--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never reasoned on what I should do, but…" description: "\"“I never reasoned on what I should do, but what I had done; as if my Reason had her eyes behind, and could only see backwards.”\" — Henry Fielding" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa8/henry-fielding-1358_backwards_i-never-reasoned-on-what-i-should-do-but_2074550.jpg" --- # I never reasoned on what I should do, but what I had done… ![“I never reasoned on what I should do, but what I had done; as if my Reason had her eyes behind, and could only see backwards.” quote by Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa8/henry-fielding-1358_backwards_i-never-reasoned-on-what-i-should-do-but_2074550.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa8/henry-fielding-1358_backwards_i-never-reasoned-on-what-i-should-do-but_2074550.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa8/henry-fielding-1358_backwards_i-never-reasoned-on-what-i-should-do-but_2074550.jpg) > ““I never reasoned on what I should do, but what I had done; as if my Reason had her eyes behind, and could only see backwards.”” [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reasoning is portrayed as backward-looking, suggesting past actions dominate judgment rather than future intent. **In simple terms:** Reasoning looks backward, not forward. Key Takeaway Focus on future choices. Themes philosophy time reflection Mood thoughtful introspective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal decision-making - historical analysis - creative writing - ethical deliberation Key Concepts psychology literature Questions to Reflect On - How does past shape present decisions? - Can we balance hindsight with foresight? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on past can hinder progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Backwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backwards/) [Eyes Backwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes-backwards-1659586/) [Reason Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason-eyes-1659587/) [Reasoned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasoned-571808/) [Reasoned Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasoned-reason-380730/) ## Related quotes > [There are those who never reason on what they should do, but what they have done; as if Reason had her eyes behind, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/there-are-those-who-never-reason-on-what-they-should-do-but-what-they/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [Virtually every major technological advance in the history of the human species- back to the invention of stone tools and the domestication of fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/virtually-every-major-technological-advance-in-the-history-of-the/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [Philosophy is reason with the eyes of the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gilmore-simms/philosophy-is-reason-with-the-eyes-of-the-soul/) [William Gilmore Simms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gilmore-simms/) > [Reason! how many eyes hast thou to see evils, and how dim, nay, blind, thou art in preventing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/reason-how-many-eyes-hast-thou-to-see-evils-and-how-dim-nay-blind/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [Irrationally held truths may be more harmful than reasoned errors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/irrationally-held-truths-may-be-more-harmful-than-reasoned-errors/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [All our acts, reasoned and unreasoned, are selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/all-our-acts-reasoned-and-unreasoned-are-selfish/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“For I had felt too much and reasoned too little, hearing what I was ready to hear, not what had been said. 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Trachtman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-p-trachtman/) ## More by Henry Fielding > [“Though Jones had formerly believed himself in the very prime of youth and vigor, his first encounter with Lady Bellaston both vexed and puzzled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/though-jones-had-formerly-believed-himself-in-the-very-prime-of-youth/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [A good man therefore is a standing lesson to us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/a-good-man-therefore-is-a-standing-lesson-to-us-all/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [Good-breeding is not confined to externals, much less to any particular dress or attitude of the body; it is the art of pleasing, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/good-breeding-is-not-confined-to-externals-much-less-to-any/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [Adversity is the trial of principle. 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I spend very little time, looking backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/i-m-just-always-looking-forwards-i-spend-very-little-time-looking/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [I wear T-shirts and backwards hats and buy my shoes at Payless!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlyn-bristowe/i-wear-t-shirts-and-backwards-hats-and-buy-my-shoes-at-payless/) [Kaitlyn Bristowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlyn-bristowe/) > [A historian is not always a prophet facing backwards, but a journalist is always someone who afterwards knew everything beforehand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/a-historian-is-not-always-a-prophet-facing-backwards-but-a-journalist/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Why don't you just imagine it never happened..??](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/effy-stonem/why-don-t-you-just-imagine-it-never-happened/) [Effy Stonem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/effy-stonem/) > [“It would seem no matter how progressive we get there are always those few who are backwards in their ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solange-nicole/it-would-seem-no-matter-how-progressive-we-get-there-are-always-those/) [Solange nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solange-nicole/) > [In the spiritual life, he who does not advance goes backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pio-of-pietrelcina/in-the-spiritual-life-he-who-does-not-advance-goes-backwards/) [Pio of Pietrelcina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pio-of-pietrelcina/) > [Now, success is not the result of making money; making money is the result of success - and success is in direct proportion to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/now-success-is-not-the-result-of-making-money-making-money-is-the/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [Can anyone be so foolish as to believe that there are men whose feet are higher than their heads, or places where things may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lactantius/can-anyone-be-so-foolish-as-to-believe-that-there-are-men-whose-feet/) [Lactantius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lactantius/) > [I took a little break - I was coming back to work and the last thing I was going to do was take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-took-a-little-break-i-was-coming-back-to-work-and-the-last-thing-i/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [Only a fool walks into the future backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/only-a-fool-walks-into-the-future-backwards/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [We have different expectations for different groups of people. 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