--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have lived in this world just long…" description: "\"I have lived in this world just long enough to look carefully the second time into things that I am most certain of the first time.\" — Josh Billings" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/josh-billings-777_certain_i-have-lived-in-this-world-just-long-eno_2909410.png" --- # I have lived in this world just long enough to look… ![“I have lived in this world just long enough to look carefully the second time into things that I am most certain of the first time.” quote by Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/josh-billings-777_certain_i-have-lived-in-this-world-just-long-eno_2909410.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/josh-billings-777_certain_i-have-lived-in-this-world-just-long-eno_2909410.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/josh-billings-777_certain_i-have-lived-in-this-world-just-long-eno_2909410.png) > “I have lived in this world just long enough to look carefully the second time into things that I am most certain of the first time.” [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Experience teaches caution; initial certainty often fades upon deeper inspection. **In simple terms:** Look twice before trusting. Key Takeaway Question assumptions before acting. Themes skepticism growth experience Mood thoughtful curious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - decision making - personal relationships - investments Key Concepts critical thinking self‑reflection Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs have you revised after re‑examining? - When is trust without proof valuable? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis may stall progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Success does not consist in never making blunders, but in never making the same one a second time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/success-does-not-consist-in-never-making-blunders-but-in-never-making/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [“Take a good long look at The Lord’s Prayer . It’s all ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘our’. There is no ‘me’, ‘I’ or ‘mine’ anywhere.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hamilton/take-a-good-long-look-at-the-lord-s-prayer-it-s-all-we-us-and-our/) [Anne Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hamilton/) > [“As long as you two look out for each other, you’ll be safe enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-dunmore/as-long-as-you-two-look-out-for-each-other-you-ll-be-safe-enough/) [Helen Dunmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-dunmore/) > [Around 2010 - I took a long look at everybody I had around me because I wanted to make sure they were aligned with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/around-2010-i-took-a-long-look-at-everybody-i-had-around-me-because-i/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [The cure for him would be to take a good long look at some potato plants, which have lately had such a deep and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/the-cure-for-him-would-be-to-take-a-good-long-look-at-some-potato/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [“take a long look before you judge”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-ramdhan/take-a-long-look-before-you-judge/) TARA RAMDHAN > [When you're young, and you head out to wonderful, everything is fresh and bright as a brand new penny, but before you get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-goolrick/when-you-re-young-and-you-head-out-to-wonderful-everything-is-fresh/) [Robert Goolrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-goolrick/) > [To look at any thing, If you would know that thing, You must look at it long: To look at this green and say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-moffitt/to-look-at-any-thing-if-you-would-know-that-thing-you-must-look-at-it/) [John Moffitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-moffitt/) > [The life of a rock & roll band will last as long as you can look down into the audience and see yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/the-life-of-a-rock-roll-band-will-last-as-long-as-you-can-look-down/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [We should all be involved in the avant-garde as long as we look toward the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-should-all-be-involved-in-the-avant-garde-as-long-as-we-look/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are many things in life that become different if you take a long look at them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-many-things-in-life-that-become-different-if-you-take-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“send her a long look. I am not dense. She does not seek a sympathetic ear from me. She simply does not know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-r-king/send-her-a-long-look-i-am-not-dense-she-does-not-seek-a-sympathetic/) [Emily R. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-r-king/) > [Every man is a king so long as he has someone to look down on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/every-man-is-a-king-so-long-as-he-has-someone-to-look-down-on/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [“The world is here only as long as you look for it, only as long as you keep your eyes open.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-poissant/the-world-is-here-only-as-long-as-you-look-for-it-only-as-long-as-you/) [David James Poissant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-poissant/) > [You can learn a lesson the first time, when it's presented in a package that is joyous - or at least palatable. But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/you-can-learn-a-lesson-the-first-time-when-it-s-presented-in-a/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) ## More by Josh Billings > [It ain't because lovers are so sensitive that they quarrel so often; it is because there is so much fun n the making up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/it-ain-t-because-lovers-are-so-sensitive-that-they-quarrel-so-often/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Man was created a little lower than the angels and has been getting a little lower ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/man-was-created-a-little-lower-than-the-angels-and-has-been-getting-a/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [There is only one good substitute for the endearments of a sister, and that is the endearments of some other fellow's sister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/there-is-only-one-good-substitute-for-the-endearments-of-a-sister-and/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Life is a grindstone, and whether it grinds a man down or polishes him up depends on the stuff he's made of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/life-is-a-grindstone-and-whether-it-grinds-a-man-down-or-polishes-him/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Its harly my dog A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/its-harly-my-dog-a-dog-is-the-only-thing-on-earth-that-loves-you-more/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Perseverance is king.