Certainty Quote by Isaiah Berlin
“The very desire for guarantees that our values are eternal and secure in some objective heaven is perhaps only a craving for the certainties of childhood or the absolute values of our primitive past.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Four Essays on Liberty, 1969
Our yearning for eternal, objective values mirrors childhood’s need for certainty and past’s absolute standards.
In simple terms: Seeking eternal values is like craving childhood certainty.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the desire for certainty and question its source.
Themes
philosophy
values
psychology
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- personal growth
- spiritual reflection
- ethical decision making
Key Concepts
existentialism
nostalgia
security
Questions to Reflect On
- What childhood certainty still influences you?
- How can you balance stability with adaptability?
A Different Perspective
Such cravings may limit openness to change.
![“[I]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge in mathematics, in so far as disposed through it we are able to reach certainty in other sciences and truth by the exclusion of error.” quote by Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d13/roger-bacon-15067_able_i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-a_24209.jpg)