--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Similarly, there are multitudes who lose…" description: "\"“Similarly, there are multitudes who lose their lives pondering what they ought to believe, while something lies at their door waiting to be done, and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/george-macdonald-295_multitudes_similarly-there-are-multitudes-who-lose_2932099.png" --- # Similarly, there are multitudes who lose their lives… ![“Similarly, there are multitudes who lose their lives pondering what they ought to believe, while something lies at their door waiting to be done, and rendering it impossible for him who makes it wait, ever to know what to believe.” quote by George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/george-macdonald-295_multitudes_similarly-there-are-multitudes-who-lose_2932099.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/george-macdonald-295_multitudes_similarly-there-are-multitudes-who-lose_2932099.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/george-macdonald-295_multitudes_similarly-there-are-multitudes-who-lose_2932099.png) > ““Similarly, there are multitudes who lose their lives pondering what they ought to believe, while something lies at their door waiting to be done, and rendering it impossible for him who makes it wait, ever to know what to believe.”” [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People waste lives pondering belief while action waits at their door, preventing true understanding. **In simple terms:** Action reveals belief. Key Takeaway Act to discover truth. Themes faith action uncertainty Mood thoughtful introspective Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - decision making - spiritual practice - personal development Key Concepts existentialism pragmatism Questions to Reflect On - What action can clarify your beliefs? - How does waiting hinder growth? A Different Perspective Action without reflection can be misguided. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“You say we could lose our lives for this child. I would consider that the greatest honor that could come to my family.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/you-say-we-could-lose-our-lives-for-this-child-i-would-consider-that/) [Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/) > [I grew up and I saw a lot of people lose their lives or fall into a bad place. It really bothered me because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-michael-murray/i-grew-up-and-i-saw-a-lot-of-people-lose-their-lives-or-fall-into-a/) [Chad Michael Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-michael-murray/) > [“I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/i-believe-the-savior-is-telling-us-that-unless-we-lose-ourselves-in/) [Thomas S. 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Men eat themselves up believing they have to be the thing they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/women-lose-their-lives-not-knowing-they-can-do-something-different/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [Every decision in government is so important, especially when it comes to the military where thousands of people can lose their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/every-decision-in-government-is-so-important-especially-when-it-comes/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [People lose their lives in the drug wars and you don't have to prove it to yourself because others have proved it for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemmy-kilmister/people-lose-their-lives-in-the-drug-wars-and-you-don-t-have-to-prove/) [Lemmy Kilmister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemmy-kilmister/) > [Mental illness and gun violence are not directly correlated, but when the two go hand in hand, Americans - often children - lose their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-gonzalez/mental-illness-and-gun-violence-are-not-directly-correlated-but-when/) [Emma Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-gonzalez/) > [We didn't lose as many lives as had been predicted although we're still in the process of finding those we lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-blanco/we-didn-t-lose-as-many-lives-as-had-been-predicted-although-we-re/) [Kathleen Blanco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-blanco/) > [I don't cheer when people lose their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcguinness/i-don-t-cheer-when-people-lose-their-lives/) [Martin McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcguinness/) > [“People do not like to lose their lives. That is the reason why they should not take other people's.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/people-do-not-like-to-lose-their-lives-that-is-the-reason-why-they/) [Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/) > [We can win the struggle to avoid responsibility for our personal lives, but if we do, what we lose is our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-coudert/we-can-win-the-struggle-to-avoid-responsibility-for-our-personal/) [Jo Coudert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-coudert/) > [“People don't lose their lives, Your Majesty. Their lives are taken from them, or else they lay them down themselves." And which will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherryl-jordan/people-don-t-lose-their-lives-your-majesty-their-lives-are-taken-from/) [Sherryl Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherryl-jordan/) ## More by George MacDonald > [“No revelation can be other than partial. If for true revelation a man must be told all the truth, then farewell to revelation; yea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/no-revelation-can-be-other-than-partial-if-for-true-revelation-a-man/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [In low theologies, hell is invariably the deepest truth, and the love of God is not so deep as hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/in-low-theologies-hell-is-invariably-the-deepest-truth-and-the-love/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Life and religion are one, or neither is any thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/life-and-religion-are-one-or-neither-is-any-thing/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [The region belonging to the pure intellect is straitened: the imagination labours to extend its territories, to give it room. She sweeps across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/the-region-belonging-to-the-pure-intellect-is-straitened-the/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Come, then, affliction, if my Father wills, and be my frowning friend. A friend that frowns is better than a smiling enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/come-then-affliction-if-my-father-wills-and-be-my-frowning-friend-a/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Ah, what is it we send up thither, where our thoughts are either a dissonance or a sweetness and a grace?