---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We become philosophical when our…"
description: "\"“We become philosophical when our inherited understanding can no longer account for our experience and we are forced to create for ourselves an authent..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/james-p-danaher-245609_learning_we-become-philosophical-when-our-inherit_2124466.jpg"
---

#  We become philosophical when our inherited understanding…

![“We become philosophical when our inherited understanding can no longer account for our experience and we are forced to create for ourselves an authentic understanding capable of giving meaning to our experience.” quote by James P. Danaher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/james-p-danaher-245609_learning_we-become-philosophical-when-our-inherit_2124466.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/james-p-danaher-245609_learning_we-become-philosophical-when-our-inherit_2124466.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/james-p-danaher-245609_learning_we-become-philosophical-when-our-inherit_2124466.jpg)

> ““We become philosophical when our inherited understanding can no longer account for our experience and we are forced to create for ourselves an authentic understanding capable of giving meaning to our experience.””

[James P. Danaher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-danaher/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

When existing knowledge fails to explain experience, we must create our own authentic understanding to give meaning.

**In simple terms:** Create personal meaning when old ideas fall short.

Key Takeaway

Seek authentic understanding through personal reflection.

Themes

meaning philosophy authenticity self-discovery

Mood

philosophical introspective

Type

Learning:1 Meaning:1 Philosophical:1 Philosophy:1 Philosophical Inherited:0 Inherited Understanding:0 Authentic Understanding:1 Experience Forced:0

When to use this quote

- academic study
- personal crises
- creative projects

Key Concepts

existential inquiry critical thinking

Questions to Reflect On

- What experiences challenge your current beliefs?
- How do you validate new understandings?

A Different Perspective

Not everyone can easily construct new frameworks.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Authentic Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authentic-understanding-4350402/) [Experience Forced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience-forced-4350403/) [Inherited Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inherited-understanding-4350401/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaning/) [Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical/) [Philosophical Inherited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical-inherited-4350400/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/)

## Related quotes

> [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/)

[Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/)

> [It's not a failure if a marriage or partnership ends after a certain number of years. I think, in general, we expect too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/it-s-not-a-failure-if-a-marriage-or-partnership-ends-after-a-certain/)

[Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/)

> [In fine, a life of good or evil, the hope of Heaven or the despair of Hell, Faustus stands as a reminder that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-fine-a-life-of-good-or-evil-the-hope-of-heaven-or-the-despair-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Poerty is composition to which the soul bleeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adkruk/poerty-is-composition-to-which-the-soul-bleeds/)

[ADKruk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adkruk/)

> [“One of the protestor's sign catches my eye. HOMISEXUALITY IS THE DEVIL'S WORK, it says. And once again I think about how people use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/one-of-the-protestor-s-sign-catches-my-eye-homisexuality-is-the-devil/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [“Dreams are doorways into other dimensions that you forget how to open once you’re awake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-m-arcejaeger/dreams-are-doorways-into-other-dimensions-that-you-forget-how-to-open/)

[R.M. ArceJaeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-m-arcejaeger/)

> [“Only you are yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-trott/only-you-are-yours/)

[Susan Trott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-trott/)

> [“No es que escribir me produzca un gran placer, pero es mucho peor si no lo hago.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/no-es-que-escribir-me-produzca-un-gran-placer-pero-es-mucho-peor-si/)

[Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/)

> [Reason is universal because no attempted challenge to its results can avoid appealing to reason in the end-by claiming, for example, that what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nagel/reason-is-universal-because-no-attempted-challenge-to-its-results-can/)

[Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/)

> [“Fiecare dintre noi a inteles, probabil, atunci ca nu exista "mai tarziu". Ca tot ce nu traim ramane netrait. Eu, oricum, aveam gust de…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavian-paler/fiecare-dintre-noi-a-inteles-probabil-atunci-ca-nu-exista-mai-tarziu/)

[Octavian Paler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavian-paler/)

> [As our domestic fowls are said to have their original in the wild pheasant of India, so our domestic thoughts have their prototypes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-our-domestic-fowls-are-said-to-have-their-original-in-the-wild/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [I think it's in our nature to try to get beyond that next horizon. I think that when we as a species are scratching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-howard/i-think-it-s-in-our-nature-to-try-to-get-beyond-that-next-horizon-i/)

[Ron Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-howard/)

> [In the dim background of our mind we know meanwhile what we ought to be doing: getting up, dressing ourselves, answering the person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/in-the-dim-background-of-our-mind-we-know-meanwhile-what-we-ought-to/)

[William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/)

> [“Designing posters, for me, is not only a commercial pursuit but also a philosophical endeavor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fang-chen/designing-posters-for-me-is-not-only-a-commercial-pursuit-but-also-a/)

[Fang Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fang-chen/)

> [“The truth about life is complicated, indefensible and embarrassing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-weinle/the-truth-about-life-is-complicated-indefensible-and-embarrassing/)

[Alex Weinle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-weinle/)

## More Learning quotes

> [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/)

[Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/)

> [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/)

[Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/)

> [“Men mistook measurement for understanding. And they always had to put themselves at the center of everything. That was their greatest conceit. The earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/men-mistook-measurement-for-understanding-and-they-always-had-to-put/)

[Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/)

> [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/)

[Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/)

> [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/)

[Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/)

> [Learning from the best, you will eventually become the best if you have the talent already, if you have that potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-orton/learning-from-the-best-you-will-eventually-become-the-best-if-you/)

[Randy Orton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-orton/)

> [Everything I do is more memorable and I understand music more than ever now. It's not a burden to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seungri/everything-i-do-is-more-memorable-and-i-understand-music-more-than/)

[Seungri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seungri/)

> [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/)

[H.D. (Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-hilda-doolittle/)

> [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [once in awhile you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look it right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/once-in-awhile-you-get-shown-the-light-in-the-strangest-of-places-if/)

[Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/)

> [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/)

[Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [Would she understand that time had stopped while she was gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/would-she-understand-that-time-had-stopped-while-she-was-gone/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/)

[Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/)

> [“Damen's understanding of Laurent rearranged itself, in order that he might despise him more accurately.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-u-pacat/damen-s-understanding-of-laurent-rearranged-itself-in-order-that-he/)

[S.U. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-u-pacat/)

[Browse all 22,300 Learning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“We become philosophical when our inherited understanding can no longer account for our experience and we are forced to create for ourselves an authentic understanding capable of giving meaning to our experience.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James P. Danaher"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-danaher/we-become-philosophical-when-our-inherited-understanding-can-no/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Learning"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-danaher/we-become-philosophical-when-our-inherited-understanding-can-no/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/james-p-danaher-245609_learning_we-become-philosophical-when-our-inherit_2124466.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/james-p-danaher-245609_learning_we-become-philosophical-when-our-inherit_2124466.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/james-p-danaher-245609_learning_we-become-philosophical-when-our-inherit_2124466.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We become philosophical when our inherited understanding can no longer account for our experience and we are…” — James P. Danaher",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "James P. Danaher",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-danaher/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“We become philosophical when our inherited...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-danaher/we-become-philosophical-when-our-inherited-understanding-can-no/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-danaher/we-become-philosophical-when-our-inherited-understanding-can-no/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
