--- 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‚Äôd rather live my life in doubt than be persuaded by a real experience of one.”\" — Gregory Maguire" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/gregory-maguire-547_beliefs_i-may-not-be-sure-if-monsters-exist-but_1091517.png" --- # I may not be sure if monsters exist, but I‚Äôd rather live… ![“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 one.” quote by Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/gregory-maguire-547_beliefs_i-may-not-be-sure-if-monsters-exist-but_1091517.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/gregory-maguire-547_beliefs_i-may-not-be-sure-if-monsters-exist-but_1091517.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/gregory-maguire-547_beliefs_i-may-not-be-sure-if-monsters-exist-but_1091517.png) > ““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 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. Preferring uncertainty over definitive terrifying experiences, the speaker values doubt as a protective stance against confronting monsters. **In simple terms:** He chooses doubt over confronting monsters. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty to avoid harmful certainty. Themes doubt fear monsters choice protection Mood cautious thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal decision making - storytelling - risk assessment Key Concepts existential choice psychology of fear cognitive avoidance Questions to Reflect On - When is doubt beneficial? - How can you face fear constructively? A Different Perspective Living in doubt can prevent decisive action and growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beliefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beliefs/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Doubts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubts/) [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’d 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-2/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“Understand death? Sure. That was when the monsters got you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/understand-death-sure-that-was-when-the-monsters-got-you/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“You want more light in your house? 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/) > [Sometimes we really want something in life, but we doubt ourselves with a 'Can I do it?' mentality, and then you end up doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renato-moicano/sometimes-we-really-want-something-in-life-but-we-doubt-ourselves/) [Renato Moicano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renato-moicano/) > [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/) > [Life is doubt, and faith without doubt is nothing but death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-unamuno/life-is-doubt-and-faith-without-doubt-is-nothing-but-death/) [Miguel de Unamuno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-unamuno/) > [In order to seek truth, it is necessary once in the course of our life to doubt, as far as possible, of all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-descartes/in-order-to-seek-truth-it-is-necessary-once-in-the-course-of-our-life/) [René Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-descartes/) > [“when we believe in ourselves that we will make it in life we doubt sometimes if it is really possible that is why most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solex-trix/when-we-believe-in-ourselves-that-we-will-make-it-in-life-we-doubt/) Solex Trix > [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/) > [Monsters exist, but they are too few in numbers to be truly dangerous. 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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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"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 Beliefs 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/) > [“Your life is your statement to the world representing your values, your beliefs, your dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-arenson/your-life-is-your-statement-to-the-world-representing-your-values/) David Arenson > [Our beliefs are like the unquestioned commands, telling us how things are, what's possible and what's impossible, what we can and can not do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/our-beliefs-are-like-the-unquestioned-commands-telling-us-how-things/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [“Update your belief! If necessary, throw it to the bin! Don’t exaggerate your belief! 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Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [Beliefs and values that have held sway for thousands of years will be questioned as never before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-p-christ/beliefs-and-values-that-have-held-sway-for-thousands-of-years-will-be/) [Carol P. Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-p-christ/) > [There is no power shortage in heaven, and God is never in a recession. But His grace is sufficient to meet every need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/there-is-no-power-shortage-in-heaven-and-god-is-never-in-a-recession/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [“Your beliefs, and your beliefs alone, belong to you. You are the only one who is with you for your entire life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-ruiz-jr/your-beliefs-and-your-beliefs-alone-belong-to-you-you-are-the-only/) [Miguel Ruiz Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-ruiz-jr/) [Browse all 1,331 Beliefs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beliefs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“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 one.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gregory Maguire" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-may-not-be-sure-if-monsters-exist-but-i-d-rather-live-my-life-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beliefs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-may-not-be-sure-if-monsters-exist-but-i-d-rather-live-my-life-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/gregory-maguire-547_beliefs_i-may-not-be-sure-if-monsters-exist-but_1091517.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/gregory-maguire-547_beliefs_i-may-not-be-sure-if-monsters-exist-but_1091517.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/gregory-maguire-547_beliefs_i-may-not-be-sure-if-monsters-exist-but_1091517.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I may not be sure if monsters exist, but I‚Äôd rather live my life in doubt than be persuaded by a real…” — Gregory Maguire", "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 Maguire", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I may not be sure if...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-may-not-be-sure-if-monsters-exist-but-i-d-rather-live-my-life-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-may-not-be-sure-if-monsters-exist-but-i-d-rather-live-my-life-in/#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 } } ] } ```