---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [My father] impressed upon me from the…"
description: "\"[My father] impressed upon me from the first, that the manner in which the world came into existence was a subject on which nothing was known: that the..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f23/john-stuart-mill-477_answers_my-father-impressed-upon-me-from-the-fir_2509760.jpg"
---

#  \[My father\] impressed upon me from the first, that the…

![“&#91;My father&#93; impressed upon me from the first, that the manner in which the world came into existence was a subject on which nothing was known: that the question, &quot;Who made me?&quot; cannot be answered, because we have no experience or authentic information from which to answer it; and that any answer…” quote by John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f23/john-stuart-mill-477_answers_my-father-impressed-upon-me-from-the-fir_2509760.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f23/john-stuart-mill-477_answers_my-father-impressed-upon-me-from-the-fir_2509760.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f23/john-stuart-mill-477_answers_my-father-impressed-upon-me-from-the-fir_2509760.jpg)

> “\[My father\] impressed upon me from the first, that the manner in which the world came into existence was a subject on which nothing was known: that the question, "Who made me?" cannot be answered, because we have no experience or authentic information from which to answer it; and that any answer only throws the difficulty a step further back, since the question immediately presents itself, "Who made God?”

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote expresses existential uncertainty about origins, suggesting that asking who created the universe leads to an infinite regress of questions.

**In simple terms:** We cannot know the ultimate source of existence.

Key Takeaway

Accept uncertainty and focus on lived experience.

Themes

existentialism philosophy knowledge religion inquiry

Mood

contemplative thoughtful

Type

philosophical reflective existential

When to use this quote

- personal reflection
- academic discussion
- spiritual contemplation

Key Concepts

metaphysics epistemology infinite regress

Questions to Reflect On

- What does it mean to live without ultimate answers?
- How can we find purpose amid uncertainty?

A Different Perspective

The argument may overlook practical implications of belief systems.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [“The actual existence of the subject of the proposition is therefore only apparently, not really, implied in the predication, if an essential one: we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-actual-existence-of-the-subject-of-the-proposition-is-therefore/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you've never actually known what the question is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/i-think-the-problem-to-be-quite-honest-with-you-is-that-you-ve-never/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [“Forty-two!" yelled Loonquawl. "Is that all you've got to show for seven and a half million years' work?" "I checked it very thoroughly," said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/forty-two-yelled-loonquawl-is-that-all-you-ve-got-to-show-for-seven/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [Sometime in the last 50,000 years, before 12,000 years ago, a kind of paradise came into existence. A situation in which men and women,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/sometime-in-the-last-50-000-years-before-12-000-years-ago-a-kind-of/)

[Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/)

> [“the first time the caregiver saw it on the child. they said ‘no. don’t you dare. you will not grow up thinking you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nayyirah-waheed/the-first-time-the-caregiver-saw-it-on-the-child-they-said-no-don-t/)

[Nayyirah Waheed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nayyirah-waheed/)

> [“In the world we came from, our existence was so easy. And so full of discontent because it was so easy. How do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-crouch/in-the-world-we-came-from-our-existence-was-so-easy-and-so-full-of-2/)

[Blake Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-crouch/)

> [The history of the cosmos is the history of the struggle of becoming. When the dim flux of unformed life struggled, convulsed back and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/the-history-of-the-cosmos-is-the-history-of-the-struggle-of-becoming/)

[D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/)

> [The settlement of America had its origins in the unsettlement of Europe. America came into existence when the European was already so distant from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/the-settlement-of-america-had-its-origins-in-the-unsettlement-of/)

[Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/)

> [“There is no reason to hate anybody, because we came into existence, not by hate-making, but through love-making.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/there-is-no-reason-to-hate-anybody-because-we-came-into-existence-not/)

[Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/)

> [“In truth, Father said, at the first instant of the universe, all of time was present, all our yesterdays and today and all our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-truth-father-said-at-the-first-instant-of-the-universe-all-of-time/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [ “There is nothing," (the author of) Madhyamika-castra\[FN#369\] says, "that ever came into existence without direct and indirect causes. Therefore there is anything that is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/there-is-nothing-the-author-of-madhyamika-castra-fn-369-says-that/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [“Science does not yet know everything; nor does it pretend to, unlike religion. Included among the great mysteries are: Why and how the Cosmos…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-williams/science-does-not-yet-know-everything-nor-does-it-pretend-to-unlike/)

Albert Williams

> [The essences of the Gods never came into existence (for that which always is never comes into existence; and that exists for ever which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sallust/the-essences-of-the-gods-never-came-into-existence-for-that-which/)

[Sallust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sallust/)

