--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are enabled to apprehend at all what…" description: "\"We are enabled to apprehend at all what is sublime and noble only by the perpetual instilling and drenching of the reality that surrounds us. We can ne..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_agnosticism_we-are-enabled-to-apprehend-at-all-what_140525.jpg" --- # We are enabled to apprehend at all what is sublime and… ![“We are enabled to apprehend at all what is sublime and noble only by the perpetual instilling and drenching of the reality that surrounds us. We can never have enough of nature.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_agnosticism_we-are-enabled-to-apprehend-at-all-what_140525.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_agnosticism_we-are-enabled-to-apprehend-at-all-what_140525.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_agnosticism_we-are-enabled-to-apprehend-at-all-what_140525.jpg) > “We are enabled to apprehend at all what is sublime and noble only by the perpetual instilling and drenching of the reality that surrounds us. We can never have enough of nature.” [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. Nature's constant presence nourishes the soul, making the sublime and noble accessible through immersion. **In simple terms:** Being close to nature enriches spirit. Key Takeaway Spend time outdoors regularly. Themes nature spirituality sublime Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical environmental When to use this quote - hiking - gardening - nature retreats Key Concepts transcendentalism environmentalism mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How can you integrate nature into daily routine? - What does “sublime” mean to you? A Different Perspective Modern life often limits deep nature immersion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agnosticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agnosticism/) [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Deep ecology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-ecology/) [Drenching Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drenching-reality-1588481/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noble/) [Perpetual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perpetual/) [Perpetual Instilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perpetual-instilling-1588482/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Surrounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-surrounds-340868/) [Sublime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sublime/) [Surround](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surround/) [Surrounds Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surrounds-nature-1588483/) ## Related quotes > [Never turn your back on reality. 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If we think we can eliminate natural ecosystems and substitute prosthetic devices, i.e. clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/we-don-t-know-nearly-enough-about-the-complexities-of-nature-if-we/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [“When the anthropologist asked the Kwakiutl for a map of their coast, they told him stories: "Here? Salmon gather. Here? Sea otter camps. Here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-metzner/when-the-anthropologist-asked-the-kwakiutl-for-a-map-of-their-coast/) [Ralph Metzner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-metzner/) > [Although I am fully convinced of the truth of the views given in this volume under the form of an abstract, I by no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/although-i-am-fully-convinced-of-the-truth-of-the-views-given-in-this/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [.. the word ecology, coined by the German biologist and philosopher Ernst Haeckel (initially as oecology) in 1866. derives from the Greek oikos, "referring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-fox/the-word-ecology-coined-by-the-german-biologist-and-philosopher-ernst/) [Warwick Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-fox/) > [Shallow ecology is anthropocentric, or human-centred. It views humans as above or outside nature, as the source of all value, and ascribes only instrumental,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/shallow-ecology-is-anthropocentric-or-human-centred-it-views-humans/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [The basic pattern of life is a network. Whenever you see life, you see networks. The whole planet, what we can term 'Gaia' is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritjof-capra/the-basic-pattern-of-life-is-a-network-whenever-you-see-life-you-see/) [Fritjof Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritjof-capra/) > [When forced to summarize the general theory of relativity in one sentence: Time and space and gravitation have no separate existence from matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/when-forced-to-summarize-the-general-theory-of-relativity-in-one/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Metaphysics is universal and is exclusively concerned with primary substance. ... And here we will have the science to study that which is, both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/metaphysics-is-universal-and-is-exclusively-concerned-with-primary/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Metaphysics of Evolution: What is Matter & Life? 'Recent discoveries from Russia confirm that DNA / Genes are resonant structures which are subtly interconnected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-haselhurst/metaphysics-of-evolution-what-is-matter-life-recent-discoveries-from/) [Alan Haselhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-haselhurst/) > [If religion is the establishing of a relationship between man and the universe, then morality is the explanation of those activities that automatically result…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/if-religion-is-the-establishing-of-a-relationship-between-man-and-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## 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 Agnosticism quotes > [A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-knowledge-of-the-existence-of-something-we-cannot-penetrate-of-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The prayer of the agnostic: "O God, if there is a God, save my soul if I have a soul."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/the-prayer-of-the-agnostic-o-god-if-there-is-a-god-save-my-soul-if-i/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [“Some people are so stiff and inhumane as the dogma's they believe in”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/some-people-are-so-stiff-and-inhumane-as-the-dogma-s-they-believe-in/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [Agnosticism is the natural attitude of the evolutionist. How can a brute mind comprehend spiritual things?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-jennings-bryan/agnosticism-is-the-natural-attitude-of-the-evolutionist-how-can-a/) [William Jennings Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-jennings-bryan/) > [“An atheist is someone who is disappointed in his search of god. He is a man who strongly needed god but couldn't find him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-atheist-is-someone-who-is-disappointed-in-his-search-of-god-he-is/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [Intellect, at its best, can make you agnostic. Being theist or atheist is still a matter of choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/intellect-at-its-best-can-make-you-agnostic-being-theist-or-atheist/) [Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/) > [To be agnostic is to be open-minded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-agnostic-is-to-be-open-minded/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The religious hypothesis, therefore, must be considered only as a particular method of accounting for the visible phenomena of the universe: but no just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-religious-hypothesis-therefore-must-be-considered-only-as-a/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [The world is continuous flux and is impermanent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/the-world-is-continuous-flux-and-is-impermanent/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [“I'm agnostic. By definition, I'm unsure of what to believe in, but I'm also borderline-capable of believing in anything and everything, or nothing at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lola/i-m-agnostic-by-definition-i-m-unsure-of-what-to-believe-in-but-i-m/) [Lauren Lola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lola/) > [“The Agnostic is one who asserts 'what no one denies' that there are limits to the sphere of human intelligence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/the-agnostic-is-one-who-asserts-what-no-one-denies-that-there-are/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [I have only a small flickering light to guide me in the darkness of a thick forest. Up comes a theologian and blows it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/i-have-only-a-small-flickering-light-to-guide-me-in-the-darkness-of-a/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [“...The Presidential election has given me less anxiety than I myself could have imagined. The next administration will be a troublesome one, to whomsoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-presidential-election-has-given-me-less-anxiety-than-i-myself/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [“We should be agnostic about those things for which there is no evidence. We should not hold beliefs merely because they gratify our desires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-should-be-agnostic-about-those-things-for-which-there-is-no/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“All atheists will go to heaven. If god exists, not believing in him does not take him away and he cannot justly condemn those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/all-atheists-will-go-to-heaven-if-god-exists-not-believing-in-him/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) [Browse all 275 Agnosticism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agnosticism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are enabled to apprehend at all what is sublime and noble only by the perpetual instilling and drenching of the reality that surrounds us. 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