--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing more strikingly betrays the…" description: "\"Nothing more strikingly betrays the credulity of mankind than medicine. Quackery is a thing universal, and universally successful. In this case it beco..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/henry-david-thoreau-20_betray_nothing-more-strikingly-betrays-the-cred_2663613.jpg" --- # Nothing more strikingly betrays the credulity of mankind… ![“Nothing more strikingly betrays the credulity of mankind than medicine. Quackery is a thing universal, and universally successful. In this case it becomes literally true that no imposition is too great for the credulity of men.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/henry-david-thoreau-20_betray_nothing-more-strikingly-betrays-the-cred_2663613.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/henry-david-thoreau-20_betray_nothing-more-strikingly-betrays-the-cred_2663613.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/henry-david-thoreau-20_betray_nothing-more-strikingly-betrays-the-cred_2663613.jpg) > “Nothing more strikingly betrays the credulity of mankind than medicine. Quackery is a thing universal, and universally successful. In this case it becomes literally true that no imposition is too great for the credulity of men.” [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. Human credulity readily accepts medicine and quackery alike, showing susceptibility to false claims. **In simple terms:** People easily believe medical claims, even false ones. Key Takeaway Cultivate critical thinking about health. Themes skepticism medicine quackery human nature belief systems Mood cautious analytical Type informative critical When to use this quote - doctor visits - health seminars - public health campaigns - media literacy workshops Key Concepts cognitive bias trust health literacy Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify medical information? - What role does tradition play in health beliefs? A Different Perspective Overconfidence in authority can hinder skepticism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Betray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/betray/) [Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/) [Credulity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credulity/) [Credulity Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credulity-mankind-2447490/) [Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/) [Imposition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imposition/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Mankind Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind-medicine-2447489/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Medicine Quackery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine-quackery-2447487/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Quackery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quackery/) [Quackery Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quackery-thing-2447488/) [Quacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quacks/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Universal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universal/) ## Related quotes > [But however mysterious is nature , however ignorant the doctor, however imperfect the present state of physical science , the patronage and the success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/but-however-mysterious-is-nature-however-ignorant-the-doctor-however/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [Heroes have gone out; quacks have come in; the reign of quacks has not ended with the nineteenth century. The sceptre is held with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/heroes-have-gone-out-quacks-have-come-in-the-reign-of-quacks-has-not/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [The church is a sort of hospital for men's souls and as full of quackery as the hospital for their bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-church-is-a-sort-of-hospital-for-men-s-souls-and-as-full-of-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The church is a sort of hospital for men's souls, and as full of quackery as the hospital for their bodies. Those who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-church-is-a-sort-of-hospital-for-men-s-souls-and-as-full-of/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [But what is quackery? It is commonly an attempt to cure the diseases of a man by addressing his body alone. There is need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/but-what-is-quackery-it-is-commonly-an-attempt-to-cure-the-diseases/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our panaceas cure but few ails, our general hospitals are private and exclusive. We must set up another Hygeia than is now worshiped. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-panaceas-cure-but-few-ails-our-general-hospitals-are-private-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [There are two kinds of truth; the truth that lights the way and the truth that warms the heart. The first of these is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/there-are-two-kinds-of-truth-the-truth-that-lights-the-way-and-the-2/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Quackery gives birth to nothing; gives death to all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/quackery-gives-birth-to-nothing-gives-death-to-all-things/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [I am as non-accepting of medical quackery and unscientific approaches as anybody else. I've grown up as a card-carrying scientist, and I know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/i-am-as-non-accepting-of-medical-quackery-and-unscientific-approaches/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [...The ...experts of the FDA have declared Laetrile to be worthless...quackery and fraud...These experts are the professional descendants of experts...confident that mental illness should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-j-kilpatrick/the-experts-of-the-fda-have-declared-laetrile-to-be-worthless/) [James J. Kilpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-j-kilpatrick/) > [Philanthropies and charities have a certain air of quackery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/philanthropies-and-charities-have-a-certain-air-of-quackery/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The claim of alternative practitioners to not treat disease labels but the whole patient...allows alternative practitioners to live in a fool's paradise of quackery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edzard-ernst/the-claim-of-alternative-practitioners-to-not-treat-disease-labels/) [Edzard Ernst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edzard-ernst/) > [From powerful causes spring the empiric's gains, Man's love of life, his weakness, and his pains; These first induce him the vile trash to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-crabbe/from-powerful-causes-spring-the-empiric-s-gains-man-s-love-of-life/) [George Crabbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-crabbe/) > [Although millions of Americans purr with pastel delusions of Mohandas K. Gandhi, those who actually live in the scrawny crank's homeland struggle to throw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-tyrrell/although-millions-of-americans-purr-with-pastel-delusions-of-mohandas/) [Emmett Tyrrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-tyrrell/) > [“En ting er fagkyndig analyse, en annen ting kvaksalveranalyse og onaniterapi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harald-schjelderup/en-ting-er-fagkyndig-analyse-en-annen-ting-kvaksalveranalyse-og/) [Harald Schjelderup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harald-schjelderup/) ## 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 Betray quotes > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [“Ash,” Mab crooned as he drew near. “My poor boy. Rowan told me what happened between the two of you, but I know you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/ash-mab-crooned-as-he-drew-near-my-poor-boy-rowan-told-me-what/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [“79. A soul which knows that it is loved, but does not itself love, betrays its sediment: its dregs come up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/79-a-soul-which-knows-that-it-is-loved-but-does-not-itself-love/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/joy-doesn-t-betray-but-sustains-activism-and-when-you-face-a-politics/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [Even if we have to go without bread, we Albanians do not violate principles. We do not betray Marxism - Leninism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enver-hoxha/even-if-we-have-to-go-without-bread-we-albanians-do-not-violate/) [Enver Hoxha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enver-hoxha/) > [Stop holding onto people that treat you like crap. They might be nice sometimes, but the rest of the time they disrespect you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/stop-holding-onto-people-that-treat-you-like-crap-they-might-be-nice/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/now-the-brother-shall-betray-the-brother-to-death-and-the-father-the/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [One day you and I will have to have a little talk about this business called love. I still don't understand what it's all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oriana-fallaci/one-day-you-and-i-will-have-to-have-a-little-talk-about-this-business/) [Oriana Fallaci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oriana-fallaci/) > [“Sarai, you never know who might betray you until it’s too late.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-redmerski/sarai-you-never-know-who-might-betray-you-until-it-s-too-late/) [J.A. 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The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gunn/the-zombie-is-in-a-lot-of-ways-the-perfect-horror-movie-bad-guy-it/) [James Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gunn/) > [Books should confuse. Literature abhors the typical. Literature flows to the particular, the mundane, the greasiness of paper, the taste of warm beer, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/books-should-confuse-literature-abhors-the-typical-literature-flows/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [It is up to us to take care of this planet, it is our only home. To betray nature is to betray us. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-ea/it-is-up-to-us-to-take-care-of-this-planet-it-is-our-only-home-to/) [Prince Ea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-ea/) > [In his bleak mercy, Death forever strips The soul of light and memory, rendering blind Our vision, lest surmounted deeps appal, As when on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clark-ashton-smith/in-his-bleak-mercy-death-forever-strips-the-soul-of-light-and-memory/) [Clark Ashton Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clark-ashton-smith/) [Browse all 966 Betray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/betray/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nothing more strikingly betrays the credulity of mankind than medicine. Quackery is a thing universal, and universally successful. 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