Certainty Quote by George Eliot
“Consequences are unpitying. Our deeds carry their terrible consequences, quite apart from any fluctuations that went before—consequences that are hardly ever confined to ourselves. And it is best to fix our minds on that certainty, instead of considering what may be the elements of excuse for us.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Middlemarch, 1871
Actions inevitably produce consequences that extend beyond personal intent, demanding accountability.
In simple terms: Every deed has far‑reaching effects.
Key Takeaway
Consider the wider impact of your choices.
Themes
responsibility
consequences
ethics
accountability
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- business decisions
- policy making
- personal relationships
- environmental actions
Key Concepts
cause and effect
moral philosophy
social impact
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you anticipate unintended outcomes?
- What systems help track ripple effects?
A Different Perspective
Consequences can be unpredictable and indirect.
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
![“[I]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge in mathematics, in so far as disposed through it we are able to reach certainty in other sciences and truth by the exclusion of error.” quote by Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d13/roger-bacon-15067_able_i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-a_24209.jpg)