--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He must pull out his own eyes, and see no…" description: "\"He must pull out his own eyes, and see no creature, before he can say, he sees no God; He must be no man, and quench his reasonable soul, before he can..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/john-donne-933_god_he-must-pull-out-his-own-eyes-and-see-no_2347860.png" --- # He must pull out his own eyes, and see no creature, before… ![“He must pull out his own eyes, and see no creature, before he can say, he sees no God; He must be no man, and quench his reasonable soul, before he can say to himself, there is no God.” quote by John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/john-donne-933_god_he-must-pull-out-his-own-eyes-and-see-no_2347860.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/john-donne-933_god_he-must-pull-out-his-own-eyes-and-see-no_2347860.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/john-donne-933_god_he-must-pull-out-his-own-eyes-and-see-no_2347860.png) > “He must pull out his own eyes, and see no creature, before he can say, he sees no God; He must be no man, and quench his reasonable soul, before he can say to himself, there is no God.” [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. One must renounce self‑interest and personal identity to truly deny the divine, recognizing that denial itself presupposes belief. **In simple terms:** Denying God requires abandoning self. Key Takeaway Consider how self‑interest shapes belief. Themes spirituality philosophy identity Mood contemplative serious Type philosophical poetic When to use this quote - personal meditation - philosophical debate - existential crisis Key Concepts existentialism theology self‑transcendence Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of self bind you to belief? - Can true denial exist without self? A Different Perspective Denial may be impossible if belief is ingrained. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creature Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creature-say-5237679/) [Eyes Creature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes-creature-5705600/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Pull Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pull-eyes-499843/) [Quench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quench/) [Reasonable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasonable/) [Reasonable Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasonable-soul-959199/) [Sees God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sees-god-504911/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) ## Related quotes > [“When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/revelation-6-78/when-the-lamb-opened-the-fourth-seal-i-heard-the-voice-of-the-fourth/) [Revelation 6 78](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/revelation-6-78/) > [I spent quite a lot of time in front of the bathroom mirror. Nearby, there was a stack of books. My favorites were 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anjelica-huston/i-spent-quite-a-lot-of-time-in-front-of-the-bathroom-mirror-nearby/) [Anjelica Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anjelica-huston/) > [God is not pleased by blood – and not acting reasonably is contrary to God's nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manuel-ii-palaiologos/god-is-not-pleased-by-blood-and-not-acting-reasonably-is-contrary-to/) [Manuel II Palaiologos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manuel-ii-palaiologos/) > [“But he that honours a reasonable soul in general, as it is reasonable and naturally sociable, doth little regard anything else: and above all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/but-he-that-honours-a-reasonable-soul-in-general-as-it-is-reasonable/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“Envy is a blind man who wants to pull out your eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/envy-is-a-blind-man-who-wants-to-pull-out-your-eyes/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [As he that fears God fears nothing else, so he that sees God sees everything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/as-he-that-fears-god-fears-nothing-else-so-he-that-sees-god-sees/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [“These are Luther’s own words: I greatly longed to understand Paul’s Epistle to the Romans and nothing stood in the way but that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-h-bainton/these-are-luther-s-own-words-i-greatly-longed-to-understand-paul-s/) [Roland H. Bainton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-h-bainton/) > [The modern pantheist not only sees the god in everything, he takes photographs of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/the-modern-pantheist-not-only-sees-the-god-in-everything-he-takes/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [ She was a fool, and so am I, and so is anyone who thinks he sees what God is Doing, \[writes Bokonon\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/she-was-a-fool-and-so-am-i-and-so-is-anyone-who-thinks-he-sees-what/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Happy the man who sees a God employed in all the good and ills that checker life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/happy-the-man-who-sees-a-god-employed-in-all-the-good-and-ills-that/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [“Louie found himself thinking of the moment at which he had woken in the sinking hull of Green Hornet, the wires that had trapped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-hillenbrand/louie-found-himself-thinking-of-the-moment-at-which-he-had-woken-in/) [Laura Hillenbrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-hillenbrand/) > [Lo! The poor Indian, whose untutored mind sees God in clouds, or hears him in the wind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/lo-the-poor-indian-whose-untutored-mind-sees-god-in-clouds-or-hears/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [Constantly practice the habit of inwardly gazing upon God. You know that something inside your heart sees God. Even when you are compelled to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/constantly-practice-the-habit-of-inwardly-gazing-upon-god-you-know/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“What God asks of men, said Graham, is faith. His invisibility is the truest test of that faith. To know who sees him, God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-hillenbrand/what-god-asks-of-men-said-graham-is-faith-his-invisibility-is-the/) [Laura Hillenbrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-hillenbrand/) > [Be happy! God sees in you another God. God sees you as another God. God sees you and He as One.