--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They made up all those myths in the time…" description: "\"“They made up all those myths in the time before there was anything called science.”\" — Jostein Gaarder" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/jostein-gaarder-676_myths_they-made-up-all-those-myths-in-the-time_932420.png" --- # They made up all those myths in the time before there was… ![“They made up all those myths in the time before there was anything called science.” quote by Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/jostein-gaarder-676_myths_they-made-up-all-those-myths-in-the-time_932420.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/jostein-gaarder-676_myths_they-made-up-all-those-myths-in-the-time_932420.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/jostein-gaarder-676_myths_they-made-up-all-those-myths-in-the-time_932420.png) > ““They made up all those myths in the time before there was anything called science.”” [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critiques ancient myths as pre-scientific explanations, highlighting the shift to rational inquiry **In simple terms:** Myths preceded science Key Takeaway Recognize the transition from myth to science Themes history philosophy science Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - education - science communication - critical thinking - public discourse Key Concepts Mythology rationalism progress Questions to Reflect On - What role do myths play today? - How can we balance mythic narratives with scientific understanding? A Different Perspective Myths still influence modern belief systems despite scientific advances ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Myths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myths/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Perhaps in time the so-called Dark Ages will be thought of as including our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/perhaps-in-time-the-so-called-dark-ages-will-be-thought-of-as/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [“You think it is a mistake, Fräulein, that the part of the clock that allows us to read the time are called hands? It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-brandner/you-think-it-is-a-mistake-fr-ulein-that-the-part-of-the-clock-that/) [Cindy Brandner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-brandner/) > [“This time called life was meant to share.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-rinder/this-time-called-life-was-meant-to-share/) Walter Rinder > [Time has been called God's way of making sure that everything doesn't happen at once. In the same spirit, noise is Nature's way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-christian-von-baeyer/time-has-been-called-god-s-way-of-making-sure-that-everything-doesn-t/) [Hans Christian von Baeyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-christian-von-baeyer/) > [By wasting less time and energy - i.e. called SCIENCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajkhati/by-wasting-less-time-and-energy-i-e-called-science/) RajKhati > [“The difference between me and a scientist is a little word called “Science.” I don’t believe in it. Science has yet to validate my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-difference-between-me-and-a-scientist-is-a-little-word-called/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Geology is part of that remarkable dynamic process of the human mind which is generally called science and to which man is driven by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinout-willem-van-bemmelen/geology-is-part-of-that-remarkable-dynamic-process-of-the-human-mind-2/) [Reinout Willem van Bemmelen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinout-willem-van-bemmelen/) > [The more I work with the powers of Nature, the more I feel God's benevolence to man; the closer I am to the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guglielmo-marconi/the-more-i-work-with-the-powers-of-nature-the-more-i-feel-god-s/) [Guglielmo Marconi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guglielmo-marconi/) > [I am tired of all this thing called science here. We have spent millions in that sort of thing for the last few years,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-cameron/i-am-tired-of-all-this-thing-called-science-here-we-have-spent/) Simon Cameron > [“Science (vignan) means that which frees one just by ‘knowing’. Nothing needs to be done. Knowledge that keeps working on its own is called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/science-vignan-means-that-which-frees-one-just-by-knowing-nothing/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [And as to the faculties of the mind, setting aside the arts grounded upon words, and especially that skill of proceeding upon generall, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/and-as-to-the-faculties-of-the-mind-setting-aside-the-arts-grounded/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) > [Geology is part of that remarkable dynamic process of the human mind which is generally called science and to which man is driven by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinout-willem-van-bemmelen/geology-is-part-of-that-remarkable-dynamic-process-of-the-human-mind/) [Reinout Willem van Bemmelen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinout-willem-van-bemmelen/) > [“Standing there, peering around his room, Pete realized something that should have dawned on him years ago: Science really did suck. (Russell was right.)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-nichols/standing-there-peering-around-his-room-pete-realized-something-that/) [Jay Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-nichols/) > [ In part I'm just mystified. Here's a woman, Hillary \[Clinton\], who wrote a book about it takes a "village" to raise children. It wasn't… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-breggin/in-part-i-m-just-mystified-here-s-a-woman-hillary-clinton-who-wrote-a/) [Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-breggin/) > [Math is sometimes called the science of patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-graham/math-is-sometimes-called-the-science-of-patterns/) [Ronald Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-graham/) ## More by Jostein Gaarder > [“I no longer feel the need to see and sense more than I've already experienced. I just want so desperately to hang on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/i-no-longer-feel-the-need-to-see-and-sense-more-than-i-ve-already/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [The most subversive people are those who ask questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/the-most-subversive-people-are-those-who-ask-questions/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [The sophists were as a rule men who had traveled widely and seen different forms of government. Both conventions and local laws in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/the-sophists-were-as-a-rule-men-who-had-traveled-widely-and-seen/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [Where did the world come from? The question has an answer, even though I cannot get to it. It is a good question. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/where-did-the-world-come-from-the-question-has-an-answer-even-though/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“As soon as she concentrated on being alive now, the thought of dying also came into her mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/as-soon-as-she-concentrated-on-being-alive-now-the-thought-of-dying/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“Po haljini sam mogao da vidim kako njeno telo diše, jer se haljina dizala i spuštala, dizala i spuštala, skoro kao da morski talasi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/po-haljini-sam-mogao-da-vidim-kako-njeno-telo-di-e-jer-se-haljina/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [Since the Renaissance, people have had to get used to living their life on a random planet in the vast galaxy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/since-the-renaissance-people-have-had-to-get-used-to-living-their/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“without imagination, nothing really new will ever be created.