--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Martha was a clever girl, and therefore…" description: "\"“Martha was a clever girl, and therefore not a believer.”\" — Julian Barnes" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43d/julian-barnes-522_believer_martha-was-a-clever-girl-and-therefore-n_935265.png" --- # Martha was a clever girl, and therefore not a believer. ![“Martha was a clever girl, and therefore not a believer.” quote by Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43d/julian-barnes-522_believer_martha-was-a-clever-girl-and-therefore-n_935265.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43d/julian-barnes-522_believer_martha-was-a-clever-girl-and-therefore-n_935265.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43d/julian-barnes-522_believer_martha-was-a-clever-girl-and-therefore-n_935265.png) > ““Martha was a clever girl, and therefore not a believer.”” [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shows that cleverness can lead to disbelief, suggesting intellect may block faith. **In simple terms:** Smartness may hinder belief. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of intellect. Themes faith intellect skepticism identity Mood introspective melancholic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - spiritual exploration - academic study - creative writing Key Concepts existential doubt cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - Can cleverness coexist with belief? - What does disbelief cost you? A Different Perspective Intellect alone may not provide comfort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believer/) [Clever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever/) [Clever girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever-girl/) ## Related quotes > [“You think a few features scattered on your face make you plain? I am ugly to the core. All England knows it. And after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/you-think-a-few-features-scattered-on-your-face-make-you-plain-i-am/) [Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/) > [Sister, they send you out for one and you bring back two... and a half. Such a clever girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/sister-they-send-you-out-for-one-and-you-bring-back-two-and-a-half/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [“Oberon:"She's a very clever girl, the kind you dont' take home to Ogma.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/oberon-she-s-a-very-clever-girl-the-kind-you-dont-take-home-to-ogma/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [I don’t think I pity her. She doesn’t strike me as a girl that suggests compassion. I think I envy her... I don’t know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/i-don-t-think-i-pity-her-she-doesn-t-strike-me-as-a-girl-that/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“He called me a very clever girl and gave me a pat on the head. Then he sternly forbade me from doing so and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aja-raden/he-called-me-a-very-clever-girl-and-gave-me-a-pat-on-the-head-then-he/) [Aja Raden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aja-raden/) > [She has her gown nicely in place tonight, doesn't she? Black velvet and sparkles, not a thread left hanging. Clever girl, this city. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/she-has-her-gown-nicely-in-place-tonight-doesn-t-she-black-velvet-and/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [Clever girl. You play with fire because you want to be burnt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/clever-girl-you-play-with-fire-because-you-want-to-be-burnt/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“You backbiting, poisonous, treacherous, deceitful, wicked, clever girl. If this works I'll buy you a pony.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/you-backbiting-poisonous-treacherous-deceitful-wicked-clever-girl-if/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [We liked to be known as the clever girls. 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I could strangle her right about now. \[for Helen\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/clever-girl-lucas-thought-i-could-strangle-her-right-about-now-for/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“She moaned into her pillow. "Go away. I feel like dying." "No fair maiden should die alone," he said, putting a hand on hers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/she-moaned-into-her-pillow-go-away-i-feel-like-dying-no-fair-maiden/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [“Oh I'm sure you're right," Auntie said. "Probably she's just as you say. But she looks to me like a very clever girl, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/oh-i-m-sure-you-re-right-auntie-said-probably-she-s-just-as-you-say/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [You may think me crude, and probably I am crude, but I am not so crude as I was, for I am clever enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-maclane/you-may-think-me-crude-and-probably-i-am-crude-but-i-am-not-so-crude/) [Mary MacLane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-maclane/) ## More by Julian Barnes > [“You put together two things that have not been put together before. And the world is changed. People may not notice at the time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/you-put-together-two-things-that-have-not-been-put-together-before/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [“I settled into a contented routine of working, spending my free time with Veronica and, back in my student room, wanking explosively to fantasies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/i-settled-into-a-contented-routine-of-working-spending-my-free-time/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [The greatest patriotism is to tell your country when it is behaving dishonorably, foolishly, viciously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/the-greatest-patriotism-is-to-tell-your-country-when-it-is-behaving/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [“There is only good vodka and very good vodka—there is no such thing as bad vodka.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/there-is-only-good-vodka-and-very-good-vodka-there-is-no-such-thing/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [Alice Munro can move characters through time in a way that no other writer can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/alice-munro-can-move-characters-through-time-in-a-way-that-no-other/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [How rarely do our emotions meet the object they seem to deserve? How hopelessly we signal; how dark the sky; how big the waves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/how-rarely-do-our-emotions-meet-the-object-they-seem-to-deserve-how/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [You put together two people who have not been put together before. Sometimes it is like that first attempt to harness a hydrogen balloon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/you-put-together-two-people-who-have-not-been-put-together-before/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [“Also, when you are young, you think you can predict the likely pains and bleaknesses that age might bring. You imagine yourself being lonely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/also-when-you-are-young-you-think-you-can-predict-the-likely-pains/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [“Why slum it where people were burdened by yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that? By history? Here, on the Island,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/why-slum-it-where-people-were-burdened-by-yesterday-and-the-day/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [“In those years before mobile phones, email and Skype, travelers depended on the rudimentary communications system known as the postcard. Other methods--the long-distance phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/in-those-years-before-mobile-phones-email-and-skype-travelers/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [“My train was late, slowed by the usual Sunday engineering work. I got home in the early evening. I remember that I had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/my-train-was-late-slowed-by-the-usual-sunday-engineering-work-i-got/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [In life, every ending is just the start of another story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/in-life-every-ending-is-just-the-start-of-another-story/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [“Indeed, isn’t the whole business of ascribing responsibility kind of a cop-out? We want to blame an individual so that everyone else is exculpated.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/indeed-isn-t-the-whole-business-of-ascribing-responsibility-kind-of-a/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [Some of the freckles I once loved are now closer to liver spots. But it’s still the eyes we look at, isn’t it? That’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/some-of-the-freckles-i-once-loved-are-now-closer-to-liver-spots-but/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [“And what percentage of people take up the option to die off?’ She looked at me, her glance telling me to be calm. ‘Oh,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/and-what-percentage-of-people-take-up-the-option-to-die-off-she/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) [Explore all 454 Julian Barnes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) ## More Believer quotes > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [I've always been a believer in research. 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I just used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-wogan/oh-i-m-a-great-believer-in-the-power-of-the-pause-radio-is-a-bit/) [Terry Wogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-wogan/) > [Jesus taught that the mark of the Christian is the observable love shown among all true believers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/jesus-taught-that-the-mark-of-the-christian-is-the-observable-love/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [I'm a great believer in people and their untapped potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-bester/i-m-a-great-believer-in-people-and-their-untapped-potential/) [Alfred Bester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-bester/) > [Revival is the Spirit's passion within the believer to know and to obey the total will of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/revival-is-the-spirit-s-passion-within-the-believer-to-know-and-to/) [Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/) > [I'm not a great believer in awards-of course the fact that I've never won one has nothing to do with it at all!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/i-m-not-a-great-believer-in-awards-of-course-the-fact-that-i-ve-never/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [Intuitionists think that there are cases in which, say, some identity statement between real numbers is neither true nor false, even though we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-f-heck/intuitionists-think-that-there-are-cases-in-which-say-some-identity/) [Richard F. 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