---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whatever truth you have chosen, read only…"
description: "\"“Whatever truth you have chosen, read only a small portion of it, endeavouring to taste and digest it, to extract the essence and substance thereof, an..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/madame-guyon-35873_books_whatever-truth-you-have-chosen-read-only_1673836.jpg"
---

#  Whatever truth you have chosen, read only a small portion…

![“Whatever truth you have chosen, read only a small portion of it, endeavouring to taste and digest it, to extract the essence and substance thereof, and proceed no farther while any savour or relish remains in the passage: when this subsides, pick up your book again and proceed as before, seldom…” quote by Madame Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/madame-guyon-35873_books_whatever-truth-you-have-chosen-read-only_1673836.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/madame-guyon-35873_books_whatever-truth-you-have-chosen-read-only_1673836.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/madame-guyon-35873_books_whatever-truth-you-have-chosen-read-only_1673836.jpg)

> ““Whatever truth you have chosen, read only a small portion of it, endeavouring to taste and digest it, to extract the essence and substance thereof, and proceed no farther while any savour or relish remains in the passage: when this subsides, pick up your book again and proceed as before, seldom reading more than half a page at a time, for it is not the quantity that is read, but the manner of reading, that yields us profit.””

[Madame Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-guyon/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Read in small, mindful portions to truly understand and internalize truth.

**In simple terms:** Small, focused reading yields deeper insight.

Key Takeaway

Read slowly and reflect.

Themes

mindfulness learning spirituality

Mood

contemplative thoughtful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- study sessions
- meditation
- scripture reading
- academic research

Key Concepts

deep comprehension reflection essence extraction

Questions to Reflect On

- How does pacing affect your comprehension?
- What practices help you savor reading?

A Different Perspective

Modern fast‑paced information flow can discourage slow, reflective reading.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Manner Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manner-reading-887029/) [Proceed Seldom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proceed-seldom-887032/) [Quantity Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quantity-read-887033/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Reading Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-half-887030/) [Small Portion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-portion-887031/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't finish a lot of the books I read. I get enormous pleasure from reading half f them, two-thirds of them, even incredibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-french/i-don-t-finish-a-lot-of-the-books-i-read-i-get-enormous-pleasure-from/)

[Jackie French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-french/)

> [I always order soup, dessert, and a sandwich or whatever main course. But then the idea is you have to eat such a small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lampanelli/i-always-order-soup-dessert-and-a-sandwich-or-whatever-main-course/)

[Lisa Lampanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lampanelli/)

> […and Emma felt another small portion of her soul fall away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/and-emma-felt-another-small-portion-of-her-soul-fall-away/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [Think of the universal substance, of which thou has a very small portion; and of universal time, of which a short and indivisible interval…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/think-of-the-universal-substance-of-which-thou-has-a-very-small/)

[Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/)

> [Learn on how little man may live, and how small a portion nature requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucan/learn-on-how-little-man-may-live-and-how-small-a-portion-nature/)

[Lucan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucan/)

> [That's a small portion of my career, taking a moment to do something stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doja-cat/that-s-a-small-portion-of-my-career-taking-a-moment-to-do-something/)

[Doja Cat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doja-cat/)

> [“Most people live in a very restricted circle of their potential being. They make use of a very small portion of their possible consciousness,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-kotler/most-people-live-in-a-very-restricted-circle-of-their-potential-being/)

[Steven Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-kotler/)

> [In an era of streaming and cable television, most programs capture only a small portion of America's over 330 million-person population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/in-an-era-of-streaming-and-cable-television-most-programs-capture/)

[Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/)

> [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/)

[Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/)

> [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [I'm am an expert at reading lips especially when it's not moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/i-m-am-an-expert-at-reading-lips-especially-when-it-s-not-moving/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

> [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/)

[A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/)

> [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/)

[Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

## More by Madame Guyon

> [“We must, however, urge it as a matter of the highest import, to cease from self-action and self-exertion, that God himself may act alone:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-guyon/we-must-however-urge-it-as-a-matter-of-the-highest-import-to-cease/)

[Madame Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-guyon/)

