--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The life of a thinking man will probably…" description: "\"The life of a thinking man will probably be divided into two parts -- the first in which he desires to exterminate modern thinkers, and the second in w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_abstract_the-life-of-a-thinking-man-will-probably_2224199.jpg" --- # The life of a thinking man will probably be divided into… ![“The life of a thinking man will probably be divided into two parts -- the first in which he desires to exterminate modern thinkers, and the second in which he desires to watch them exterminating each other. ... Suppose, for instance, there is an old story and a new skeptic who is skeptical of the…” quote by Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_abstract_the-life-of-a-thinking-man-will-probably_2224199.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_abstract_the-life-of-a-thinking-man-will-probably_2224199.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_abstract_the-life-of-a-thinking-man-will-probably_2224199.jpg) > “The life of a thinking man will probably be divided into two parts -- the first in which he desires to exterminate modern thinkers, and the second in which he desires to watch them exterminating each other. ... Suppose, for instance, there is an old story and a new skeptic who is skeptical of the story. We have only to wait a little while for a yet newer skeptic who is skeptical of the skeptic. He will probably find the old notion actually a help in his new notion. This process is an abstract truth applying to anything, apart from agreement or disagreement.” [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-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. Human thought evolves through cycles of skepticism, where each new doubt builds on the previous, showing that ideas are constantly re‑examined. **In simple terms:** Ideas are repeatedly questioned by new skeptics. Key Takeaway Embrace questioning as growth. Themes philosophy skepticism progression Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - academic debate - personal belief formation - scientific research - political discourse Key Concepts dialectics intellectual history Questions to Reflect On - What belief have you re‑evaluated recently? - How does skepticism drive innovation? A Different Perspective Constant skepticism can lead to cynicism if not balanced with constructive dialogue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abstract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) [Agreement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agreement/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Skeptic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skeptic/) [Skeptical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skeptical/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Thinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinker/) [Thinkers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinkers/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Dan Rather is guilty of not being skeptical enough about a story that was politically loaded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/dan-rather-is-guilty-of-not-being-skeptical-enough-about-a-story-that/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [Advances are Made by Answering Questions. Discoveries are Made by Questioning Answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-haisch/advances-are-made-by-answering-questions-discoveries-are-made-by-2/) [Bernard Haisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-haisch/) > [In practice, the goal of skepticism is not the discovery of truth, but the exposure of other people's errors. It plays a useful role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-sheldrake/in-practice-the-goal-of-skepticism-is-not-the-discovery-of-truth-but/) [Rupert Sheldrake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-sheldrake/) > [“I am metaphysical being, mystical and emotional, skeptical and cynical, happy and boisterous, loud and bawdy, quiet and melancholy, tender and cruel, full of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/i-am-metaphysical-being-mystical-and-emotional-skeptical-and-cynical/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [If you are only skeptical, then no new ideas make it through to you. You become a crotchety old person convinced that nonsense is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/if-you-are-only-skeptical-then-no-new-ideas-make-it-through-to-you-2/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/fools-and-fanatics-are-always-so-certain-of-themselves/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“People will say,"there's heaven and hell", and they take it so serious that they look so sorrowful with penitence. I would rather ask them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/people-will-say-there-s-heaven-and-hell-and-they-take-it-so-serious/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [In science it often happens that scientists say, "You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken..."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/in-science-it-often-happens-that-scientists-say-you-know-that-s-a-2/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The opinions that are held with passion are always those for which no good ground exists; indeed the passion is the measure of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-opinions-that-are-held-with-passion-are-always-those-for-which-no/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [When a man finds a conclusion agreeable, he accepts it without argument, but when he finds it disagreeable, he will bring against it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/when-a-man-finds-a-conclusion-agreeable-he-accepts-it-without/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [“Don’t believe the skeptics. Rather, be skeptical of their skepticism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/don-t-believe-the-skeptics-rather-be-skeptical-of-their-skepticism/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I am afraid that those comments go back to the late 80's. At that time I was a skeptic - the argument based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/i-am-afraid-that-those-comments-go-back-to-the-late-80-s-at-that-time/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) > [An unconscious people, an indoctrinated people, a people fed only partisan information and opinion that confirm their own bias, a people made morbidly obese…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/an-unconscious-people-an-indoctrinated-people-a-people-fed-only/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [If you are only skeptical, then no new ideas make it through to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/if-you-are-only-skeptical-then-no-new-ideas-make-it-through-to-you/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Cynicism and skepticism are the crudest form of quasi-intellectualism... Let the cynic become cynical of his cynicism and the skeptic skeptical of his skepticism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/cynicism-and-skepticism-are-the-crudest-form-of-quasi-intellectualism/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) ## More by Gilbert K. Chesterton > [The aim of good prose words is to mean what they say. The aim of good poetical words is to mean what they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-aim-of-good-prose-words-is-to-mean-what-they-say-the-aim-of-good/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Youth is always too serious, and just now it is too serious about frivolity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/youth-is-always-too-serious-and-just-now-it-is-too-serious-about/) [Gilbert K. 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People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/a-building-is-akin-to-dogma-it-is-insolent-like-dogma-whether-or-no/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [The triangle of truisms, of father, mother and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-triangle-of-truisms-of-father-mother-and-child-cannot-be/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Criticism is only words about words, and of what use are words about such words as these?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/criticism-is-only-words-about-words-and-of-what-use-are-words-about/) [Gilbert K. 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