--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why does anyone do anything? Belief. A…" description: "\"Why does anyone do anything? Belief. A belief that they are right and just in their actions. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac, because h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/libba-bray-259_abraham_why-does-anyone-do-anything-belief-a-bel_1619906.png" --- # Why does anyone do anything? Belief. A belief that they… ![“Why does anyone do anything? Belief. A belief that they are right and just in their actions. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac, because he believed that God had commanded it. To kill your son is unthinkable. A crime. But if you are acting in the belief that your God, your supreme…” quote by Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/libba-bray-259_abraham_why-does-anyone-do-anything-belief-a-bel_1619906.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/libba-bray-259_abraham_why-does-anyone-do-anything-belief-a-bel_1619906.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/libba-bray-259_abraham_why-does-anyone-do-anything-belief-a-bel_1619906.png) > “Why does anyone do anything? Belief. A belief that they are right and just in their actions. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac, because he believed that God had commanded it. To kill your son is unthinkable. A crime. But if you are acting in the belief that your God, your supreme deity whom you must obey, has demanded it of you, is it still a crime?” [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote questions how belief can justify extreme actions, questioning moral responsibility when actions are driven by perceived divine command. **In simple terms:** Belief can make people justify even terrible deeds. Key Takeaway Examine the basis of your convictions. Themes morality belief authority religion ethics Mood conflicted thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - religious extremism - military orders - personal decisions - legal judgments Key Concepts justification obedience cognitive dissonance Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs guide your actions? - How do you assess if a belief is harmful? A Different Perspective Belief may blind one to ethical consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abraham/) [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Belief Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-belief/) [Belief God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-god/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Deities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deities/) [Deity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deity/) [Deity Obey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deity-obey-256687/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Does Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/does-belief-256686/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isaac/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Unthinkable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unthinkable/) [Willing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willing/) [Your son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your-son/) ## Related quotes > [“Why does anyone do anything? Belief. A belief that they are right and just in their actions. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/why-does-anyone-do-anything-belief-a-belief-that-they-are-right-and/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [“Why does anyone do anything? Belief. A belief that they are doing right and just in their actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/why-does-anyone-do-anything-belief-a-belief-that-they-are-doing-right/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [A belief in God may not be fully within me anymore, but there's still a belief in belief. The high drama and power of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/a-belief-in-god-may-not-be-fully-within-me-anymore-but-there-s-still/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [A belief in God is vitally important, not just in show business, but stability in life. You know, to recognize deity is the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donny-osmond/a-belief-in-god-is-vitally-important-not-just-in-show-business-but/) [Donny Osmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donny-osmond/) > [“Of course it matters! Truth matters!” “It should. But does it? Or is it only belief that matters?” “You can’t make something true just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/of-course-it-matters-truth-matters-it-should-but-does-it-or-is-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“What does belief applied to the unconscious signify? What is an unconscious that no longer does anything but believe, rather than produce? What are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilles-deleuze/what-does-belief-applied-to-the-unconscious-signify-what-is-an/) [Gilles Deleuze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilles-deleuze/) > [Action will furnish belief,-but will that belief be the true one? This is the point, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hugh-clough/action-will-furnish-belief-but-will-that-belief-be-the-true-one-this/) [Arthur Hugh Clough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-hugh-clough/) > [“Do you believe? "I believe," he said softly. What do you believe? "I believe that I will kill these two to save my wife…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/do-you-believe-i-believe-he-said-softly-what-do-you-believe-i-believe/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [This is a very central part of the psychedelic attitude toward the world, to entertain all possibilities but to never commit to belief. Belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/this-is-a-very-central-part-of-the-psychedelic-attitude-toward-the/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [No one can control his own opinion or his own belief. My belief was forced upon me by my surroundings. 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We do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/and-here-is-the-point-about-myself-and-my-co-thinkers-our-belief-is/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [To learn a belief without the belief is to sing a song without the tune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/to-learn-a-belief-without-the-belief-is-to-sing-a-song-without-the/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“My belief is the belief of no beliefs. That's my belief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/my-belief-is-the-belief-of-no-beliefs-that-s-my-belief/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) ## More by Libba Bray > [“I have never felt more ridiculous. If this is what it means to be a woman I am not the slightest bit interested.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/i-have-never-felt-more-ridiculous-if-this-is-what-it-means-to-be-a/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [There are no safe choices. Only other choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/there-are-no-safe-choices-only-other-choices/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [“The King of Crows raked his fingers across the dark until it bled. He licked the blood from his fingers with a forked tongue.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/the-king-of-crows-raked-his-fingers-across-the-dark-until-it-bled-he/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [It is how it has always been. 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You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Hebron is a bone of contention between Israeli settlers and the Palestinians in part because Abraham is buried there, in the Tomb of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/hebron-is-a-bone-of-contention-between-israeli-settlers-and-the/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee, because we are not going to allow - people will wake up and we're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/donald-trump-is-not-going-to-be-the-nominee-because-we-are-not-going/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [“Never you look down on your Abraham because of your Sarah because the blessing is not in the womb of Sarah but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ikechukwu-izuakor/never-you-look-down-on-your-abraham-because-of-your-sarah-because-the/) [Ikechukwu Izuakor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ikechukwu-izuakor/) > [“Whatever you are, be a good one.”   Abraham Lincoln”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/whatever-you-are-be-a-good-one-abraham-lincoln/) [Rriiver Nyile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/) > [Moses was a great leader, right? 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Sailhamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-sailhamer/) > [“The biblical story of the binding of Isaac shows that human sacrifice was far from unthinkable in the 1st millennium BCE. The Israelites boasted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-biblical-story-of-the-binding-of-isaac-shows-that-human-sacrifice/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Everybody faces obstacles. And I looked to people who had been through many to succeed in life. Abraham Lincoln, born to a poor family,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-winfield/everybody-faces-obstacles-and-i-looked-to-people-who-had-been-through/) [Dave Winfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-winfield/) > [Someone asked me...how it felt and I was reminded of a story that a fellow townsman of ours used to tell--Abraham Lincoln. 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