--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are those who never reason on what…" description: "\"There are those who never reason on what they should do, but what they have done; as if Reason had her eyes behind, and could only see backwards.\" — He..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/henry-fielding-1358_backwards_there-are-those-who-never-reason-on-what_946849.png" --- # There are those who never reason on what they should do… ![“There are those who never reason on what they should do, but what they have done; as if Reason had her eyes behind, and could only see backwards.” quote by Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/henry-fielding-1358_backwards_there-are-those-who-never-reason-on-what_946849.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/henry-fielding-1358_backwards_there-are-those-who-never-reason-on-what_946849.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/henry-fielding-1358_backwards_there-are-those-who-never-reason-on-what_946849.png) > “There are those who never reason on what they should do, but what they have done; as if 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. Reason looks backward, judging actions by past outcomes rather than future intent. **In simple terms:** Reason is retrospective. Key Takeaway Consider future impact. Themes philosophy reason history judgment time Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - ethical decision making - historical analysis - policy planning Key Concepts causality epistemology Questions to Reflect On - How does focusing on past limit progress? - What balances past lessons with future vision? A Different Perspective May hinder innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [“I never reasoned on what I should do, but what I had done; as if my Reason had her eyes behind, and could only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/i-never-reasoned-on-what-i-should-do-but-what-i-had-done-as-if-my/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [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/) > [Now it is characteristic of play that one plays without reason and there must be no reason for it. 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The black ingredient which fouls our disposition is envy. Hence our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/want-compassion-is-not-to-be-numbered-among-the-general-faults-of/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [It is well known to all great men, that by conferring an obligation they do not always procure a friend, but are certain of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/it-is-well-known-to-all-great-men-that-by-conferring-an-obligation/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [One fool at least in every married couple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/one-fool-at-least-in-every-married-couple/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [A lover, when he is admitted to cards, ought to be solemnly silent, and observe the motions of his mistress. 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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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