--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are many matters and many…" description: "\"There are many matters and many circumstances in which consciousness is undesirable and silence is golden, so that secrecy can be used as a marker to t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/gregory-bateson-7135_circumstances_there-are-many-matters-and-many-circumst_2607629.jpg" --- # There are many matters and many circumstances in which… ![“There are many matters and many circumstances in which consciousness is undesirable and silence is golden, so that secrecy can be used as a marker to tell us that we are approaching the holy.” quote by Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/gregory-bateson-7135_circumstances_there-are-many-matters-and-many-circumst_2607629.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/gregory-bateson-7135_circumstances_there-are-many-matters-and-many-circumst_2607629.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/gregory-bateson-7135_circumstances_there-are-many-matters-and-many-circumst_2607629.jpg) > “There are many matters and many circumstances in which consciousness is undesirable and silence is golden, so that secrecy can be used as a marker to tell us that we are approaching the holy.” [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Silence can be purposeful, signaling sacredness or secrecy. **In simple terms:** Quiet can indicate something holy. Key Takeaway Recognize silence as a meaningful signal. Themes spirituality communication secrecy Mood contemplative mysterious Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - religious rituals - conflict resolution - creative brainstorming Key Concepts anthropology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - When is silence protective? - When does it become dangerous? A Different Perspective Silence may also hide harmful secrets. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Circumstances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circumstances/) [Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) [Consciousness Undesirable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness-undesirable-2000237/) [Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golden/) [Golden Secrecy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golden-secrecy-2000235/) [Hearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearing/) [Holy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy/) [Listening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listening/) [Markers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/markers/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Noise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noise/) [Quiet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quiet/) [Secrecy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrecy/) [Secrecy Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrecy-used-2000236/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Silence is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence-is/) [Silence is golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence-is-golden/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Undesirable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/undesirable/) [Undesirable Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/undesirable-silence-2000238/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) ## Related quotes > [“My silence is golden and can never be misquoted." ~Elissa Gabrielle”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-gabrielle/my-silence-is-golden-and-can-never-be-misquoted-elissa-gabrielle/) [Elissa Gabrielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-gabrielle/) > [“If silence were golden, everyone would be rich.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/if-silence-were-golden-everyone-would-be-rich/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [Nothing has changed the nature of man so much as the loss of silence,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-picard/nothing-has-changed-the-nature-of-man-so-much-as-the-loss-of-silence/) [Max Picard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-picard/) > [Speech may be silver but silence is golden. Traders with the golden touch do not talk about their success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bradford-raschke/speech-may-be-silver-but-silence-is-golden-traders-with-the-golden/) [Linda Bradford Raschke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bradford-raschke/) > [Silence is golden but when it threatens your freedom it's yellow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/silence-is-golden-but-when-it-threatens-your-freedom-it-s-yellow/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [“I need this conversation. They say silence is golden. Maybe it is, although I'm not sure it's worth that much. It has its price…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrzej-sapkowski/i-need-this-conversation-they-say-silence-is-golden-maybe-it-is/) [Andrzej Sapkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrzej-sapkowski/) > [“Silence is golden but, ducktape is silver”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-mckoin/silence-is-golden-but-ducktape-is-silver/) [Ellie McKoin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-mckoin/) > [“Say as little as possible,” Lady Berwick told the girls severely. “Remember that silence is golden.” Glancing at Pandora, she added, “In your case,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/say-as-little-as-possible-lady-berwick-told-the-girls-severely/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [“Silence is golden, and gold is up these days, so silence is a solid investment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/silence-is-golden-and-gold-is-up-these-days-so-silence-is-a-solid/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Silence is the Sabbath of the soul. Therein we rest, and therein we hear everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/silence-is-the-sabbath-of-the-soul-therein-we-rest-and-therein-we/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremiah/even-a-fool-when-he-holdeth-his-peace-is-counted-wise/) [Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremiah/) > [My silence is golden, I Dnt waste time on empty barrels, empty barrels make the most noise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sweetner/my-silence-is-golden-i-dnt-waste-time-on-empty-barrels-empty-barrels/) [Sweetner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sweetner/) > [As the Swiss inscription says: Sprechen ist silbern, Schweigen ist golden,- "Speech is silvern, Silence is golden;" or, as I might rather express it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-the-swiss-inscription-says-sprechen-ist-silbern-schweigen-ist/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is well, when in difficulties, to say never a word, neither black nor white. Speech is silver but silence is golden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-spark/it-is-well-when-in-difficulties-to-say-never-a-word-neither-black-nor/) [Muriel Spark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-spark/) > [He who does not know how to be silent will not know how to speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/decimius-magnus-ausonius/he-who-does-not-know-how-to-be-silent-will-not-know-how-to-speak/) [Decimius Magnus Ausonius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/decimius-magnus-ausonius/) ## More by Gregory Bateson > [Number is different from quantity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/number-is-different-from-quantity/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [We do not know enough about how the present will lead into the future. We shall never be able to say, "Ha! My perception,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/we-do-not-know-enough-about-how-the-present-will-lead-into-the-future/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [Synaptic summation is the technical term used in neurophysiology for those instances in which some neuron C is fired only by a combination of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/synaptic-summation-is-the-technical-term-used-in-neurophysiology-for/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [Somebody was saying to Picasso that he ought to make pictures of things the way they are-objective pictures. He mumbled that he wasn't quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/somebody-was-saying-to-picasso-that-he-ought-to-make-pictures-of/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [Still more