--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What man needs is not philosophy or…" description: "\"What man needs is not philosophy or religion in the academic or formalistic sense of the term, but ability to think rightly. The malady of the age is n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/krishnananda-saraswati-35695_ability_what-man-needs-is-not-philosophy-or-reli_1500999.png" --- # What man needs is not philosophy or religion in the… ![“What man needs is not philosophy or religion in the academic or formalistic sense of the term, but ability to think rightly. The malady of the age is not absence of philosophy or even irreligion but wrong thinking and a vanity which passes for knowledge. Though it is difficult to define right…” quote by Krishnananda Saraswati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/krishnananda-saraswati-35695_ability_what-man-needs-is-not-philosophy-or-reli_1500999.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/krishnananda-saraswati-35695_ability_what-man-needs-is-not-philosophy-or-reli_1500999.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/krishnananda-saraswati-35695_ability_what-man-needs-is-not-philosophy-or-reli_1500999.png) > “What man needs is not philosophy or religion in the academic or formalistic sense of the term, but ability to think rightly. The malady of the age is not absence of philosophy or even irreligion but wrong thinking and a vanity which passes for knowledge. Though it is difficult to define right thinking, it cannot be denied that it is the goal of the aspirations of everyone.” [Krishnananda Saraswati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishnananda-saraswati/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True wisdom lies not in formal doctrine but in correct thinking; modern society suffers from pretentious knowledge rather than lack of philosophy. **In simple terms:** Right thinking matters more than formal philosophy. Key Takeaway Cultivate clear, humble thought over empty knowledge. Themes philosophy critical thinking humility Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - education reform - public discourse - media literacy - personal decision‑making Key Concepts epistemology intellectual honesty Questions to Reflect On - What does “right thinking” look like for you? - How can you avoid vanity in knowledge? A Different Perspective Intellectual humility is hard to practice in competitive cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Academic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic/) [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Aspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aspiration/) [Denied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denied/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Irreligion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irreligion/) [Malady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/malady/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Needs Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs-philosophy-5503014/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Philosophy Irreligion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-irreligion-5503015/) [Philosophy Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-religion-315885/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Right Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thinking-969753/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Think Rightly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-rightly-974402/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Vanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vanity/) [Wrong thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Whatever you think rightly concerning will go well. Whatever you think wrongly concerning, will go ill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmet-fox/whatever-you-think-rightly-concerning-will-go-well-whatever-you-think/) [Emmet Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmet-fox/) > [The main purpose of life is to live rightly, think rightly, act rightly. The soul must languish when we give all our thought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-main-purpose-of-life-is-to-live-rightly-think-rightly-act-rightly/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [If you think rightly, every problem is financial problem or eventually becomes one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/if-you-think-rightly-every-problem-is-financial-problem-or-eventually/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I think that we rightly spend more time thinking about and criticising the stuff that is really successful, because we want to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-green/i-think-that-we-rightly-spend-more-time-thinking-about-and/) [Hank Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-green/) > [One of the clear problems of Obamacare is that it was perceived, I think rightly, as one party forcing its vision of how healthcare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cassidy/one-of-the-clear-problems-of-obamacare-is-that-it-was-perceived-i/) [Bill Cassidy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cassidy/) > [Whatever your problem is, if you may think it rightly, the solution will appear on the horizon like a shining sun!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/whatever-your-problem-is-if-you-may-think-it-rightly-the-solution/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [As God once said, and I think rightly...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-law-montgomery/as-god-once-said-and-i-think-rightly/) [Bernard Law Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-law-montgomery/) > [The one philosophy or religion I find I am most close to is the Buddhist one. I think it is the one that respects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-cruz/the-one-philosophy-or-religion-i-find-i-am-most-close-to-is-the/) [Penelope Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-cruz/) > [God — the John Doe of philosophy and religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/god-the-john-doe-of-philosophy-and-religion/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Philosophy and Religion-what are they when the wind blows and the water gets up in lumps?