Cause and effect Quote by Jostein Gaarder
““Hume emphasized that the expectation of one thing following another does not lie in the things themselves, but in our mind. And expectation, as we have seen, is associated with habit. Going back to the child again, it would not have stared in amazement if when one billiard ball struck the other, both had remained perfectly motionless. When we speak of the 'laws of nature' or of 'cause and effect,' we are actually speaking of what we expect, rather than what is 'reasonable.' The laws of nature are neither reasonable nor unreasonable, they simply are. The expectation that the white billiard ball will move when it is struck by the black billiard ball is therefore not innate. We are not born with a set of expectations as to what the world is like or how things in the world behave. The world is like it is, and it's something we get to know””
About This Quote
Source Book: Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder, 1991
Our expectations about cause and effect are mental constructs, not inherent properties of reality; they arise from habit and learning.
In simple terms: Expectations are learned, not natural.
Key Takeaway
Question your assumptions about how the world works.
Themes
philosophy
cognition
science
learning
Mood
inquisitive
analytical
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- education
- critical thinking
- scientific research
Key Concepts
epistemology
habit formation
causality
Questions to Reflect On
- How do your habits shape what you consider natural?
- Can you observe a situation where expectation failed?
A Different Perspective
Expectations can be misleading without evidence.
