--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The world is content with setting right…" description: "\"The world is content with setting right the surface of things.\" — John Henry Newman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5c/john-henry-newman-2366_miscellaneous_the-world-is-content-with-setting-right_647561.jpg" --- # The world is content with setting right the surface of… ![“The world is content with setting right the surface of things.” quote by John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5c/john-henry-newman-2366_miscellaneous_the-world-is-content-with-setting-right_647561.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5c/john-henry-newman-2366_miscellaneous_the-world-is-content-with-setting-right_647561.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5c/john-henry-newman-2366_miscellaneous_the-world-is-content-with-setting-right_647561.jpg) > “The world is content with setting right the surface of things.” [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often focus on superficial fixes rather than addressing deeper causes. **In simple terms:** Fixing surfaces ignores root problems. Key Takeaway Look deeper before acting. Themes superficiality depth problem solving Mood reflective critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - personal relationships - organizational change - education reform Key Concepts philosophy critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - What underlying issues are being ignored? - How can deeper analysis improve outcomes? A Different Perspective Surface fixes can be temporary and may cause new issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“…”But on an occasion like this we must wait for sunset. Setting out in the right way is just as important as the opening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/but-on-an-occasion-like-this-we-must-wait-for-sunset-setting-out-in/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [“Our plans and designs should be so perfect in truth and beauty, that in touching them the world could only mar. We should thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/our-plans-and-designs-should-be-so-perfect-in-truth-and-beauty-that/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Content is power in today's world, and if you can own that content, create it and make interaction more of an experience than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-grossman/content-is-power-in-today-s-world-and-if-you-can-own-that-content/) [Mindy Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-grossman/) > [I am as I am. The world is as it is. Whether I am content with that has very little to do with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-nicholson/i-am-as-i-am-the-world-is-as-it-is-whether-i-am-content-with-that-has/) [William Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-nicholson/) > [We are moving to a world where all content is encrypted all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-stamos/we-are-moving-to-a-world-where-all-content-is-encrypted-all-the-time/) [Alex Stamos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-stamos/) > [The surface of things gives enjoyment, their interiority gives life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piet-mondrian/the-surface-of-things-gives-enjoyment-their-interiority-gives-life/) [Piet Mondrian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piet-mondrian/) > [It is only after you have come to know the surface of things ... that you can venture to seek what is underneath. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/it-is-only-after-you-have-come-to-know-the-surface-of-things-that-you/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [While you are experimenting, do not remain content with the surface of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-pavlov/while-you-are-experimenting-do-not-remain-content-with-the-surface-of/) [Ivan Pavlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-pavlov/) > [I love mirrors. They let one pass through the surface of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-chabrol/i-love-mirrors-they-let-one-pass-through-the-surface-of-things/) [Claude Chabrol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-chabrol/) > [The surface of things is not where attention should rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-surface-of-things-is-not-where-attention-should-rest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I don't dig beneath the surface for things that don't appear before my own eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-singer-sargent/i-don-t-dig-beneath-the-surface-for-things-that-don-t-appear-before/) [John Singer Sargent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-singer-sargent/) > [I think five percent of all songs can be love songs, and another five percent can be miscellaneous or political, but the rest should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-think-five-percent-of-all-songs-can-be-love-songs-and-another-five/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [We’re never gonna understand women. They’re way too complex. You’ve got too many variables to consider. PMS, bad hair days, miscellaneous mood swings .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susane-colasanti/we-re-never-gonna-understand-women-they-re-way-too-complex-you-ve-got/) [Susane Colasanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susane-colasanti/) > [“I liked my books and clouds and sunsets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elo-se-hinton/i-liked-my-books-and-clouds-and-sunsets/) Susan Eloïse Hinton > [More good things in life are lost by indifference than ever were lost by active hostility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-menzies/more-good-things-in-life-are-lost-by-indifference-than-ever-were-lost/) [Robert Menzies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-menzies/) ## More by John Henry Newman > [Fear not that thy life shall come to an end, but rather that it shall ever have a beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/fear-not-that-thy-life-shall-come-to-an-end-but-rather-that-it-shall/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [It is not God's way that great blessings should descend without the sacrifice first of great sufferings. If the truth is to be spread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/it-is-not-god-s-way-that-great-blessings-should-descend-without-the/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [By a garden is meant mystically a place of spiritual repose, stillness, peace, refreshment, delight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/by-a-garden-is-meant-mystically-a-place-of-spiritual-repose-stillness/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [Fear not that thy life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it shall never have a beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/fear-not-that-thy-life-shall-come-to-an-end-but-rather-fear-that-it/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [“The minds of young people are pliable and elastic, and easily accommodate themselves to any one they fall in with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/the-minds-of-young-people-are-pliable-and-elastic-and-easily/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [The love of our private friends is the only preparatory exercise for the love of all men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/the-love-of-our-private-friends-is-the-only-preparatory-exercise-for/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [A universityeducates the intellect to reason well in all matters, to reach out towards truth, and to grasp it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/a-universityeducates-the-intellect-to-reason-well-in-all-matters-to/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [Nothing