---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Men are probably nearer the essential…"
description: "\"Men are probably nearer the essential truth in their superstitions than in their science.\" — Henry David Thoreau"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/henry-david-thoreau-20_essentials_men-are-probably-nearer-the-essential-tr_3119663.jpg"
---

#  Men are probably nearer the essential truth in their…

![“Men are probably nearer the essential truth in their superstitions than in their science.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/henry-david-thoreau-20_essentials_men-are-probably-nearer-the-essential-tr_3119663.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/henry-david-thoreau-20_essentials_men-are-probably-nearer-the-essential-tr_3119663.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/henry-david-thoreau-20_essentials_men-are-probably-nearer-the-essential-tr_3119663.jpg)

> “Men are probably nearer the essential truth in their superstitions than in their science.”

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Superstitions may capture intuitive truths that formal science overlooks.

**In simple terms:** Superstitions can hold hidden truths.

Key Takeaway

Consider intuition alongside data.

Themes

intuition knowledge science belief

Mood

contemplative curious

Type

philosophical reflective

When to use this quote

- personal reflection
- research design
- decision making

Key Concepts

epistemology cognitive bias

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance intuition and evidence?
- When have superstitions guided you correctly?

A Different Perspective

Intuition can be misleading without verification.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Essentials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essentials/) [Gambling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gambling/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Probably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-probably-511410/) [Probably Nearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/probably-nearer-5471218/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Superstitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superstitions/) [Superstitions Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superstitions-science-5471217/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Superstitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-superstitions-5471216/)

## Related quotes

> [“It's impossible to imagine, isn't it? Most men probably go through the same motions, more or less, but what's in their minds, what agitates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cunningham/it-s-impossible-to-imagine-isn-t-it-most-men-probably-go-through-the/)

[Michael Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cunningham/)

> [“Into this error men have, probably, been led by viewing education in a false light; not considering it as the first step to form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/into-this-error-men-have-probably-been-led-by-viewing-education-in-a/)

[Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/)

> [The strongest reason for giving woman all the opportunities of higher education, for the full development of her faculties, forces of mind and body;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/the-strongest-reason-for-giving-woman-all-the-opportunities-of-higher/)

[Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/)

> [I make this chief distinction between religion and superstition, that the latter is founded on ignorance, the former on knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/i-make-this-chief-distinction-between-religion-and-superstition-that/)

[Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/)

> [Management means, in the last analysis, the substitution of thought for brawn and muscle, of knowledge for folkways and superstition, and of cooperation for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/management-means-in-the-last-analysis-the-substitution-of-thought-for/)

[Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/)

> [The Puritans came to America to worship in their way and to force everybody else to do the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/the-puritans-came-to-america-to-worship-in-their-way-and-to-force/)

[Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/)

> [“In spite of being complicated people choose superstitions over common sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/in-spite-of-being-complicated-people-choose-superstitions-over-common/)

[Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/)

> [Christianity is a pestilent superstition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/christianity-is-a-pestilent-superstition/)

[Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/)

> [We must not forget that what I mean by the conquest of the world by spiritual thought is the sending out of the life-giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/we-must-not-forget-that-what-i-mean-by-the-conquest-of-the-world-by/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [Astrology is knocking at the gates of our universities: A Tübingen professor has switched over to astrology and a course on astrology was given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/astrology-is-knocking-at-the-gates-of-our-universities-a-t-bingen/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

> [I actually rid myself of superstitions, but I do a quick 20-minute meditation before games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christen-press/i-actually-rid-myself-of-superstitions-but-i-do-a-quick-20-minute/)

[Christen Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christen-press/)

> [fear has always been a diminisher of life. Whether bred in the bogs of superstition or clothed in the brocades of dogma and ritual,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-mannes/fear-has-always-been-a-diminisher-of-life-whether-bred-in-the-bogs-of/)

[Marya Mannes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-mannes/)

> ["Natural" is a very dangerous word to use about sexuality ... Our society's notions of normality are completely fake and meta-trendy, since they rely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-bright/natural-is-a-very-dangerous-word-to-use-about-sexuality-our-society-s/)

