--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life is contemptuous of knowledge; it…" description: "\"“Life is contemptuous of knowledge; it forces it to sit in the anterooms, to wait outside. Passion, energy, lies: these are what life admires. Still, a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/552/james-salter-2584_admires_life-is-contemptuous-of-knowledge-it-for_2464712.jpg" --- # Life is contemptuous of knowledge; it forces it to sit in… ![“Life is contemptuous of knowledge; it forces it to sit in the anterooms, to wait outside. Passion, energy, lies: these are what life admires. Still, anything can be endured if all humanity is watching. The martyrs prove it. We live in the attention of others. We turn to it as flowers to the sun.” quote by James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/552/james-salter-2584_admires_life-is-contemptuous-of-knowledge-it-for_2464712.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/552/james-salter-2584_admires_life-is-contemptuous-of-knowledge-it-for_2464712.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/552/james-salter-2584_admires_life-is-contemptuous-of-knowledge-it-for_2464712.jpg) > ““Life is contemptuous of knowledge; it forces it to sit in the anterooms, to wait outside. Passion, energy, lies: these are what life admires. Still, anything can be endured if all humanity is watching. The martyrs prove it. We live in the attention of others. We turn to it as flowers to the sun.”” [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life devalues knowledge, demanding passion and energy; it thrives on attention, yet endurance is possible when observed. **In simple terms:** Life values passion over knowledge. Key Takeaway Seek passion, not just facts. Themes existence knowledge passion attention endurance Mood reflective philosophical Type literary existential When to use this quote - creative work - public speaking - personal challenges - social media Key Concepts philosophical existentialism human desire public scrutiny Questions to Reflect On - What drives you beyond attention? - How to balance knowledge and passion? A Different Perspective Reliance on external validation can be unstable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Admires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admires/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Admires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-admires-695318/) [Martyrs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/martyrs/) [Martyrs Prove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/martyrs-prove-695320/) [Watching Martyrs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watching-martyrs-695319/) ## Related quotes > [But knowledge does not protect one. Life is contemptuous of knowledge; it forces it to sit in the anterooms, to wait outside. Passion, energy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/but-knowledge-does-not-protect-one-life-is-contemptuous-of-knowledge-2/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [“But knowledge does not protect one. Life is contemptuous of knowledge; it forces it to sit in the anterooms, to wait outside. Passion, energy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/but-knowledge-does-not-protect-one-life-is-contemptuous-of-knowledge/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [To love the one who loves you, To admire the one who admires you, In a word, to be the idol of one's idol,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delphine-de-girardin/to-love-the-one-who-loves-you-to-admire-the-one-who-admires-you-in-a/) [Delphine de Girardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delphine-de-girardin/) > [“I have a secret secret admirer. Not only is her identity a secret—but so is the fact that she admires me. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-have-a-secret-secret-admirer-not-only-is-her-identity-a-secret-but/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“You are aware that what they do, they do for the world, and the results are, of course, magnificent. But when you . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/you-are-aware-that-what-they-do-they-do-for-the-world-and-the-results/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“Tell me who loves, who admires you, and I will tell you who you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/tell-me-who-loves-who-admires-you-and-i-will-tell-you-who-you-are/) [Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/) > [Simplicity, a delicate silence about oneself, increases their worth and makes one love those whom one admires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sand/simplicity-a-delicate-silence-about-oneself-increases-their-worth-and/) [George Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sand/) > [“The highs and lows of life are equally important, for in the highest moments you know who admires you the most, and in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sacredfire/the-highs-and-lows-of-life-are-equally-important-for-in-the-highest/) [Robin Sacredfire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sacredfire/) > [The leaders that the world admires seem almost all to be people who haven't had things quite so smooth or easy in their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/the-leaders-that-the-world-admires-seem-almost-all-to-be-people-who/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [“I want to be the guy who the guy you admire admires. I hope his name is Guy, because I admire M.C. Escher.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-want-to-be-the-guy-who-the-guy-you-admire-admires-i-hope-his-name/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Everything is worth seeing once, and the more one sees the less one either wonders or admires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/everything-is-worth-seeing-once-and-the-more-one-sees-the-less-one/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [“I believe that one is never more just than at those moments when one admires unreservedly and with absolute devotion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/i-believe-that-one-is-never-more-just-than-at-those-moments-when-one/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [The true philosopher is one who makes people believe that he admires what he does not admire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/the-true-philosopher-is-one-who-makes-people-believe-that-he-admires/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“The man who is proudly certain of his own value, will want the highest type of woman he can find, the woman he