--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every time that a man who is not an…" description: "\"Every time that a man who is not an absolute fool presents you with a question he considers very problematic after giving it careful thought, distrust ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/joseph-de-maistre-11359_absolutes_every-time-that-a-man-who-is-not-an-abso_675144.jpg" --- # Every time that a man who is not an absolute fool presents… ![“Every time that a man who is not an absolute fool presents you with a question he considers very problematic after giving it careful thought, distrust those quick answers that come to the mind of someone who has considered it only briefly or not at all. These answers are usually simplistic views…” quote by Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/joseph-de-maistre-11359_absolutes_every-time-that-a-man-who-is-not-an-abso_675144.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/joseph-de-maistre-11359_absolutes_every-time-that-a-man-who-is-not-an-abso_675144.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/joseph-de-maistre-11359_absolutes_every-time-that-a-man-who-is-not-an-abso_675144.jpg) > “Every time that a man who is not an absolute fool presents you with a question he considers very problematic after giving it careful thought, distrust those quick answers that come to the mind of someone who has considered it only briefly or not at all. These answers are usually simplistic views lacking in consistency, which explain nothing, or which do not bear examination.” [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He warns against accepting hastily formed answers from those who haven't thought deeply, urging careful scrutiny of simplistic reasoning. **In simple terms:** Beware quick answers from shallow thinking. Key Takeaway Question superficial solutions. Themes critical thinking skepticism intellectual humility Mood thoughtful cautious Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - debates - policy decisions - personal dilemmas - educational settings Key Concepts philosophy logic analysis Questions to Reflect On - How do you test the depth of an answer? - When is a quick answer acceptable? A Different Perspective Complex issues may require nuanced answers that are hard to articulate quickly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) [Consistency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consistency/) [Distrust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distrust/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Truth Seeking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-seeking/) ## Related quotes > [The most effective debugging tool is still careful thought, coupled with judiciously placed print statements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kernighan/the-most-effective-debugging-tool-is-still-careful-thought-coupled/) [Brian Kernighan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kernighan/) > [Intelligent or not, we all make mistakes and perhaps the intelligent mistakes are the worst, because so much careful thought has gone into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/intelligent-or-not-we-all-make-mistakes-and-perhaps-the-intelligent/) [Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/) > [By all means take thought for the tomorrow, yes, careful thought and planning and preparation. But have no anxiety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/by-all-means-take-thought-for-the-tomorrow-yes-careful-thought-and/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [Nothing is impossible for those who act after wise counsel and careful thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thiruvalluvar/nothing-is-impossible-for-those-who-act-after-wise-counsel-and/) [Thiruvalluvar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thiruvalluvar/) > [It's not that I haven't given it (turning pro) careful thought, it's just that I am torn as to which course I should take.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shizuka-arakawa/it-s-not-that-i-haven-t-given-it-turning-pro-careful-thought-it-s/) Shizuka Arakawa > [It can take a lot of careful thought and false starts in order to arrive at the correct conclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/it-can-take-a-lot-of-careful-thought-and-false-starts-in-order-to/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [But since the Modernists (as they are commonly and rightly called) employ a very clever artifice, namely, to present their doctrines without order and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-pius-x/but-since-the-modernists-as-they-are-commonly-and-rightly-called/) [Pope Pius X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-pius-x/) > [The story revolved around this universal identifiable fear that we must all have, at some point, when you commit yourself to being with another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-treadaway/the-story-revolved-around-this-universal-identifiable-fear-that-we/) [Harry Treadaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-treadaway/) > [Wherever God erects a house of prayer the Devil always builds a chapel there; And 't will be found, upon examination, the latter has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-defoe/wherever-god-erects-a-house-of-prayer-the-devil-always-builds-a/) [Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-defoe/) > [Creativity requires introspection, self-examination, and a willingness to take risks. Because of this, artists are perhaps more susceptible to self-doubt and despair than those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/creativity-requires-introspection-self-examination-and-a-willingness/) [Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/) > [EXams are there, at the paper u stare; the answer is nowhere, which makes u pull ur hair. The teachers make u glare, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azgraybebly-joslan/exams-are-there-at-the-paper-u-stare-the-answer-is-nowhere-which/) Azgraybebly Joslan > [On examinations: Das Wissen ist der Tad der Forschung. Knowledge is the death of research. Nernst's motto.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walther-nernst/on-examinations-das-wissen-ist-der-tad-der-forschung-knowledge-is-the/) Walther Nernst > [The criterion of true beauty is, that it increases in examination; of false, that it lessens. There is something, therefore, in true beauty that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-grenville/the-criterion-of-true-beauty-is-that-it-increases-in-examination-of/) George Grenville > [The examining physician often hesitates to make the necessary examination because it involves soiling the finger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james-mayo/the-examining-physician-often-hesitates-to-make-the-necessary/) [William James Mayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james-mayo/) > [“Remaining absolutely non-acquisitive (aparigrahi) amidst all possessions is the ultimate ‘test examination’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/remaining-absolutely-non-acquisitive-aparigrahi-amidst-all/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) ## More by Joseph de Maistre > [War is thus divine in itself, since it is a law of the world. War is divine through its consequences of a supernatural nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/war-is-thus-divine-in-itself-since-it-is-a-law-of-the-world-war-is/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Nothing is necessary except God, and nothing is less necessary than pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/nothing-is-necessary-except-god-and-nothing-is-less-necessary-than/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [It is not the mediocrity of women's education which makes their weakness; it