[Susie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-bright/)

> [I think superstition has a lot to do with fear: the less, the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-cruz/i-think-superstition-has-a-lot-to-do-with-fear-the-less-the-better/)

[Penelope Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-cruz/)

> [The state of mind which I put myself when I tell a story is one in which superstition flourishes very easily. And I welcome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/the-state-of-mind-which-i-put-myself-when-i-tell-a-story-is-one-in/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

## More by Henry David Thoreau

> [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

[Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

## More Essentials quotes

> [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/)

[Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/)

> [History is, in its essentials, the science of change. It knows and it teaches that it is impossible to find two events that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-bloch/history-is-in-its-essentials-the-science-of-change-it-knows-and-it/)

[Marc Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-bloch/)

> [Listening is a very active awareness of the coming together of at least two lives. Listening, as far as I'm concerned, is certainly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/listening-is-a-very-active-awareness-of-the-coming-together-of-at/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/)

[Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/)

> [Cultivate the habit of thinking ahead, and of anticipating the necessary and immediate consequences of all your actions… Likewise in your pleasures, ask yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/cultivate-the-habit-of-thinking-ahead-and-of-anticipating-the/)

[Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/)

> [Developing expertise or assets that are not easily copied is essential; otherwise you're just a middleman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/developing-expertise-or-assets-that-are-not-easily-copied-is/)

[Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/)

> [A child reminds us that playtime is an essential part of our daily routine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-child-reminds-us-that-playtime-is-an-essential-part-of-our-daily/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [The rights essential to happiness. . . . We claim them from a higher source - from the King of kings and Lord of all the earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/the-rights-essential-to-happiness-we-claim-them-from-a-higher-source/)

[John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/)

> [The essential functions of the mind consist in understanding and in inventing, in other words, in building up structures by structuring reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/the-essential-functions-of-the-mind-consist-in-understanding-and-in/)

[Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/)

> [They are the gateway for our modern esthetic development, the prophets of the new time. They are most of all, the primitives of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/they-are-the-gateway-for-our-modern-esthetic-development-the-prophets/)

[Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/)

> [Intellectual methods-study and reason-are essential to our progress toward eternal life, but they are not sufficient. They can prepare the way. They can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/intellectual-methods-study-and-reason-are-essential-to-our-progress/)

[Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/)

> [It is essential for world peace that the world religions make peace with each other. If they don't, we can hardly expect the nations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-keating/it-is-essential-for-world-peace-that-the-world-religions-make-peace/)

[Thomas Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-keating/)

> [ I don't think anybody can be a success who doesn't like what they do. \[But it's\] no job if it has no challenge; there's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/i-don-t-think-anybody-can-be-a-success-who-doesn-t-like-what-they-do/)

[Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/)

> [I believe it is essential for our planetary future to develop tools that can change the consciousness which has created the crisis that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislav-grof/i-believe-it-is-essential-for-our-planetary-future-to-develop-tools/)

[Stanislav Grof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislav-grof/)

> [It's essential that we learn how to defend the Bible and the Christian faith for our sake and our children's. If we don't, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-ham/it-s-essential-that-we-learn-how-to-defend-the-bible-and-the/)

[Ken Ham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-ham/)

[Browse all 3,407 Essentials quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essentials/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Men are probably nearer the essential truth in their superstitions than in their science.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Henry David Thoreau"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-are-probably-nearer-the-essential-truth-in-their-superstitions/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Essentials"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-are-probably-nearer-the-essential-truth-in-their-superstitions/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/henry-david-thoreau-20_essentials_men-are-probably-nearer-the-essential-tr_3119663.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/henry-david-thoreau-20_essentials_men-are-probably-nearer-the-essential-tr_3119663.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/henry-david-thoreau-20_essentials_men-are-probably-nearer-the-essential-tr_3119663.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Men are probably nearer the essential truth in their superstitions than in their science.” — Henry David Thoreau",
                "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": "Henry David Thoreau",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Men are probably nearer the essential...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-are-probably-nearer-the-essential-truth-in-their-superstitions/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-are-probably-nearer-the-essential-truth-in-their-superstitions/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