admires,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-man-who-is-proudly-certain-of-his-own-value-will-want-the-highest/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [What do you call a bad man? The sort of man who admires innocence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/what-do-you-call-a-bad-man-the-sort-of-man-who-admires-innocence/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More by James Salter > [It seems to me that literature is giving way a little bit to the immediacy of other diversions, other forms of entertainment. What will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/it-seems-to-me-that-literature-is-giving-way-a-little-bit-to-the/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [Women fall in love when they get to know you. Men are just the opposite. When they finally know you they're ready to leave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/women-fall-in-love-when-they-get-to-know-you-men-are-just-the/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [Not necessarily narrow so much as impatient, intense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/not-necessarily-narrow-so-much-as-impatient-intense/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [I write in longhand. I am accustomed to that proximity, that feel of writing. Then I sit down and type.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/i-write-in-longhand-i-am-accustomed-to-that-proximity-that-feel-of/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [A writer writes a book. People read it. You don't know what they're reading, really. 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You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/sometimes-i-write-with-a-particular-person-in-mind-i-think-it-s-fair/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [Lots of scripts are written and not made, even scripts that people want to make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/lots-of-scripts-are-written-and-not-made-even-scripts-that-people/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [I'd given up everything to be a writer, and if I didn't then go on to do that - to write - then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/i-d-given-up-everything-to-be-a-writer-and-if-i-didn-t-then-go-on-to/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [“One should not believe too easily in a life which can easily vanish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/one-should-not-believe-too-easily-in-a-life-which-can-easily-vanish/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [“Life is separated by scars, like the rings in the inside of a tree.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/life-is-separated-by-scars-like-the-rings-in-the-inside-of-a-tree/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [“Dean is still asleep. His clothes are strewn about. The shutters are closed. He never dreams. He’s like a dead musician, like a spent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/dean-is-still-asleep-his-clothes-are-strewn-about-the-shutters-are/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [The dreams are the skeleton of all reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/the-dreams-are-the-skeleton-of-all-reality/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [There came a time when I felt I was not going to be satisfied with life unless I could write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/there-came-a-time-when-i-felt-i-was-not-going-to-be-satisfied-with/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) [Explore all 156 James Salter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) ## More Admires quotes > [What do you call a bad man? The sort of man who admires innocence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/what-do-you-call-a-bad-man-the-sort-of-man-who-admires-innocence/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“The man who is proudly certain of his own value, will want the highest type of woman he can find, the woman he admires,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-man-who-is-proudly-certain-of-his-own-value-will-want-the-highest/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [The true philosopher is one who makes people believe that he admires what he does not admire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/the-true-philosopher-is-one-who-makes-people-believe-that-he-admires/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“I believe that one is never more just than at those moments when one admires unreservedly and with absolute devotion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/i-believe-that-one-is-never-more-just-than-at-those-moments-when-one/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [Everything is worth seeing once, and the more one sees the less one either wonders or admires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/everything-is-worth-seeing-once-and-the-more-one-sees-the-less-one/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [“I want to be the guy who the guy you admire admires. I hope his name is Guy, because I admire M.C. Escher.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-want-to-be-the-guy-who-the-guy-you-admire-admires-i-hope-his-name/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [The leaders that the world admires seem almost all to be people who haven't had things quite so smooth or easy in their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/the-leaders-that-the-world-admires-seem-almost-all-to-be-people-who/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [“The highs and lows of life are equally important, for in the highest moments you know who admires you the most, and in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sacredfire/the-highs-and-lows-of-life-are-equally-important-for-in-the-highest/) [Robin Sacredfire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sacredfire/) > [Simplicity, a delicate silence about oneself, increases their worth and makes one love those whom one admires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sand/simplicity-a-delicate-silence-about-oneself-increases-their-worth-and/) [George Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sand/) > [“Tell me who loves, who admires you, and I will tell you who you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/tell-me-who-loves-who-admires-you-and-i-will-tell-you-who-you-are/) [Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/) > [“You are aware that what they do, they do for the world, and the results are, of course, magnificent. 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