--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have noticed that the human being is…" description: "\"You have noticed that the human being is a curiosity. In times past he has had (and worn out and flung away) hundreds and hundreds of religions; today ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/425/mark-twain-22_curiosity_you-have-noticed-that-the-human-being-is_1885214.png" --- # You have noticed that the human being is a curiosity. In… ![“You have noticed that the human being is a curiosity. In times past he has had (and worn out and flung away) hundreds and hundreds of religions; today he has hundreds and hundreds of religions, and launches not fewer than three new ones every year. I could enlarge on that number and still be…” quote by Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/425/mark-twain-22_curiosity_you-have-noticed-that-the-human-being-is_1885214.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/425/mark-twain-22_curiosity_you-have-noticed-that-the-human-being-is_1885214.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/425/mark-twain-22_curiosity_you-have-noticed-that-the-human-being-is_1885214.png) > “You have noticed that the human being is a curiosity. In times past he has had (and worn out and flung away) hundreds and hundreds of religions; today he has hundreds and hundreds of religions, and launches not fewer than three new ones every year. I could enlarge on that number and still be within the facts.” [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humanity constantly creates and discards belief systems, leading to an ever‑growing number of religions. **In simple terms:** People keep inventing religions. Key Takeaway Question the value of new faiths. Themes religion human nature culture Mood reflective critical Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - personal belief - academic study - interfaith dialogue - media analysis Key Concepts skepticism social evolution Questions to Reflect On - Why do societies keep forming new religions? - What benefits or harms arise from religious proliferation? A Different Perspective New religions may lack depth or stability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Curiosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-today/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Times past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/times-past/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > [I believe in mysticism, with an interior goal, and you are your own temple and your own priest. I dont believe anymore in religions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/i-believe-in-mysticism-with-an-interior-goal-and-you-are-your-own/) [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/) > [“Human curiosity. Such a very interesting thing. Think of what we owe to it throughout history. It is said to be usually associated with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/human-curiosity-such-a-very-interesting-thing-think-of-what-we-owe-to/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“People naturally want to make sense of their world. That, to Greenberg, is the essence of human curiosity. As they strive to answer questions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-o-gray/people-naturally-want-to-make-sense-of-their-world-that-to-greenberg/) [Peter O. Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-o-gray/) > [“We might have known from the first that human curiosity is undying, and that the results we announced would be enough to spear others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/we-might-have-known-from-the-first-that-human-curiosity-is-undying/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [Human curiosity, the urge to know, is a powerful force and is perhaps the best secret weapon of all in the struggle to unravel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-klug/human-curiosity-the-urge-to-know-is-a-powerful-force-and-is-perhaps/) [Aaron Klug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-klug/) > [“I'm always eager to respond to human curiosity, but I have no time to entertain ape gossip.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/i-m-always-eager-to-respond-to-human-curiosity-but-i-have-no-time-to/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [I have great confidence in human curiosity - even though I don't know what curiosity is from a biological point of view. One of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/i-have-great-confidence-in-human-curiosity-even-though-i-don-t-know/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [“You can't blame human nature, and there was nothing more human than curiosity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/you-can-t-blame-human-nature-and-there-was-nothing-more-human-than/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“The human curiosity is as if an ant which seeks knowledge and walks over the books of science.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/the-human-curiosity-is-as-if-an-ant-which-seeks-knowledge-and-walks/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [We really didn't devote a lot of time to investigating the scariest aspects of our flight. It was more challenging and productive to concentrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/we-really-didn-t-devote-a-lot-of-time-to-investigating-the-scariest/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [The old-time-religion and today's cutting-edge-religion have one thing in common - they're both religion. I want neither.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mcvey/the-old-time-religion-and-today-s-cutting-edge-religion-have-one/) [Steve McVey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mcvey/) > [Every major religion today is a winner in the Darwinian struggle waged among cultures, and none ever flourished by tolerating its rivals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/every-major-religion-today-is-a-winner-in-the-darwinian-struggle/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [When books come out on religion today, what are they about, well, Noah's Ark or when we go to heaven, does our body or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-bugliosi/when-books-come-out-on-religion-today-what-are-they-about-well-noah-s/) [Vincent Bugliosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-bugliosi/) > [ “\[E\]very major religion today is a winner in the Darwinian struggle waged among cultures, and none ever flourished by tolerating its rivals.