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/philosophy-and-religion-what-are-they-when-the-wind-blows-and-the/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [I'm very passionate about philosophy and religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-slater/i-m-very-passionate-about-philosophy-and-religion/) [Helen Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-slater/) > [India has left a deeper mark upon the history the philosophy and the religion of mankind than any other terrestrial unit in the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-curzon-1st-marquess-curzon-of-kedleston/india-has-left-a-deeper-mark-upon-the-history-the-philosophy-and-the/) [George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-curzon-1st-marquess-curzon-of-kedleston/) > [To overturn orthodoxy is no easier in science than in philosophy, religion, economics, or any of the other disciplines through which we try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-hubbard/to-overturn-orthodoxy-is-no-easier-in-science-than-in-philosophy/) [Ruth Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-hubbard/) > [“Action, and not knowledge, is man's destiny and duty in this life; and his highest principles, both in philosophy and in religion, have reference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-longueville-mansel/action-and-not-knowledge-is-man-s-destiny-and-duty-in-this-life-and/) [Henry Longueville Mansel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-longueville-mansel/) > [Science, philosophy and religion are bound to converge as they draw nearer to the whole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/science-philosophy-and-religion-are-bound-to-converge-as-they-draw/) [Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/) ## More by Krishnananda Saraswati > [The duty that we owe to the Universe is our religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishnananda-saraswati/the-duty-that-we-owe-to-the-universe-is-our-religion/) [Krishnananda Saraswati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishnananda-saraswati/) > [Yoga is anything which reveals or reflects the wholeness that we truly are, and the world is anything that makes us feel that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishnananda-saraswati/yoga-is-anything-which-reveals-or-reflects-the-wholeness-that-we/) [Krishnananda Saraswati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishnananda-saraswati/) > [The soul's illness is more terrible and more difficult to understand than the illness of the body or any other type of malady.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishnananda-saraswati/the-soul-s-illness-is-more-terrible-and-more-difficult-to-understand/) [Krishnananda Saraswati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishnananda-saraswati/) > [We always imagine that the Supreme Being is very far away -many, many millions of light years away- yet It is very near, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishnananda-saraswati/we-always-imagine-that-the-supreme-being-is-very-far-away-many-many/) [Krishnananda Saraswati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishnananda-saraswati/) > [Saints and sages are still alive. Great masters are still operating. It is up to you to find where they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishnananda-saraswati/saints-and-sages-are-still-alive-great-masters-are-still-operating-it/) [Krishnananda Saraswati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishnananda-saraswati/) > [Physically you are identical with and inseparable from the cosmic material substance, and socially you are inseparable from the large mass of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishnananda-saraswati/physically-you-are-identical-with-and-inseparable-from-the-cosmic/) [Krishnananda Saraswati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishnananda-saraswati/) > [That higher awakening is called God-consciousness. In that condition, you will see that all the objects of the world are your own universal self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishnananda-saraswati/that-higher-awakening-is-called-god-consciousness-in-that-condition/) [Krishnananda Saraswati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishnananda-saraswati/) > [We are in conflict with the world; otherwise, there would be no necessity to put forth tremendous effort to meet the world and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishnananda-saraswati/we-are-in-conflict-with-the-world-otherwise-there-would-be-no/) [Krishnananda Saraswati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishnananda-saraswati/) > [Do not make the mistake of thinking that the soul is inside you, because if the soul is inside you, you will be outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishnananda-saraswati/do-not-make-the-mistake-of-thinking-that-the-soul-is-inside-you/) [Krishnananda Saraswati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishnananda-saraswati/) > [Just as, when we touch a live wire, the electric force infuses itself into our body, when we deeply meditate on God the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishnananda-saraswati/just-as-when-we-touch-a-live-wire-the-electric-force-infuses-itself/) [Krishnananda Saraswati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishnananda-saraswati/) > ["Our prosperity, our friends, our bondage and even our destruction are all in the end rooted in our tongue," says a famous adage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishnananda-saraswati/our-prosperity-our-friends-our-bondage-and-even-our-destruction-are/) [Krishnananda Saraswati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishnananda-saraswati/) > [Every objet in the world promises satisfaction, but it never gives satisfaction -it only promises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishnananda-saraswati/every-objet-in-the-world-promises-satisfaction-but-it-never-gives/) [Krishnananda Saraswati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishnananda-saraswati/) [Explore all 13 Krishnananda Saraswati quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishnananda-saraswati/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What man needs is not philosophy or religion in the academic or formalistic sense of the term, but ability to think rightly. 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