Mysterious universe Quote by J.B. Priestley
![“Both the fanatical believers and the fixed attitude people are loud in their scorn of what they call “woolly minds.”… [But it] is the woolly mind that combines scepticism about everything with credulity about everything. Being woolly it has no hard edges. It is easy, pliant, yet it has its own…” quote by J.B. Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/05b/j-b-priestley-2-61184_psychology_both-the-fanatical-believers-and-the-fix_620899.jpg)
““Both the fanatical believers and the fixed attitude people are loud in their scorn of what they call “woolly minds.”… [But it] is the woolly mind that combines scepticism about everything with credulity about everything. Being woolly it has no hard edges. It is easy, pliant, yet it has its own toughness. Because it bends, it does not break. … The woolly mind realizes that we live in an unimaginable gigantic, complicated, mysterious universe. To try to stuff the vast bewildering creation into a few neat pigeon-holes is absurd. We don’t know enough, and to pretend we do is mere intellectual conceit. … The best we can do is keep looking out for clues, for anything that will light us a step or two in the dark.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture on epistemology, date unknown
The quote urges humility, recognizing that a flexible, open‑minded approach—“woolly mind”—is resilient and better suited to navigating a vast, mysterious universe than rigid certainty.
In simple terms: Stay open‑minded and humble about knowledge.
Key Takeaway
Embrace flexibility and curiosity.
Themes
humility
open‑mindedness
intellectual humility
resilience
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
reflective
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- scientific research
- philosophical inquiry
- everyday problem solving
- creative brainstorming
Key Concepts
epistemology
skepticism
credulity
flexibility
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you cultivate a “woolly mind” in your work?
- What assumptions are you holding too tightly?
A Different Perspective
Rigid certainty can blind us to new evidence.
