--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only absolute truth is change, and…" description: "\"“The only absolute truth is change, and death is the only way to stop change. Life is a series of judgments on changing situations, and no ideal, no be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/227/l-e-modesitt-jr-12954_absolute-truth_the-only-absolute-truth-is-change-and-de_1868161.png" --- # The only absolute truth is change, and death is the only… ![“The only absolute truth is change, and death is the only way to stop change. Life is a series of judgments on changing situations, and no ideal, no belief fits every solution. Yet humans need to believe in something beyond themselves. Perhaps all intelligences do. If we do not act on higher…” quote by L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/227/l-e-modesitt-jr-12954_absolute-truth_the-only-absolute-truth-is-change-and-de_1868161.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/227/l-e-modesitt-jr-12954_absolute-truth_the-only-absolute-truth-is-change-and-de_1868161.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/227/l-e-modesitt-jr-12954_absolute-truth_the-only-absolute-truth-is-change-and-de_1868161.png) > ““The only absolute truth is change, and death is the only way to stop change. Life is a series of judgments on changing situations, and no ideal, no belief fits every solution. Yet humans need to believe in something beyond themselves. Perhaps all intelligences do. If we do not act on higher motivations, then we can justify any action, no matter how horrible, as necessary for our survival. We are endlessly caught between the need for high moral absolutes—which will fail enough that any absolute can be demonstrated as false—and our tendency for individual judgments to degenerate into self-gratifying and unethical narcissism. Trying to force absolutes on others results in death and destruction, yet failing to act beyond one's self also leads to death and destruction, generally a lot sooner.”” [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Change is the only constant; moral absolutes are impossible, yet humans crave higher purpose, leading to conflict between self‑interest and collective ethics. **In simple terms:** Change is constant; moral absolutes fail. Key Takeaway Seek higher purpose beyond self‑interest. Themes philosophy ethics human nature societal conflict Mood reflective serious Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - political decision‑making - personal development - community leadership - conflict resolution Key Concepts relativism existentialism moral psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance personal freedom with collective responsibility? - What higher motivations can guide ethical action? A Different Perspective Absolute moral systems can be misused to justify harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolute truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolute-truth/) [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Relativism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relativism/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [we have made an extraordinary transition. From moral absolutes to moral relativism. ... Moral problems become medical ones and yesterday's sinners become today's patients.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/we-have-made-an-extraordinary-transition-from-moral-absolutes-to/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [My first fundamental premise of our faith is that God is real and so are eternal truths and values not provable by current scientific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/my-first-fundamental-premise-of-our-faith-is-that-god-is-real-and-so/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [If you depart from moral absolutes, you go into a bottomless pit. Communism and Nazism were catastrophic evils which both derived from moral relativism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/if-you-depart-from-moral-absolutes-you-go-into-a-bottomless-pit/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [“Reason and logic are a force for unity. People can rally around the objective, absolute Truth. All of these are undermined by the Dunning-Kruger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dixon/reason-and-logic-are-a-force-for-unity-people-can-rally-around-the/) Joe Dixon > [“when they identify relativism, the belief that there is no absolute truth to guide human behavior, as one of the evils of our times;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/when-they-identify-relativism-the-belief-that-there-is-no-absolute/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Most relativists believe that relativism is absolutely true and that everyone should be a relativist. Therin lies the self-destructive nature of relativism. The relativist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-geisler/most-relativists-believe-that-relativism-is-absolutely-true-and-that/) [Norman Geisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-geisler/) > [“The reason many are loathe to acknowledge the possibility of absolute truth is not simply because they do not wish to accept the possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mcandrew/the-reason-many-are-loathe-to-acknowledge-the-possibility-of-absolute/) [Stephen McAndrew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mcandrew/) > [“Christians ought to be troubled by the postmodern rejection of moral absolutes. But in responding, the first task is to get our own house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heath-white/christians-ought-to-be-troubled-by-the-postmodern-rejection-of-moral/) [Heath White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heath-white/) > [The world is not that black and white, Rachel. There are no moral absolutes. It is complex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/the-world-is-not-that-black-and-white-rachel-there-are-no-moral/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [But no one can blink at the fact that in this land, and in other lands across the world, there is an epidemic affecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/but-no-one-can-blink-at-the-fact-that-in-this-land-and-in-other-lands/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [A belief in moral absolutes should always make us more, not less, critical of both sides in any conflict. This doesn't mean that both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sobran/a-belief-in-moral-absolutes-should-always-make-us-more-not-less/) [Joseph Sobran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sobran/) > [If we don't believe in moral absolutes and then we get into a cultural-political debate, how are we going to win?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-terry/if-we-don-t-believe-in-moral-absolutes-and-then-we-get-into-a/) [Randall Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-terry/) > [God reveals to His prophets that there are moral absolutes. Sin will always be sin. Disobedience to the Lord’s commandments will always deprive us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/god-reveals-to-his-prophets-that-there-are-moral-absolutes-sin-will/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [Despite what they tell you, there are simply no moral absolutes in a complex world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berkeley-breathed/despite-what-they-tell-you-there-are-simply-no-moral-absolutes-in-a/) [Berkeley Breathed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berkeley-breathed/) > [I'd like to write a series that, in an adventurous and fun way, teaches kids a way to discern between good and evil, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-peretti/i-d-like-to-write-a-series-that-in-an-adventurous-and-fun-way-teaches/) [Frank Peretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-peretti/) ## More by L.E. Modesitt Jr > [Love of another is merely empty flattery and self-deception for one who cannot accept himself without pretense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/love-of-another-is-merely-empty-flattery-and-self-deception-for-one/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“Don’t ever settle for just survival, son. Survival isn’t life…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/don-t-ever-settle-for-just-survival-son-survival-isn-t-life/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [Without