--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is always in the healthy mind an…" description: "\"There is always in the healthy mind an obscure prompting that religion teaches us rather to dig than to climb; that if we could once understand the com..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_apocalypse_there-is-always-in-the-healthy-mind-an-o_1724386.jpg" --- # There is always in the healthy mind an obscure prompting… ![“There is always in the healthy mind an obscure prompting that religion teaches us rather to dig than to climb; that if we could once understand the common clay of earth we should understand everything. Similarly, we have the sentiment that if we could destroy custom at a blow and see the stars as…” quote by Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_apocalypse_there-is-always-in-the-healthy-mind-an-o_1724386.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_apocalypse_there-is-always-in-the-healthy-mind-an-o_1724386.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/gilbert-k-chesterton-223_apocalypse_there-is-always-in-the-healthy-mind-an-o_1724386.jpg) > “There is always in the healthy mind an obscure prompting that religion teaches us rather to dig than to climb; that if we could once understand the common clay of earth we should understand everything. Similarly, we have the sentiment that if we could destroy custom at a blow and see the stars as a child sees them, we should need no other apocalypse. This is the great truth which has always lain at the back of baby-worship, and which will support it to the end.” [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. Understanding the fundamental material of the world reveals deeper truths, and shedding societal conventions can restore childlike wonder. **In simple terms:** Seeing basic reality and dropping customs reveal truth. Key Takeaway Seek simple truths and keep wonder alive. Themes philosophy religion wonder convention truth Mood curious contemplative Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal reflection - spiritual inquiry - creative thinking Key Concepts materialism skepticism childlike perception Questions to Reflect On - What basic truths are you overlooking? - How can you balance wonder with responsibility? A Different Perspective The idea may overlook practical constraints of societal structures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apocalypse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apocalypse/) [Baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Customs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customs/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Healthy mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healthy-mind/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Sentiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentiments/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) ## Related quotes > [If we could destroy custom at a blow and see the stars as a child sees them, we should need no other apocalypse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/if-we-could-destroy-custom-at-a-blow-and-see-the-stars-as-a-child/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [“​Do get a copy of this book you can keep. If you use it right, it’ll be covered in dirt and blood splatter by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-breakwell/do-get-a-copy-of-this-book-you-can-keep-if-you-use-it-right-it-ll-be/) [James Breakwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-breakwell/) > [“Each and every tiny thing, every human, animal, bird, fish, insect, plant and stones on Earth Mother vibrate to their own individual frequency that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-standing-bear-moore/each-and-every-tiny-thing-every-human-animal-bird-fish-insect-plant/) [Lee Standing Bear Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-standing-bear-moore/) > [“There was something formless and perfect before the universe was born... Thus, to know humanity, understand earth. To know earth, understand heaven. To know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-w-dyer/there-was-something-formless-and-perfect-before-the-universe-was-born-2/) [Wayne W. Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-w-dyer/) > [“Death is never easy. That’s why we have to make the most of the time we have on God’s green earth, understand?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-love/death-is-never-easy-that-s-why-we-have-to-make-the-most-of-the-time/) [Frankie Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-love/) > [You will never find scientists leading armies into battle. You just won’t. Especially not astrophysicists -we see the biggest picture there is. We understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-will-never-find-scientists-leading-armies-into-battle-you-just/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Tradition is only democracy extended through time; it may be defined as an extension of the franchise. Tradition means giving votes to the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/tradition-is-only-democracy-extended-through-time-it-may-be-defined/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Science teaches you to open your eyes and appreciate the reality around you. Religion teaches you to close your eyes and cling to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-alan-harvey/science-teaches-you-to-open-your-eyes-and-appreciate-the-reality/) [David Alan Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-alan-harvey/) > [There is nothing in our book, the Koran, that teaches us to suffer peacefully. Our religion teaches us to be intelligent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/there-is-nothing-in-our-book-the-koran-that-teaches-us-to-suffer/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [A religion that teaches you God is something outside the world--something separate from everything you see, smell, taste, touch, and hear--is nothing but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-religion-that-teaches-you-god-is-something-outside-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All religion teaches the virtues of love, altruism and patience, while showing us how to discipline and transform ourselves to achieve inner peace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/all-religion-teaches-the-virtues-of-love-altruism-and-patience-while/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [This religion teaches that 6,000 years ago God made the first man out of dust - not even mud - and the first woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-chilton-moore/this-religion-teaches-that-6-000-years-ago-god-made-the-first-man-out/) [Charles Chilton Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-chilton-moore/) > [The Christian religion teaches me two points-that there is a God whom men can know, and that their nature is so corrupt that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/the-christian-religion-teaches-me-two-points-that-there-is-a-god-whom/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [My religion teaches me that I should, by my personal conduct, instill into the minds of those who might hold different views the conviction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/my-religion-teaches-me-that-i-should-by-my-personal-conduct-instill/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [In the end, religion teaches us to value truth, justice and freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/in-the-end-religion-teaches-us-to-value-truth-justice-and-freedom/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) ## 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. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Tradition does not mean a dead town; it does not mean that the living are dead but that the dead are alive. It means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/tradition-does-not-mean-a-dead-town-it-does-not-mean-that-the-living/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [It is shorter to state the things forbidden than the things permitted; precisely because most things are permitted and only a few things forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/it-is-shorter-to-state-the-things-forbidden-than-the-things-permitted/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Everyone seems to assume that the unscrupulous parts of journalism will be the frivolous or jocular parts. This is against all ethical experience. Jokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/everyone-seems-to-assume-that-the-unscrupulous-parts-of-journalism/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [For Scotland has a double dose of the poison called heredity; the sense of blood in the aristocrat, the sense of doom in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/for-scotland-has-a-double-dose-of-the-poison-called-heredity-the/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Faith is always at a disadvantage; it is a perpetually defeated thing which survives all conquerors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/faith-is-always-at-a-disadvantage-it-is-a-perpetually-defeated-thing/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [A building is akin to dogma; it is insolent, like dogma. Whether or no it is permanent, it claims permanence, like a dogma. 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. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [What we suffer from today is humility in the wrong place...The old humility was a spur that prevented a man from stopping; not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/what-we-suffer-from-today-is-humility-in-the-wrong-place-the-old/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Plato was only a Bernard Shaw who unfortunately made his jokes in Greek.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/plato-was-only-a-bernard-shaw-who-unfortunately-made-his-jokes-in/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [The word good has many meanings...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-word-good-has-many-meanings/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Music with dinner is an insult both to the cook and the violinist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/music-with-dinner-is-an-insult-both-to-the-cook-and-the-violinist/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Eugenics asserts that all men must be so stupid that they cannot manage their own affairs; and also so clever that they can manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/eugenics-asserts-that-all-men-must-be-so-stupid-that-they-cannot/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) [Explore all 868 Gilbert K. Chesterton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) ## More Apocalypse quotes > [People always wonder when the world is going to end. I believe that the world will end when everyone stops loving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nichole-fickes/people-always-wonder-when-the-world-is-going-to-end-i-believe-that/) [Nichole Fickes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nichole-fickes/) > [A South Korean inventor has finally created the robot that mankind has been waiting for. Scientists who have been worried about the robot apocalypse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pesca/a-south-korean-inventor-has-finally-created-the-robot-that-mankind/) [Mike Pesca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pesca/) > [The end of the world begins the moment you die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-end-of-the-world-begins-the-moment-you-die/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [If it makes you feel any better, this isn't my first apocalypse. There is hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/if-it-makes-you-feel-any-better-this-isn-t-my-first-apocalypse-there/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Funerals and weddings were commonplace, and nothing could have been so interesting to them as the coming of the end of the world ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-eggleston/funerals-and-weddings-were-commonplace-and-nothing-could-have-been-so/) [Edward Eggleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-eggleston/) > [“The world did not end with a bang, nor did it end with a whimper. It was more of a chomp. And a slurp.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-rudolph/the-world-did-not-end-with-a-bang-nor-did-it-end-with-a-whimper-it/) J. Rudolph > [Nuclear apocalypse-who do you need? Actors are probably not top of the list. What can I do for you? I can pretend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-bale/nuclear-apocalypse-who-do-you-need-actors-are-probably-not-top-of-the/) [Christian Bale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-bale/) > [“It was a comfortable, familiar apocalypse,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-barnes/it-was-a-comfortable-familiar-apocalypse/) [Adrian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-barnes/) > [In the New Testament alone there are Gospels, acts, epistles, and an apocalypse. Gospels contain literary forms like miracles, parables, pronouncements, proverbs, farewell discourses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-blomberg/in-the-new-testament-alone-there-are-gospels-acts-epistles-and-an/) [Craig Blomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-blomberg/) > [The day came. The wrath descended. Sin, guilt, and retribution? The manic psychoses of those entities we referred to as states, institutions, systems -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/the-day-came-the-wrath-descended-sin-guilt-and-retribution-the-manic/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“People have always been good at imagining the end of the world, which is much easier to picture than the strange sidelong paths of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/people-have-always-been-good-at-imagining-the-end-of-the-world-which/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [The awkward moment when you predict the end of the world and nothing happens :P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-awkward-moment-when-you-predict-the-end-of-the-world-and-nothing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I once fed a dog-fight operator to the dogs he had abused for so long, and do you want to know something? It felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-nye/i-once-fed-a-dog-fight-operator-to-the-dogs-he-had-abused-for-so-long/) [Cedric Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-nye/) > [“You and I are victims of the same disease. We're fighting the same war, just different battles in different theaters, and it's way too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-marion/you-and-i-are-victims-of-the-same-disease-we-re-fighting-the-same-war/) [Isaac Marion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-marion/) > [I've been around long enough now and have learned to be flexible enough to know that every movie isn't going to be Apocalypse Now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-fishburne/i-ve-been-around-long-enough-now-and-have-learned-to-be-flexible/) [Laurence Fishburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-fishburne/) [Browse all 820 Apocalypse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apocalypse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is always in the healthy mind an obscure prompting that religion teaches us rather to dig than to climb; that if we could once understand the common clay of earth we should understand everything. 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