would be done at all if one waited until one could do it so well that no one could find fault with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/nothing-would-be-done-at-all-if-one-waited-until-one-could-do-it-so/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [Christ is already in that place of peace, which is all in all. He is on the right hand of God. He is hidden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/christ-is-already-in-that-place-of-peace-which-is-all-in-all-he-is-on/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [Growth is the only evidence of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/growth-is-the-only-evidence-of-life/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [“Mr Kingsley begins then by exclaiming- 'O the chicanery, the wholesale fraud, the vile hypocrisy, the conscience-killing tyranny of Rome! We have not far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/mr-kingsley-begins-then-by-exclaiming-o-the-chicanery-the-wholesale/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [There is in stillness oft a magic power To calm the breast when struggling passions lower, Touched by its influence, in the soul arise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/there-is-in-stillness-oft-a-magic-power-to-calm-the-breast-when/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [Dear Lord...shine through me, and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Your presence in my soul...Let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/dear-lord-shine-through-me-and-be-so-in-me-that-every-soul-i-come-in/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [It is almost a definition of a gentleman to say that he is one who never inflicts pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/it-is-almost-a-definition-of-a-gentleman-to-say-that-he-is-one-who/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [To be deep in history, is to cease to be Protestant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/to-be-deep-in-history-is-to-cease-to-be-protestant/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) [Explore all 168 John Henry Newman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) ## More Miscellaneous quotes > [More good things in life are lost by indifference than ever were lost by active hostility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-menzies/more-good-things-in-life-are-lost-by-indifference-than-ever-were-lost/) [Robert Menzies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-menzies/) > [“I liked my books and clouds and sunsets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elo-se-hinton/i-liked-my-books-and-clouds-and-sunsets/) Susan Eloïse Hinton > [We’re never gonna understand women. They’re way too complex. You’ve got too many variables to consider. PMS, bad hair days, miscellaneous mood swings .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susane-colasanti/we-re-never-gonna-understand-women-they-re-way-too-complex-you-ve-got/) [Susane Colasanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susane-colasanti/) > [I think five percent of all songs can be love songs, and another five percent can be miscellaneous or political, but the rest should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-think-five-percent-of-all-songs-can-be-love-songs-and-another-five/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [Last good pratfall I did, I broke bones in both hands. I still feel it when people shake my hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chevy-chase/last-good-pratfall-i-did-i-broke-bones-in-both-hands-i-still-feel-it/) [Chevy Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chevy-chase/) > [“The old dead coals fell to the wayside, warm ones sat glowing weakly on the edges; but the hot new ones, red and burning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babara-wood/the-old-dead-coals-fell-to-the-wayside-warm-ones-sat-glowing-weakly/) Babara Wood > [A business must have a conscience as well as a counting house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montague-burton/a-business-must-have-a-conscience-as-well-as-a-counting-house/) Montague Burton > [Nowhere else can one find so miscellaneous, so various, an amount of knowledge as is contained in a good newspaper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/nowhere-else-can-one-find-so-miscellaneous-so-various-an-amount-of/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [We see then how far the monuments of wit and learning are more durable than the monuments of power, or of the hands. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/we-see-then-how-far-the-monuments-of-wit-and-learning-are-more/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Take as long as you need to overcome something, whether it takes you for long, that is your time. Take as long as necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley/take-as-long-as-you-need-to-overcome-something-whether-it-takes-you/) [Shirley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley/) > [There is an atmosphere of well-sounding oratory that likes to attach itself to dress clothes. Away with it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/there-is-an-atmosphere-of-well-sounding-oratory-that-likes-to-attach/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [This living in a democracy is a problem, isn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/this-living-in-a-democracy-is-a-problem-isn-t-it/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [If you could eavesdrop on everything said about you, you'd spend most of your time waiting for the subject to come up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/if-you-could-eavesdrop-on-everything-said-about-you-you-d-spend-most/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [The best thing about humour is that it shows people they are not alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sid-caesar/the-best-thing-about-humour-is-that-it-shows-people-they-are-not-alone/) [Sid Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sid-caesar/) > [Post-Watergate morality, by which anything left private is taken as presumptive evidence of wrongdoing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/post-watergate-morality-by-which-anything-left-private-is-taken-as/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) Browse all 268 Miscellaneous quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The world is content with setting right the surface of things.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Henry Newman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/the-world-is-content-with-setting-right-the-surface-of-things/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Miscellaneous" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/the-world-is-content-with-setting-right-the-surface-of-things/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5c/john-henry-newman-2366_miscellaneous_the-world-is-content-with-setting-right_647561.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5c/john-henry-newman-2366_miscellaneous_the-world-is-content-with-setting-right_647561.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5c/john-henry-newman-2366_miscellaneous_the-world-is-content-with-setting-right_647561.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The world is content with setting right the surface of things.” — John Henry Newman", "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 Henry Newman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The world is content with setting...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/the-world-is-content-with-setting-right-the-surface-of-things/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/the-world-is-content-with-setting-right-the-surface-of-things/#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 } } ] } ```