--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I may not be sure if monsters exist, but…" description: "\"I may not be sure if monsters exist, but I’d rather live my life in doubt than be persuaded by a real experience of one.\" — Gregory Maguire" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/412/gregory-maguire-547_doubt_i-may-not-be-sure-if-monsters-exist-but_2729801.png" --- # I may not be sure if monsters exist, but I’d rather live… ![“I may not be sure if monsters exist, but I’d rather live my life in doubt than be persuaded by a real experience of one.” quote by Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/412/gregory-maguire-547_doubt_i-may-not-be-sure-if-monsters-exist-but_2729801.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/412/gregory-maguire-547_doubt_i-may-not-be-sure-if-monsters-exist-but_2729801.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/412/gregory-maguire-547_doubt_i-may-not-be-sure-if-monsters-exist-but_2729801.png) > “I may not be sure if monsters exist, but I’d rather live my life in doubt than be persuaded by a real experience of one.” [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Living with uncertainty is preferable to being forced into certainty by a monster **In simple terms:** Choosing doubt over forced belief preserves freedom of thought Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty as a healthier stance than forced certainty Themes philosophy existentialism uncertainty Mood thoughtful introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal decision making - critical thinking workshops - creative writing prompts Key Concepts Epistemology fear personal agency Questions to Reflect On - What benefits arise from living with doubt? - How does confronting fear differ from accepting uncertainty? A Different Perspective Some may argue doubt can be paralyzing rather than liberating ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Monsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monsters/) ## Related quotes > [“I may not be sure if monsters exist, but I‚Äôd rather live my life in doubt than be persuaded by a real experience of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-may-not-be-sure-if-monsters-exist-but-i-d-rather-live-my-life-in/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“Understand death? Sure. 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Enlarge your windows! You want more truth in your life? Doubt everything!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/you-want-more-light-in-your-house-enlarge-your-windows-you-want-more/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Knowing that something is wrong and doing it anyway happens very often in life, and I doubt I will ever know why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/knowing-that-something-is-wrong-and-doing-it-anyway-happens-very/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-descartes/if-you-would-be-a-real-seeker-after-truth-it-is-necessary-that-at/) [Rene Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-descartes/) > [Oh, Creator! 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He said that people were too horrible for any other monsters to exist, which he thought was a shame.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasmenia-massoud/lucius-didn-t-believe-in-werewolves-he-said-that-people-were-too/) [Rasmenia Massoud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasmenia-massoud/) ## More by Gregory Maguire > [“By so giving up, of course, it renews itself- that is the secret”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/by-so-giving-up-of-course-it-renews-itself-that-is-the-secret/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [Forgive us our trespasses," says Margarethe, "and get out of our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/forgive-us-our-trespasses-says-margarethe-and-get-out-of-our-way/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“There are two kinds of anger: hot and cold. 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She armed herself with two thorns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/old-flossie-settle-down-on-the-other-side-of-what-the-dickens-and/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [I shall pray for your soul,' promised Nessarose. I shall wait for your shoes,' Elphie answered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-shall-pray-for-your-soul-promised-nessarose-i-shall-wait-for-your/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [My first job was scooping ice cream at Friendly's in Albany, New York. I hated the work, most of my colleagues, and the uniform,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/my-first-job-was-scooping-ice-cream-at-friendly-s-in-albany-new-york/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“At its most elemental, a spell is no more than a recipe for change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/at-its-most-elemental-a-spell-is-no-more-than-a-recipe-for-change/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [I write because I admire the act of rationalization, of seeking clarity in one's understanding of the complexities of life, and I'm bad at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-write-because-i-admire-the-act-of-rationalization-of-seeking/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“Do good though, will you?" She blinked brightly at the green girl. "If not for your parents or your grandmother, then for me?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/do-good-though-will-you-she-blinked-brightly-at-the-green-girl-if-not/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“You always had an eye for the fellow with a decent helping of sausage and hard-boiled eggs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/you-always-had-an-eye-for-the-fellow-with-a-decent-helping-of-sausage/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“You need my help? What for? Bread, cash, a fake identity to help you slip sideways through the cracks? Tell me what you need,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/you-need-my-help-what-for-bread-cash-a-fake-identity-to-help-you-slip/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) [Explore all 470 Gregory Maguire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) ## More Doubt quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I don't doubt that straight white men have identity issues and identity complexes and struggle with defining themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-don-t-doubt-that-straight-white-men-have-identity-issues-and/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [“Where there is doubt (shanka), there is misery. The moment one begins to doubt the knowledge that, 'I am Chandubhai,' misery arises. Once one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-is-doubt-shanka-there-is-misery-the-moment-one-begins-to/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [We know accurately only when we know little, with knowledge doubt increases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/we-know-accurately-only-when-we-know-little-with-knowledge-doubt/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [There is no doubt in my mind and I know in my time, there will be a Canadian basketball player playing for Toronto Raptors, 100%](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/there-is-no-doubt-in-my-mind-and-i-know-in-my-time-there-will-be-a/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary, the deep, inexpressible certitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/let-no-one-hope-to-find-in-contemplation-an-escape-from-conflict-from/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“Two powerful, little words I've learned to use when facing challenges, fears, and doubts— so what? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/two-powerful-little-words-i-ve-learned-to-use-when-facing-challenges/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible - and no one can now doubt the word of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/for-diplomacy-to-be-effective-words-must-be-credible-and-no-one-can/) [George W. 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