is their weakness which necessarily causes their mediocrity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/it-is-not-the-mediocrity-of-women-s-education-which-makes-their/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [We are all bound to the throne of the Supreme Being by a flexible chain which restrains without enslaving us. The most wonderful aspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/we-are-all-bound-to-the-throne-of-the-supreme-being-by-a-flexible/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [All pain is a punishment, and every punishment is inflicted for love as much as for justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/all-pain-is-a-punishment-and-every-punishment-is-inflicted-for-love/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Without doubt God is the universal moving force, but each being is moved according to the nature that God has given it. He directs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/without-doubt-god-is-the-universal-moving-force-but-each-being-is/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Man is insatiable for power; he is infantile in his desires and, always discontented with what he has, loves only what he has not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/man-is-insatiable-for-power-he-is-infantile-in-his-desires-and-always/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [A child is an angel dependent on man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/a-child-is-an-angel-dependent-on-man/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [“Thus is worked out, from maggots up to man, the universal law of the violent destruction of living beings. The whole earth, continually steeped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/thus-is-worked-out-from-maggots-up-to-man-the-universal-law-of-the/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [If there was no moral evil upon earth, there would be no physical evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/if-there-was-no-moral-evil-upon-earth-there-would-be-no-physical-evil/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Man is so muddled, so dependent on the things immediately before his eyes, that every day even the most submissive believer can be seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/man-is-so-muddled-so-dependent-on-the-things-immediately-before-his/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [The concept of number is the obvious distinction between the beast and man. Thanks to number, the cry becomes a song, noise acquires rhythm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/the-concept-of-number-is-the-obvious-distinction-between-the-beast/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Every country has the government it deserves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/every-country-has-the-government-it-deserves/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Genius does not seem to derive any great support from syllogisms. Its carriage is free; its manner has a touch of inspiration. We see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/genius-does-not-seem-to-derive-any-great-support-from-syllogisms-its/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [The concept of number is the obvious distinction between the beast and man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/the-concept-of-number-is-the-obvious-distinction-between-the-beast-2/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) [Explore all 60 Joseph de Maistre quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) ## More Absolutes quotes > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [If you live in a material universe where acquiring things is very important to you, then family is an absolute deterrent to maintaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/if-you-live-in-a-material-universe-where-acquiring-things-is-very/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Conservative political opinion in America cleaves to the tradition of the judge as passive interpreter, believing that his absolute loyalty to authoritative law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/conservative-political-opinion-in-america-cleaves-to-the-tradition-of/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/) Christy Nockels > [Those are decisions only the Lord will make. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/those-are-decisions-only-the-lord-will-make-i-believe-the-love-of-god/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“The Gods know what it is to be eternal, and they love to toy with mortals who use absolutes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/the-gods-know-what-it-is-to-be-eternal-and-they-love-to-toy-with/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The only "definitive truth" for Buddhism is the absolute negation of any one truth as the Definitive Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-only-definitive-truth-for-buddhism-is-the-absolute-negation-of/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [The nature of the Absolute is neither perceptible nor imperceptible; and with phenomena it is just the same. But to one who has discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huangbo-xiyun/the-nature-of-the-absolute-is-neither-perceptible-nor-imperceptible/) [Huangbo Xiyun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huangbo-xiyun/) > [Joining a company is an act that calls for absolute loyalty in big matters and little ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-watson/joining-a-company-is-an-act-that-calls-for-absolute-loyalty-in-big/) [Thomas Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-watson/) > [In fine, a life of good or evil, the hope of Heaven or the despair of Hell, Faustus stands as a reminder that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-fine-a-life-of-good-or-evil-the-hope-of-heaven-or-the-despair-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 2,016 Absolutes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every time that a man who is not an absolute fool presents you with a question he considers very problematic after giving it careful thought, distrust those quick answers that come to the mind of someone who has considered it only briefly or not at all. These answers are usually simplistic views lacking in consistency, which explain nothing, or which do not bear examination.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph de Maistre" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/every-time-that-a-man-who-is-not-an-absolute-fool-presents-you-with-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absolutes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/every-time-that-a-man-who-is-not-an-absolute-fool-presents-you-with-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/joseph-de-maistre-11359_absolutes_every-time-that-a-man-who-is-not-an-abso_675144.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/joseph-de-maistre-11359_absolutes_every-time-that-a-man-who-is-not-an-abso_675144.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/joseph-de-maistre-11359_absolutes_every-time-that-a-man-who-is-not-an-abso_675144.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Every time that a man who is not an absolute fool presents you with a question he considers very problematic…” — Joseph de Maistre", "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": "Joseph de Maistre", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Every time that a man who...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/every-time-that-a-man-who-is-not-an-absolute-fool-presents-you-with-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/every-time-that-a-man-who-is-not-an-absolute-fool-presents-you-with-a/#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 } } ] } ```