> [“the truth is you were born for you. you were wanted by you. you came for you. you are here for you. your existence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nayyirah-waheed/the-truth-is-you-were-born-for-you-you-were-wanted-by-you-you-came/)

[Nayyirah Waheed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nayyirah-waheed/)

> [It is because of impossibility, possibility came into existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bishop-t-coker/it-is-because-of-impossibility-possibility-came-into-existence/)

Bishop T Coker

## More by John Stuart Mill

> [The average condition of the people improving or deteriorating, depends upon whether population is advancing faster than improvement, or improvement than population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-average-condition-of-the-people-improving-or-deteriorating/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [Liberty lies in the rights of that person whose views you find most odious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/liberty-lies-in-the-rights-of-that-person-whose-views-you-find-most/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [Truth emerges from the clash of adverse ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/truth-emerges-from-the-clash-of-adverse-ideas/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [“No longer enslaved or made dependent by force of law, the great majority are so by force of poverty; they are still chained to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/no-longer-enslaved-or-made-dependent-by-force-of-law-the-great/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [All acts suppose certain dispositions, and habits of mind and heart, which may be in themselves states of enjoyment or of wretchedness, and which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/all-acts-suppose-certain-dispositions-and-habits-of-mind-and-heart/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [Unfortunately for the good sense of mankind, the fact of their fallibility is far from carrying the weight in their practical judgement, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/unfortunately-for-the-good-sense-of-mankind-the-fact-of-their/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [“In history, as in traveling, men usually see only what they already had in their own minds; and few learn much from history, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/in-history-as-in-traveling-men-usually-see-only-what-they-already-had/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [All errors which a man is likely to commit against advice are far outweighed by the evil of allowing others to constrain him for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/all-errors-which-a-man-is-likely-to-commit-against-advice-are-far/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [Every great movement must experience three stages: ridicule, discussion, adoption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/every-great-movement-must-experience-three-stages-ridicule-discussion/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [The successful conduct of an industrial enterprise requires two quite distinct qualifications: fidelity and zeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-successful-conduct-of-an-industrial-enterprise-requires-two-quite/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [ “\[For people\] to refuse a hearing to an opinion, because they are sure that it is false, is to assume that their certainty is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/for-people-to-refuse-a-hearing-to-an-opinion-because-they-are-sure/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [This is what writers mean when they say that the notion of cause involves the idea of necessity. If there be any meaning which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/this-is-what-writers-mean-when-they-say-that-the-notion-of-cause/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [“Protection, therefore, against tyranny of the magistrate is not enough: there needs protection also against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling; against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/protection-therefore-against-tyranny-of-the-magistrate-is-not-enough/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [Landlords grow rich in their sleep without working, risking or economizing. The increase in the value of land, arising as it does from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/landlords-grow-rich-in-their-sleep-without-working-risking-or/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [There is one characteristic of the present direction of public opinion, peculiarly calculated to make it intolerant of any marked demonstration of individuality. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/there-is-one-characteristic-of-the-present-direction-of-public/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

[Explore all 524 John Stuart Mill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

## More Answers quotes

> [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/)

[Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/)

> [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/)

[Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

> [“As long as you keep searching,the answers will come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kynock/as-long-as-you-keep-searching-the-answers-will-come/)

[Mitch Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kynock/)

> [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/)

[Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/)

> [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/)

[Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/)

> [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/)

[Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/)

> [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/)

[Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/)

> [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/)

[Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/)

> [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/)

[Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/)

Browse all 7,843 Answers quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "[My father] impressed upon me from the first, that the manner in which the world came into existence was a subject on which nothing was known: that the question, \"Who made me?\" cannot be answered, because we have no experience or authentic information from which to answer it; and that any answer only throws the difficulty a step further back, since the question immediately presents itself, \"Who made God?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Stuart Mill"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/my-father-impressed-upon-me-from-the-first-that-the-manner-in-which/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Answers"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/my-father-impressed-upon-me-from-the-first-that-the-manner-in-which/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f23/john-stuart-mill-477_answers_my-father-impressed-upon-me-from-the-fir_2509760.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f23/john-stuart-mill-477_answers_my-father-impressed-upon-me-from-the-fir_2509760.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f23/john-stuart-mill-477_answers_my-father-impressed-upon-me-from-the-fir_2509760.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“[My father] impressed upon me from the first, that the manner in which the world came into existence was a…” — John Stuart Mill",
                "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 Stuart Mill",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "[My father] impressed upon me from...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/my-father-impressed-upon-me-from-the-first-that-the-manner-in-which/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/my-father-impressed-upon-me-from-the-first-that-the-manner-in-which/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