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/perseverance-is-king/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Unless we put heart and soul into our labor we but brutify our actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/unless-we-put-heart-and-soul-into-our-labor-we-but-brutify-our-actions/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [A secret ceases to be a secret if it is once confided - it is like a dollar bill, once broken, it is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/a-secret-ceases-to-be-a-secret-if-it-is-once-confided-it-is-like-a/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [If a man is right, he can't be too radical; if he is wrong, he can't be too conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/if-a-man-is-right-he-can-t-be-too-radical-if-he-is-wrong-he-can-t-be/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [As a general rule, if you want to get at the truth - hear both sides and believe neither.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/as-a-general-rule-if-you-want-to-get-at-the-truth-hear-both-sides-and/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Economy is a savings-bank, into which men drop pennies, and get dollars in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/economy-is-a-savings-bank-into-which-men-drop-pennies-and-get-dollars/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Self-made men are most always apt to be a little too proud of the job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/self-made-men-are-most-always-apt-to-be-a-little-too-proud-of-the-job/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Poverty is one of them kind of misfortunes that we all of us dread but none of us pity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/poverty-is-one-of-them-kind-of-misfortunes-that-we-all-of-us-dread/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [If the world despises a hypocrite, what must they think of him in heaven?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/if-the-world-despises-a-hypocrite-what-must-they-think-of-him-in/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [The man who gets bit twice by the same dog is better adapted for that kind of business than any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/the-man-who-gets-bit-twice-by-the-same-dog-is-better-adapted-for-that/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) [Explore all 372 Josh Billings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) ## More Certain quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [People don't always realize that a record is forever. It'll always be there under your name. You've got to be certain that it's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-iero/people-don-t-always-realize-that-a-record-is-forever-it-ll-always-be/) [Frank Iero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-iero/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [Why do we love certain homes, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/why-do-we-love-certain-homes-and-why-do-they-seem-to-love-us-it-is/) T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings > [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [We've all seen talented young players who get to a certain level but there comes a point where that talent will only take you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-gatland/we-ve-all-seen-talented-young-players-who-get-to-a-certain-level-but/) [Warren Gatland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-gatland/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-think-that-at-a-certain-age-say-fifteen-or-sixteen-poetry-is-like/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [If a person does not listen to the demands of their own spiritual and heart life and insists on a certain program, you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/if-a-person-does-not-listen-to-the-demands-of-their-own-spiritual-and/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) Browse all 13,673 Certain quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have lived in this world just long enough to look carefully the second time into things that I am most certain of the first time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Josh Billings" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/i-have-lived-in-this-world-just-long-enough-to-look-carefully-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Certain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/i-have-lived-in-this-world-just-long-enough-to-look-carefully-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/josh-billings-777_certain_i-have-lived-in-this-world-just-long-eno_2909410.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/josh-billings-777_certain_i-have-lived-in-this-world-just-long-eno_2909410.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/josh-billings-777_certain_i-have-lived-in-this-world-just-long-eno_2909410.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have lived in this world just long enough to look carefully the second time into things that I am most…” — Josh Billings", "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": "Josh Billings", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have lived in this world...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/i-have-lived-in-this-world-just-long-enough-to-look-carefully-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/i-have-lived-in-this-world-just-long-enough-to-look-carefully-the/#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 } } ] } ```