-person-this-side-of-heaven-owes-the-gospel-to-every-lost/)

[David Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-platt/)

> [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/)

[Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/)

[Browse all 14,385 Christianity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“What again could this astonishing thing be like which people were so anxious to contradict, that in doing so they did not mind contradicting themselves?”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "G.K. Chesterton"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/what-again-could-this-astonishing-thing-be-like-which-people-were-so/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Christianity"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/what-again-could-this-astonishing-thing-be-like-which-people-were-so/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f10/g-k-chesterton-224_christianity_what-again-could-this-astonishing-thing_1820943.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f10/g-k-chesterton-224_christianity_what-again-could-this-astonishing-thing_1820943.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f10/g-k-chesterton-224_christianity_what-again-could-this-astonishing-thing_1820943.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“What again could this astonishing thing be like which people were so anxious to contradict, that in doing so…” — G.K. Chesterton",
                "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": "G.K. Chesterton",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“What again could this astonishing thing...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/what-again-could-this-astonishing-thing-be-like-which-people-were-so/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/what-again-could-this-astonishing-thing-be-like-which-people-were-so/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