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/without-imagination-nothing-really-new-will-ever-be-created/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“The German poet Goethe once said that "he who cannot draw on three thousand years is living from hand to mouth." I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/the-german-poet-goethe-once-said-that-he-who-cannot-draw-on-three/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“Sophie left the den and wandered about in the large garden. She tried to forget what she had learned at school, especially in science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/sophie-left-the-den-and-wandered-about-in-the-large-garden-she-tried/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [...long before the child learns to talk properly-and long before it learns to think philosophically-the world will have become a habit. A pity, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/long-before-the-child-learns-to-talk-properly-and-long-before-it/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“any one question can be more explosive than a thousand answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/any-one-question-can-be-more-explosive-than-a-thousand-answers/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“We can't own each other's past. The question is whether we have a future together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/we-can-t-own-each-other-s-past-the-question-is-whether-we-have-a/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“Uno no muere en medio del quinto acto.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/uno-no-muere-en-medio-del-quinto-acto/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“Wer das Schicksal durchschauen will, muss es überleben.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/wer-das-schicksal-durchschauen-will-muss-es-berleben/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) [Explore all 305 Jostein Gaarder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) ## More Myths quotes > [I have always been fascinated by the supernatural elements in stories, whether fairy tales, myths, film or literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/i-have-always-been-fascinated-by-the-supernatural-elements-in-stories/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [“Many people do simply awful things out of sincere religious belief, not using religion as a cover the way that Saddam Hussein may have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/many-people-do-simply-awful-things-out-of-sincere-religious-belief/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [Songs are like myths. Myths are useful because they allow you to cast yourself and your life and your own experience. And for some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taylor/songs-are-like-myths-myths-are-useful-because-they-allow-you-to-cast/) [James Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taylor/) > [“Anachron’s Law: There is no myth which is so irrational that no one will believe it. Anachron’s Corollary: There is no truth which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hammond/anachron-s-law-there-is-no-myth-which-is-so-irrational-that-no-one/) [George Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hammond/) > [When we lose our myths we lose our place in the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/when-we-lose-our-myths-we-lose-our-place-in-the-universe/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Other people's beliefs may be myths, but not mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/other-people-s-beliefs-may-be-myths-but-not-mine/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Like Achilles, the hero who forgot his heel, or like Icarus who, flying close to the sun, forgot that his wings were made of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-longenecker/like-achilles-the-hero-who-forgot-his-heel-or-like-icarus-who-flying/) [Dwight Longenecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-longenecker/) > [All my stories are like the Greek and Roman myths, and the Egyptian myths, and the Old and New Testament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/all-my-stories-are-like-the-greek-and-roman-myths-and-the-egyptian/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [They do not depend upon mere legends and myths. They are not predicated on the false conception that the Emperor is divine and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-do-not-depend-upon-mere-legends-and-myths-they-are-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We overhype everything. We create monumental myths. There are people who still believe that Brandi Chastain and the U.S. women's World Cup team pulled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/we-overhype-everything-we-create-monumental-myths-there-are-people/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Now I'm a Catholic agnostic by the way. Yet those myths still live within me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-alexis/now-i-m-a-catholic-agnostic-by-the-way-yet-those-myths-still-live/) [Andre Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-alexis/) > [“For hero-worship often defeats its own ends; the boy who "cannot tell a lie," the boy who kept his finger in the hole in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-ma-guerrero/for-hero-worship-often-defeats-its-own-ends-the-boy-who-cannot-tell-a/) Leon Ma. Guerrero > [It's not about superheroes. This is the method of universal storytelling that all people have... To me, they're the same as the Greek myths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-jenkins/it-s-not-about-superheroes-this-is-the-method-of-universal/) [Patty Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-jenkins/) > [I wish, to be honest, that there were more myths about me. I wish I was more of a mythical person, and that then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/i-wish-to-be-honest-that-there-were-more-myths-about-me-i-wish-i-was/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I want to clear up a few myths about myself. People have written that I was a kindergarten teacher and a former Miss Texas,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krista-allen/i-want-to-clear-up-a-few-myths-about-myself-people-have-written-that/) [Krista Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krista-allen/) [Browse all 487 Myths quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myths/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They made up all those myths in the time before there was anything called science.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jostein Gaarder" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/they-made-up-all-those-myths-in-the-time-before-there-was-anything/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Myths" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/they-made-up-all-those-myths-in-the-time-before-there-was-anything/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/jostein-gaarder-676_myths_they-made-up-all-those-myths-in-the-time_932420.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/jostein-gaarder-676_myths_they-made-up-all-those-myths-in-the-time_932420.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/jostein-gaarder-676_myths_they-made-up-all-those-myths-in-the-time_932420.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They made up all those myths in the time before there was anything called science.” — Jostein Gaarder", "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": "Jostein Gaarder", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“They made up all those myths...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/they-made-up-all-those-myths-in-the-time-before-there-was-anything/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/they-made-up-all-those-myths-in-the-time-before-there-was-anything/#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 } } ] } ```