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/be-happy-god-sees-in-you-another-god-god-sees-you-as-another-god-god/) [Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/) ## More by John Donne > [Our critical day is not the very day of our death; but the whole course of our life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/our-critical-day-is-not-the-very-day-of-our-death-but-the-whole/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [But I do nothing upon myself, and yet I am my own executioner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/but-i-do-nothing-upon-myself-and-yet-i-am-my-own-executioner/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/all-mankind-is-of-one-author-and-is-one-volume-when-one-man-dies-one/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [We study health, and we deliberate upon our meats and drink and air and exercises, and we hew and we polish every stone that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/we-study-health-and-we-deliberate-upon-our-meats-and-drink-and-air/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Commemoration of Pandita Mary Ramabai, Translator of the Scriptures, 1922 A memory of yesterday's pleasures, a fear of tomorrow's dangers, a straw under my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/commemoration-of-pandita-mary-ramabai-translator-of-the-scriptures/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Various content To your eyes, ears, and tongue, and every part. If then your body go, what need you a heart?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/various-content-to-your-eyes-ears-and-tongue-and-every-part-if-then/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [“Batter my heart, three-person'd God ; for you As yet but knock ; breathe, shine, and seek to mend ; That I may rise,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/batter-my-heart-three-person-d-god-for-you-as-yet-but-knock-breathe/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Young men mend not their sight by using old men's spectacles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/young-men-mend-not-their-sight-by-using-old-men-s-spectacles/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [That which attempts to elevate the ugly to the level of beauty becomes neither; but an obscenity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/that-which-attempts-to-elevate-the-ugly-to-the-level-of-beauty/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [For I am every dead thing In whom love wrought new alchemy For his art did express A quintessence even from nothingness, From dull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/for-i-am-every-dead-thing-in-whom-love-wrought-new-alchemy-for-his/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [As states subsist in part by keeping their weaknesses from being known, so is it the quiet of families to have their chancery and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/as-states-subsist-in-part-by-keeping-their-weaknesses-from-being/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [All Kings, and all their favorites, All glory of honors, beauties, wits, The sun itself, which makes times, as they pass, Is elder by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/all-kings-and-all-their-favorites-all-glory-of-honors-beauties-wits/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [On a huge hill, Cragged, and steep, Truth stands, and hee that will Reach her, about must, and about must goo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/on-a-huge-hill-cragged-and-steep-truth-stands-and-hee-that-will-reach/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [How many times go we to comedies, to masques, to places of great and noble resort, nay even to church only to see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/how-many-times-go-we-to-comedies-to-masques-to-places-of-great-and/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell, And poppy, or charms, can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/thou-art-slave-to-fate-chance-kings-and-desperate-men-and-dost-with/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) [Explore all 325 John Donne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) ## More God quotes > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“am not suggesting that successes in academics, athletics, or vocation somehow stand outside God’s good plan. Learning and play are joys that God himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-paul-jones/am-not-suggesting-that-successes-in-academics-athletics-or-vocation/) [Timothy Paul Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-paul-jones/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [The faster you go, the shorter you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-faster-you-go-the-shorter-you-are/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [What would God have me do with my life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/what-would-god-have-me-do-with-my-life/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [God always gets the glory when Jesus comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/god-always-gets-the-glory-when-jesus-comes/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/do-all-the-good-you-can-by-all-the-means-you-can-in-all-the-ways-you/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [You are a God Act like one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/you-are-a-god-act-like-one/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) [Browse all 37,707 God quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He must pull out his own eyes, and see no creature, before he can say, he sees no God; He must be no man, and quench his reasonable soul, before he can say to himself, there is no God.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Donne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/he-must-pull-out-his-own-eyes-and-see-no-creature-before-he-can-say/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "God" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/he-must-pull-out-his-own-eyes-and-see-no-creature-before-he-can-say/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/john-donne-933_god_he-must-pull-out-his-own-eyes-and-see-no_2347860.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/john-donne-933_god_he-must-pull-out-his-own-eyes-and-see-no_2347860.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/john-donne-933_god_he-must-pull-out-his-own-eyes-and-see-no_2347860.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He must pull out his own eyes, and see no creature, before he can say, he sees no God; He must be no man…” — John Donne", "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": "John Donne", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "He must pull out his own...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/he-must-pull-out-his-own-eyes-and-see-no-creature-before-he-can-say/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/he-must-pull-out-his-own-eyes-and-see-no-creature-before-he-can-say/#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 } } ] } ```