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/ah-what-is-it-we-send-up-thither-where-our-thoughts-are-either-a/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [You must learn to be strong in the dark as well as in the day, else you will always be only half brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/you-must-learn-to-be-strong-in-the-dark-as-well-as-in-the-day-else/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“Few delights can equal the mere presence of one whom we trust utterly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/few-delights-can-equal-the-mere-presence-of-one-whom-we-trust-utterly/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“You have tasted of death now,” said the old man. “Is it good?” “It is good,” said Mossy. “It is better than life.” “No,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/you-have-tasted-of-death-now-said-the-old-man-is-it-good-it-is-good/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [ “I wish I had \[made that song\]. No, I don't That would be to take it from somebody else. But it's mine for all… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-wish-i-had-made-that-song-no-i-don-t-that-would-be-to-take-it-from/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Past tears are present strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/past-tears-are-present-strength/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Age is not all decay; it is the ripening, the swelling, of the fresh life within, that withers and bursts the husk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/age-is-not-all-decay-it-is-the-ripening-the-swelling-of-the-fresh/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [I want to help you grow as beautiful as God meant you to be when he thought of you first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-want-to-help-you-grow-as-beautiful-as-god-meant-you-to-be-when-he/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“Immeasurably imperfect it was, but false the impression could not be, for she saw with the eyes made for seeing, and saw indeed what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/immeasurably-imperfect-it-was-but-false-the-impression-could-not-be/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Those that hope little cannot grow much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/those-that-hope-little-cannot-grow-much/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) [Explore all 720 George MacDonald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) ## More Multitudes quotes > [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/) [Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/) > [The purpose of a spirit filled life is to demonstrate the supernatural power of our living God so that the unsaved multitudes will abandon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-l-osborn/the-purpose-of-a-spirit-filled-life-is-to-demonstrate-the/) [T.L. Osborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-l-osborn/) > [It is according to the shapes that I lay the plans for victory, but the multitude does not comprehend this. Although everyone can see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-according-to-the-shapes-that-i-lay-the-plans-for-victory-but/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [Mass adulation from the multitudes does not penetrate your soul or your core.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-o-donnell/mass-adulation-from-the-multitudes-does-not-penetrate-your-soul-or/) [Rosie O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-o-donnell/) > [Ideal for the child and society in the best of times, Rudolf Steiner's brilliant process of education is critically needed and profoundly relevant now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-chilton-pearce/ideal-for-the-child-and-society-in-the-best-of-times-rudolf-steiner-s/) [Joseph Chilton Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-chilton-pearce/) > [You probably have to split yourself in various ways just in order to survive, and to think of yourself as a multitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-seshadri/you-probably-have-to-split-yourself-in-various-ways-just-in-order-to/) [Vijay Seshadri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-seshadri/) > [Great blunders are often made, like large ropes, of a multitude of fibres.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/great-blunders-are-often-made-like-large-ropes-of-a-multitude-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [A good, finished scandal, fully armed and equipped, such as circulates in the world, is rarely the production of a single individual, or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-swetchine/a-good-finished-scandal-fully-armed-and-equipped-such-as-circulates/) [Sophie Swetchine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-swetchine/) > [People who are not prepared to do unpopular things and defy the clamor of the multitude are not fit to be ministers in time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/people-who-are-not-prepared-to-do-unpopular-things-and-defy-the/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [How many small decisions accumulate to form a habit? What a multitude of decisions, made by others, in other times, must shape our lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-griffin/how-many-small-decisions-accumulate-to-form-a-habit-what-a-multitude/) [Susan Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-griffin/) > [Jesus Christ would have been considered just another long-haired hippie freak if he hadn't been crucified. The folks weren't impressed with healing the sick,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-turner/jesus-christ-would-have-been-considered-just-another-long-haired/) [Ted Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-turner/) > [We may... affirm that the balance of power in a society accompanies the balance of property in land. The only possible way, then, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/we-may-affirm-that-the-balance-of-power-in-a-society-accompanies-the/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/he-has-erected-a-multitude-of-new-offices-and-sent-hither-swarms-of/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [We should all aspire in life to do a multitude of things well - to be a great father, to be a good husband,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-modine/we-should-all-aspire-in-life-to-do-a-multitude-of-things-well-to-be-a/) [Matthew Modine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-modine/) > [Trusting people to be creative and constructive when given more freedom does not imply an overly optimistic belief in the perfectibility of human nature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/trusting-people-to-be-creative-and-constructive-when-given-more/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) Browse all 653 Multitudes quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Similarly, there are multitudes who lose their lives pondering what they ought to believe, while something lies at their door waiting to be done, and rendering it impossible for him who makes it wait, ever to know what to believe.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George MacDonald" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/similarly-there-are-multitudes-who-lose-their-lives-pondering-what/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Multitudes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/similarly-there-are-multitudes-who-lose-their-lives-pondering-what/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/george-macdonald-295_multitudes_similarly-there-are-multitudes-who-lose_2932099.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/george-macdonald-295_multitudes_similarly-there-are-multitudes-who-lose_2932099.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/george-macdonald-295_multitudes_similarly-there-are-multitudes-who-lose_2932099.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Similarly, there are multitudes who lose their lives pondering what they ought to believe, while something…” — George MacDonald", "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": "George MacDonald", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Similarly, there are multitudes who lose...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/similarly-there-are-multitudes-who-lose-their-lives-pondering-what/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/similarly-there-are-multitudes-who-lose-their-lives-pondering-what/#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 } } ] } ```