> [“The soul should not be surprised at feeling itself unable to offer up to God such petitions as it had formally made with freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-guyon/the-soul-should-not-be-surprised-at-feeling-itself-unable-to-offer-up/)

[Madame Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-guyon/)

> [“Those who tread these paths should be informed of a matter respecting their confession in which they are apt to err. When they begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-guyon/those-who-tread-these-paths-should-be-informed-of-a-matter-respecting/)

[Madame Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-guyon/)

> [“To pastors and teachers If all who laboured for the conversion of others were to introduce them immediately into Prayer and the Interior Life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-guyon/to-pastors-and-teachers-if-all-who-laboured-for-the-conversion-of/)

[Madame Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-guyon/)

> [“Come, ye dull, ignorant, and illiterate, ye who think yourselves the most incapable of prayer! Ye are more peculiarly called and adapted thereto. Let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-guyon/come-ye-dull-ignorant-and-illiterate-ye-who-think-yourselves-the-most/)

[Madame Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-guyon/)

> [“To pastors and teachers Compose catechisms particularly to teach prayer, not by reasoning nor by method, for the simple are incapable thereof; but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-guyon/to-pastors-and-teachers-compose-catechisms-particularly-to-teach/)

[Madame Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-guyon/)

> [“If while reading, you feel yourself recollected, lay aside the book and remain in stillness; at all times read but little, and cease to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-guyon/if-while-reading-you-feel-yourself-recollected-lay-aside-the-book-and/)

[Madame Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-guyon/)

> [“My earnest wish is to paint in true colors the goodness of God to me, and the depth of my own ingratitude”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-guyon/my-earnest-wish-is-to-paint-in-true-colors-the-goodness-of-god-to-me/)

[Madame Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-guyon/)

> [“Now when the soul by its efforts to abandon outward objects and gather itself inwards, is brought into the influence of the central tendency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-guyon/now-when-the-soul-by-its-efforts-to-abandon-outward-objects-and/)

[Madame Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-guyon/)

> [“We should accept indiscriminately all His dispensations, whether obscurity or illumination, fruitfulness or barrenness, weakness or strength, sweetness or bitterness, temptations, distractions, pain, weariness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-guyon/we-should-accept-indiscriminately-all-his-dispensations-whether/)

[Madame Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-guyon/)

> [“Some persons, when they hear of the prayer of silence, falsely imagine that the soul remains stupid, dead, and inactive. But unquestionably, it acteth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-guyon/some-persons-when-they-hear-of-the-prayer-of-silence-falsely-imagine/)

[Madame Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-guyon/)

> [God is infinitely more honored by the sacrifices of death than by those of life; by the latter we honor Him as a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-guyon/god-is-infinitely-more-honored-by-the-sacrifices-of-death-than-by/)

[Madame Guyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-guyon/)

[Explore all 13 Madame Guyon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-guyon/)

## More Books quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/)

[Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/)

> [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/)

[Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/)

[Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/)

[Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/)

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/)

[Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/)

> [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/)

[Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/)

[Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Whatever truth you have chosen, read only a small portion of it, endeavouring to taste and digest it, to extract the essence and substance thereof, and proceed no farther while any savour or relish remains in the passage: when this subsides, pick up your book again and proceed as before, seldom reading more than half a page at a time, for it is not the quantity that is read, but the manner of reading, that yields us profit.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Madame Guyon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-guyon/whatever-truth-you-have-chosen-read-only-a-small-portion-of-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Books"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-guyon/whatever-truth-you-have-chosen-read-only-a-small-portion-of-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/madame-guyon-35873_books_whatever-truth-you-have-chosen-read-only_1673836.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/madame-guyon-35873_books_whatever-truth-you-have-chosen-read-only_1673836.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/madame-guyon-35873_books_whatever-truth-you-have-chosen-read-only_1673836.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Whatever truth you have chosen, read only a small portion of it, endeavouring to taste and digest it, to…” — Madame Guyon",
                "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": "Madame Guyon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-guyon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Whatever truth you have chosen, read...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-guyon/whatever-truth-you-have-chosen-read-only-a-small-portion-of-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-guyon/whatever-truth-you-have-chosen-read-only-a-small-portion-of-it/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