power, knowledge is useless. without knowledge, faith is tyranny. Without understanding, humanity is blind, and without all four, it is doomed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/without-power-knowledge-is-useless-without-knowledge-faith-is-tyranny/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“love no one until you can love yourself, for love of another is merely empty flattery and self-deception for one who cannot accept himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/love-no-one-until-you-can-love-yourself-for-love-of-another-is-merely/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“It’s often hard to consider the future when you are struggling with the present,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/it-s-often-hard-to-consider-the-future-when-you-are-struggling-with/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“technology enabled mercy,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/technology-enabled-mercy/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“Too often, no matter what simpering savants say, there is no real choice. Not if life is to have meaning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/too-often-no-matter-what-simpering-savants-say-there-is-no-real/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“Up early. Must be important.” Her smile was nice, too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/up-early-must-be-important-her-smile-was-nice-too/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“some people learned only from what they experienced personally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/some-people-learned-only-from-what-they-experienced-personally/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [Hatred is a form of faith, distilled by passion to remove all rationality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/hatred-is-a-form-of-faith-distilled-by-passion-to-remove-all/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“one of the ways to be successful in war is to make your enemies make all the gallant but useless sacrifices…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/one-of-the-ways-to-be-successful-in-war-is-to-make-your-enemies-make/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“...there being a god, that god must be worshiped. Worship means raising the god above the individual, and liturgies often make the point that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/there-being-a-god-that-god-must-be-worshiped-worship-means-raising/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“Was there really something to the obsolete idea of a national character? Some countries just changed tyrants, without changing anything else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/was-there-really-something-to-the-obsolete-idea-of-a-national/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“power corrupts, even when you try not to be corrupted?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/power-corrupts-even-when-you-try-not-to-be-corrupted/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [“We all feel better when we can defend ourselves. When we can tell ourselves and everyone else that we did what was necessary and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/we-all-feel-better-when-we-can-defend-ourselves-when-we-can-tell/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) [Explore all 51 L.E. Modesitt Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) ## More Absolute truth quotes > [“I know quite well why I became a historian… It was because dissension was frowned upon when I was a child: 'Don't argue, Claudia,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-lively/i-know-quite-well-why-i-became-a-historian-it-was-because-dissension/) [Penelope Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-lively/) > [“When you’ve tired of me,” she said softly, precisely, “Apollo will still be my brother. Will still be there for me.” “I’ll never tire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hoyt/when-you-ve-tired-of-me-she-said-softly-precisely-apollo-will-still/) [Elizabeth Hoyt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hoyt/) > [The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the crowning proof of Christianity. If the resurrection did not take place, then Christianity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-m-morris/the-bodily-resurrection-of-jesus-christ-from-the-dead-is-the-crowning/) [Henry M. Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-m-morris/) > [“I think adults forget just how much faith teenagers can have in them, just how willing to believe that adults, by virtue of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sittenfeld/i-think-adults-forget-just-how-much-faith-teenagers-can-have-in-them/) [Curtis Sittenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sittenfeld/) > [The Absolute Truth of Knowledge is precisely non-Knowledge. If this Mirror called Knowledge remains in the phase where nothing is reflected in it, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sorin-cerin/the-absolute-truth-of-knowledge-is-precisely-non-knowledge-if-this/) [Sorin Cerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sorin-cerin/) > [Let every one of us cultivate, in every word that issues from our mouth, absolute truth. I say cultivate, because to very few people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/let-every-one-of-us-cultivate-in-every-word-that-issues-from-our/) [Dinah Maria Murlock Craik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/) > [Who can know what love means at the feet of the absolute truth?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sorin-cerin/who-can-know-what-love-means-at-the-feet-of-the-absolute-truth/) [Sorin Cerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sorin-cerin/) > [When I say that a thing is true, I mean that I cannot help believing it... But...I do not venture to assume that my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/when-i-say-that-a-thing-is-true-i-mean-that-i-cannot-help-believing/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [ATTRIBUTES OF GOD Because God is spirit...I will seek intimate fellowship with Him. Because God is all-powerful...He can help me with anything. Because God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-william-r-bright/attributes-of-god-because-god-is-spirit-i-will-seek-intimate/) Dr William R Bright > [“Somehow I feel that a person who thinks he has discovered the absolute truth will not be someone I know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manu-joseph/somehow-i-feel-that-a-person-who-thinks-he-has-discovered-the/) [Manu Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manu-joseph/) > [“Leave science out of it and live in accordance with a non-scientific absolute truth. This has been the strategy of liberal humanism, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/leave-science-out-of-it-and-live-in-accordance-with-a-non-scientific/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [If I'd written all the truth I knew for the past ten years, about 600 people - including me - would be rotting in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/if-i-d-written-all-the-truth-i-knew-for-the-past-ten-years-about-600/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Only when we realize that there is no eternal, unchanging truth or absolute truth can we arouse in ourselves a sense of intellectual responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hu-shih/only-when-we-realize-that-there-is-no-eternal-unchanging-truth-or/) [Hu Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hu-shih/) > [Nobody in this world possesses absolute truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/nobody-in-this-world-possesses-absolute-truth/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It isn’t the absolute truth about life and death, but the thing that helps us to live and confront the challenges of day-to-day life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-isn-t-the-absolute-truth-about-life-and-death-but-the-thing-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) [Browse all 317 Absolute truth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolute-truth/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The only absolute truth is change, and death is the only way to stop change. 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