--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is by the activity of our passions…" description: "\"“It is by the activity of our passions, that our reason improves: we covet knowledge merely because we covet enjoyment, and it is impossible to conceiv..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_desire_it-is-by-the-activity-of-our-passions-th_837821.png" --- # It is by the activity of our passions, that our reason… ![“It is by the activity of our passions, that our reason improves: we covet knowledge merely because we covet enjoyment, and it is impossible to conceive why a man exempt from fears and desires should take the trouble to reason.” quote by Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_desire_it-is-by-the-activity-of-our-passions-th_837821.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_desire_it-is-by-the-activity-of-our-passions-th_837821.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_desire_it-is-by-the-activity-of-our-passions-th_837821.png) > ““It is by the activity of our passions, that our reason improves: we covet knowledge merely because we covet enjoyment, and it is impossible to conceive why a man exempt from fears and desires should take the trouble to reason.”” [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Passions drive reason; without desire, we lack motivation to think, so emotions are essential for intellectual progress. **In simple terms:** Desire fuels thought. Key Takeaway Embrace healthy passions to enhance reasoning. Themes philosophy motivation human nature Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - education - creative work - personal development Key Concepts psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - What passions help you think clearly? - How can desire be balanced with reason? A Different Perspective Excessive passion can cloud judgment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [Some men covet knowledge out of a natural curiosity and inquisitive temper; some to entertain the mind with variety and delight; some for ornament…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/some-men-covet-knowledge-out-of-a-natural-curiosity-and-inquisitive/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [“Why covet a knowledge of new facts? Day and night, house and garden, a few books, a few actions, serve us as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/why-covet-a-knowledge-of-new-facts-day-and-night-house-and-garden-a/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I can't seem to go out without getting in trouble for some reason...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-can-t-seem-to-go-out-without-getting-in-trouble-for-some-reason/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Be happy for no reason, like baby, if you are happy for a reason, you're in trouble, because that reason can be taken from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-happy-for-no-reason-like-baby-if-you-are-happy-for-a-reason-you-re/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The passions, therefore, not the reason, of the public would sit in judgment. But it is the reason, alone, of the public, that ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-passions-therefore-not-the-reason-of-the-public-would-sit-in/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [“if dreams may be called passions. I see no reason not to call them passions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitl-n-r-kiernan/if-dreams-may-be-called-passions-i-see-no-reason-not-to-call-them/) [Caitlín R. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitl-n-r-kiernan/) > [Be happy for no reason, like a child. If you happy for a reason, you're in trouble, because that reason can be taken from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-happy-for-no-reason-like-a-child-if-you-happy-for-a-reason-you-re/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [By directing our sentiments, passions, and reason toward the common human plight, imagination grants us the advantages of a moralexistence. What we surrender of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-j-kaplan/by-directing-our-sentiments-passions-and-reason-toward-the-common/) [Louise J. Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-j-kaplan/) > [“The one who causes trouble always have a reason and an excuse. The one who nitpicks about it eventually becomes the problem. Isn't that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyunsoo/the-one-who-causes-trouble-always-have-a-reason-and-an-excuse-the-one/) Lee Hyunsoo > [Reason is God's gift, but so are the passions. Reason is as guilty as passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/reason-is-god-s-gift-but-so-are-the-passions-reason-is-as-guilty-as/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [The man who is master of his passions is Reason's slave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/the-man-who-is-master-of-his-passions-is-reason-s-slave/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [Man is an Animal, formidable both from his Passions and his Reason; his Passions often urging him to great Evils, and his Reason furnishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-berkeley/man-is-an-animal-formidable-both-from-his-passions-and-his-reason-his/) [George Berkeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-berkeley/) > [If you are happy for a reason, you could be in trouble, because that reason can get taken away from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/if-you-are-happy-for-a-reason-you-could-be-in-trouble-because-that/) Senoraroy > [Be happy for no reason, like a child. If you're happy for a reason, you're in trouble, because that reason can be taken away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-happy-for-no-reason-like-a-child-if-you-re-happy-for-a-reason-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Take from the philosopher the pleasure of being heard and his desire for knowledge ceases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/take-from-the-philosopher-the-pleasure-of-being-heard-and-his-desire/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) ## More by Jean-Jacques Rousseau > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Take the course opposite to custom and you will almost always do well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/take-the-course-opposite-to-custom-and-you-will-almost-always-do-well/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Everything we do not have at our birth and which we need when we are grown is given to us by education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/everything-we-do-not-have-at-our-birth-and-which-we-need-when-we-are/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The first person who, having enclosed a plot of land, took it into his head to say this is mine and found people simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-first-person-who-having-enclosed-a-plot-of-land-took-it-into-his/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [...in respect of riches, no citizen shall ever be wealthy enough to buy another, and none poor enough to be forced to sell himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/in-respect-of-riches-no-citizen-shall-ever-be-wealthy-enough-to-buy/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Take from the philosopher the pleasure of being heard and his desire for knowledge ceases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/take-from-the-philosopher-the-pleasure-of-being-heard-and-his-desire/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Men, in general, are not this or that, they are what they are made to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/men-in-general-are-not-this-or-that-they-are-what-they-are-made-to-be/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [I would rather be a man of paradoxes than a man of prejudices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-would-rather-be-a-man-of-paradoxes-than-a-man-of-prejudices/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“O Fabricius! What would your great soul have thought, if to your own misfortune you had been called back to life and had seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/o-fabricius-what-would-your-great-soul-have-thought-if-to-your-own/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“The sword wears out its sheath, as it is sometimes said. That is my story. My passions have made me live, and my passions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-sword-wears-out-its-sheath-as-it-is-sometimes-said-that-is-my/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Whence do I get my rules of conduct? I find them in my heart. Whatever I feel to be good is good. Whatever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/whence-do-i-get-my-rules-of-conduct-i-find-them-in-my-heart-whatever/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“If one divided all of human science into two parts - the one common to all men, the other particular to the learned -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/if-one-divided-all-of-human-science-into-two-parts-the-one-common-to/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The social compact sets up among the citizens as equality of such kind, that they all bind themselves to observe the same conditions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-social-compact-sets-up-among-the-citizens-as-equality-of-such/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [I do not know is a phrase which becomes us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-do-not-know-is-a-phrase-which-becomes-us/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“How could I become wicked, when I had nothing but examples of gentleness before my eyes, and none around me but the best people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/how-could-i-become-wicked-when-i-had-nothing-but-examples-of/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) [Explore all 518 Jean-Jacques Rousseau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) ## More Desire quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) [Browse all 15,155 Desire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is by the activity of our passions, that our reason improves: we covet knowledge merely because we covet enjoyment, and it is impossible to conceive why a man exempt from fears and desires should take the trouble to reason.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jean-Jacques Rousseau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/it-is-by-the-activity-of-our-passions-that-our-reason-improves-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Desire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/it-is-by-the-activity-of-our-passions-that-our-reason-improves-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_desire_it-is-by-the-activity-of-our-passions-th_837821.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_desire_it-is-by-the-activity-of-our-passions-th_837821.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_desire_it-is-by-the-activity-of-our-passions-th_837821.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is by the activity of our passions, that our reason improves: we covet knowledge merely because we covet…” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau", "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": "Jean-Jacques Rousseau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is by the activity of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/it-is-by-the-activity-of-our-passions-that-our-reason-improves-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/it-is-by-the-activity-of-our-passions-that-our-reason-improves-we/#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 } } ] } ```