--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [...] it is a strange thing that most of…" description: "\"“[...] it is a strange thing that most of the feeling we call religious, most of the mystical outcrying which is one of the most prized and used and de..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ed/john-steinbeck-71_astronomy_it-is-a-strange-thing-that-most-of-the-f_1941189.jpg" --- # \[...\] it is a strange thing that most of the feeling we… ![“[...] it is a strange thing that most of the feeling we call religious, most of the mystical outcrying which is one of the most prized and used and desired reactions of our species, is really the understanding and the attempt to say that man is related to the whole thing, related inextricably to…” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ed/john-steinbeck-71_astronomy_it-is-a-strange-thing-that-most-of-the-f_1941189.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ed/john-steinbeck-71_astronomy_it-is-a-strange-thing-that-most-of-the-f_1941189.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ed/john-steinbeck-71_astronomy_it-is-a-strange-thing-that-most-of-the-f_1941189.jpg) > ““\[...\] it is a strange thing that most of the feeling we call religious, most of the mystical outcrying which is one of the most prized and used and desired reactions of our species, is really the understanding and the attempt to say that man is related to the whole thing, related inextricably to all reality, known and unknowable. This is a simple thing to say, but the profound feeling of it made a Jesus, a St. Augustine, a St. Francis, a Roger Bacon, a Charles Darwin, and an Einstein. Each of them in his own tempo and with his own voice discovered and reaffirmed with astonishment the knowledge that all things are one thing and that one thing is all things—plankton, a shimmering phosphorescence on the sea and the spinning planets and an expanding universe, all bound together by the elastic string of time. It is advisable to look from the tide pool to the stars and then back to the tide pool again.”” [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human beings sense a deep connection to all existence, a mystical unity that transcends knowledge. **In simple terms:** All things are interconnected. Key Takeaway Recognize the unity of all life. Themes spirituality interconnectedness humility Mood contemplative wonderful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - environmental activism - philosophical study - personal meditation Key Concepts holism cosmic perspective Questions to Reflect On - How does seeing unity affect your daily choices? - What practices help you feel this connection? A Different Perspective Such unity can be abstract, making practical application challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Astronomy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomy/) [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [Profound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [My feeling is religious insofar as I am imbued with the consciousness of the insufficiency of the human mind to understand more deeply the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/my-feeling-is-religious-insofar-as-i-am-imbued-with-the-consciousness/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“She could not avoid a profound feeling of rancor toward her husband for having left her alone in the middle of the ocean. 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