Believe Quote by Gertrude Stein
“Eating and sleeping are not like loving and breathing. Washing is not like eating and sleeping. Believing is like breathing and loving. Religion can be believing, it can be like breathing, it can be like loving, it can be like eating or sleeping, it can be like washing, it can be something to fill up a place when someone has lost out of them a piece that it was not natural for them to have in them.”
About This Quote
The passage contrasts essential, involuntary acts (breathing, loving) with learned or ritualized behaviors (eating, sleeping, washing, religion), suggesting belief can be as natural as breathing.
In simple terms: Belief can be as innate as breathing, unlike habits or rituals.
Key Takeaway
Belief may be an innate, natural process.
Themes
philosophy
spirituality
human nature
ritual
Mood
contemplative
reflective
Type
philosophical
metaphorical
When to use this quote
- discussing religious practice
- explaining habit formation
- teaching mindfulness
Key Concepts
essential vs. constructed actions
nature of belief
Practical Applications
- encourage introspection on what feels natural vs. imposed
Questions to Reflect On
- What distinguishes an innate feeling from a learned habit?
- Can belief ever be truly involuntary?
A Different Perspective
The analogy may oversimplify complex cultural and psychological dimensions of belief.
![“What is the answer?" [ I [Alice B Toklas] was silent ] In that case, what is the question?” quote by Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/eec/gertrude-stein-667_last-words_what-is-the-answer-i-alice-b-toklas-was_43063.jpg)