astonishing is that world of rigorous fantasy which we call mathematics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/still-more-astonishing-is-that-world-of-rigorous-fantasy-which-we/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [What is true is that the idea of power corrupts. Power corrupts most rapidly those who believe in it, and it is they who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/what-is-true-is-that-the-idea-of-power-corrupts-power-corrupts-most/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [“A little hypocrisy and a little compromise oils the wheels of social life”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/a-little-hypocrisy-and-a-little-compromise-oils-the-wheels-of-social/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [Science, like art, religion, commerce, warfare, and even sleep, is based on presuppositions. It differs, however, from most other branches of human activity in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/science-like-art-religion-commerce-warfare-and-even-sleep-is-based-on/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [Desired substance, things, patterns, or sequences of experience that are in some sense "good" for the organism - items of diet, conditions of life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/desired-substance-things-patterns-or-sequences-of-experience-that-are/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [No organism can afford to be conscious of matters with which it could deal at unconscious levels. Broadly, we can afford to sink those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/no-organism-can-afford-to-be-conscious-of-matters-with-which-it-could/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [Wisdom is the intelligence of the system as a whole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/wisdom-is-the-intelligence-of-the-system-as-a-whole/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [Still more astonishing is that world of rigorous fantasy we call mathematics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/still-more-astonishing-is-that-world-of-rigorous-fantasy-we-call/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [The pathology is to want control, not that you ever get it, because of course you never do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/the-pathology-is-to-want-control-not-that-you-ever-get-it-because-of/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [Our initial sensory data are always "first derivatives," statements about differences which exist among external objects or statements about changes which occur either in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/our-initial-sensory-data-are-always-first-derivatives-statements/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) > [Multiple descriptions are better than one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/multiple-descriptions-are-better-than-one/) [Gregory Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) [Explore all 94 Gregory Bateson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/) ## More Circumstances quotes > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. The real cause of all problems lie in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/jobs-and-money-are-never-the-primary-cause-of-stress-thinking/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Although under particular circumstances, the violence method - any method - can be justified, nevertheless once you commit violence, then counterviolence will be returned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/although-under-particular-circumstances-the-violence-method-any/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Trust is about keeping commitments, but in many instances, circumstances change and organizations therefore shed commitments, things such as retiree medical benefits, pension obligations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/trust-is-about-keeping-commitments-but-in-many-instances/) [Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/) > [The fortunate circumstances of our lives are generally found, at last, to be of our own producing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/the-fortunate-circumstances-of-our-lives-are-generally-found-at-last/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [“The set of circumstances that justifies the use of deadly force is a situation of immediate danger of death or great bodily harm to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massad-ayoob/the-set-of-circumstances-that-justifies-the-use-of-deadly-force-is-a/) [Massad Ayoob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massad-ayoob/) > [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [It's impossible to know who Donald might have been under different circumstances and with different parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-l-trump/it-s-impossible-to-know-who-donald-might-have-been-under-different/) [Mary L. Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-l-trump/) > [When we watch a play under the standard circumstances, we've lost volition and time is passing. A still play feels like an existential threat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-greenberg/when-we-watch-a-play-under-the-standard-circumstances-we-ve-lost/) [Richard Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-greenberg/) > [Being positive helps you to keep away negative thoughts. And helps you to stand in adverse circumstances with the hope that in the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/being-positive-helps-you-to-keep-away-negative-thoughts-and-helps-you/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [It seemed to me that the human beings I met reacted pretty much the same to the same stimuli. Different idioms,yes. Circumstances and conditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/it-seemed-to-me-that-the-human-beings-i-met-reacted-pretty-much-the/) [Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/) > [I don't think you would have missed that putt, but in these circumstances, I would never give you the opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-don-t-think-you-would-have-missed-that-putt-but-in-these/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [I used to think I could shape the circumstances around me, but now I know Jesus uses circumstances to shape me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/i-used-to-think-i-could-shape-the-circumstances-around-me-but-now-i/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [Instead of complaining about your circumstances, get busy creating new ones. You either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-complaining-about-your-circumstances-get-busy-creating-new/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 4,560 Circumstances quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circumstances/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are many matters and many circumstances in which consciousness is undesirable and silence is golden, so that secrecy can be used as a marker to tell us that we are approaching the holy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gregory Bateson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/there-are-many-matters-and-many-circumstances-in-which-consciousness/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Circumstances" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/there-are-many-matters-and-many-circumstances-in-which-consciousness/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/gregory-bateson-7135_circumstances_there-are-many-matters-and-many-circumst_2607629.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/gregory-bateson-7135_circumstances_there-are-many-matters-and-many-circumst_2607629.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/gregory-bateson-7135_circumstances_there-are-many-matters-and-many-circumst_2607629.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are many matters and many circumstances in which consciousness is undesirable and silence is golden…” — Gregory Bateson", "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": "Gregory Bateson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-bateson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There are many matters and many...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/there-are-many-matters-and-many-circumstances-in-which-consciousness/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-bateson/there-are-many-matters-and-many-circumstances-in-which-consciousness/#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 } } ] } ```