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-o-wilson/e-very-major-religion-today-is-a-winner-in-the-darwinian-struggle/) [Edward O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-o-wilson/) > [Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/religion-has-actually-convinced-people-that-there-s-an-invisible-man/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) ## More by Mark Twain > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“The Creator sat upon the throne, thinking. Behind him stretched the illimitable continent of heaven, steeped in a glory of light and color; before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-creator-sat-upon-the-throne-thinking-behind-him-stretched-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [It's easy to quit smoking. I've done it hundreds of times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-s-easy-to-quit-smoking-i-ve-done-it-hundreds-of-times/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It is never wrong to do the right thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-is-never-wrong-to-do-the-right-thing/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [A man accustomed to American food and American domestic cookery would not starve to death suddenly in Europe, but I think he would gradually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-man-accustomed-to-american-food-and-american-domestic-cookery-would/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [There is nothing training can't cannot do. Nothing is above its reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-is-nothing-training-can-t-cannot-do-nothing-is-above-its-reach/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I never write Metropolis for seven cents because I can get the same price for city. I never write policeman because I can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-never-write-metropolis-for-seven-cents-because-i-can-get-the-same/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The higher animals get their teeth without pain or inconvenience. Man gets his through months and months of cruel torture; he will never get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-higher-animals-get-their-teeth-without-pain-or-inconvenience-man/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“As far as I can see, Italy, for fifteen hundred years, has turned all her energies, all her finances, and all her industry to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/as-far-as-i-can-see-italy-for-fifteen-hundred-years-has-turned-all/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Begin with the determination to succeed and the work is half done already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/begin-with-the-determination-to-succeed-and-the-work-is-half-done/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Many public-school children seem to know only two dates—1492 and 4th of July; and as a rule they don't know what happened on either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/many-public-school-children-seem-to-know-only-two-dates-1492-and-4th/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [If we could imagine such a man, that is a man who could invent the fly and send him out on his mission and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-we-could-imagine-such-a-man-that-is-a-man-who-could-invent-the-fly/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [You perceive, now, that these things are all impossible except in a dream. You perceive that they are pure and puerile insanities, the silly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/you-perceive-now-that-these-things-are-all-impossible-except-in-a/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Lord save us all from a hope tree that has lost the faculty of putting out blossoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/lord-save-us-all-from-a-hope-tree-that-has-lost-the-faculty-of/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) [Explore all 3,277 Mark Twain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## More Curiosity quotes > [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [“Metal makes everything magical. Just ask a unicorn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sybrina-durant/metal-makes-everything-magical-just-ask-a-unicorn/) [Sybrina Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sybrina-durant/) > [ We have no clear ideas of the agency of \[demonic\] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-newton/we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of-demonic-spirits-nor-is-it/) [John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-newton/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Curiosity Can Kill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anison/curiosity-can-kill/) [Anison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anison/) > [“So curious you must be. Like little calves poking their heads through the fence with big eyes and a headful of curiosity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carew-papritz/so-curious-you-must-be-like-little-calves-poking-their-heads-through/) [Carew Papritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carew-papritz/) > [ “\[T\]he question "What is everything?" has no meaning, even though it seems to be profound. \[...\] The point is, perhaps, that I am not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/t-he-question-what-is-everything-has-no-meaning-even-though-it-seems/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [ By profession a biologist, \[Thomas Henry Huxley\] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-huxley-covered-in-fact-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [How do we know that we have a right to kill creatures that we are so little above, as dogs, for our curiosity or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/how-do-we-know-that-we-have-a-right-to-kill-creatures-that-we-are-so/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [Be curious not judge mental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/be-curious-not-judge-mental/) Unknow > [There is nothing so carking as the pangs of unsatisfied curiosity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/there-is-nothing-so-carking-as-the-pangs-of-unsatisfied-curiosity/) [Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/) > [Curiosity is the essence of human existence. 'Who are we? Where are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?'... I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/curiosity-is-the-essence-of-human-existence-who-are-we-where-are-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes curiosity is a poison, not only for those who drink it but for everyone around it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-norman-lippert/sometimes-curiosity-is-a-poison-not-only-for-those-who-drink-it-but/) [G. Norman Lippert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-norman-lippert/) > [As long as your curiosity is greater than your fear, you will move forward!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/as-long-as-your-curiosity-is-greater-than-your-fear-you-will-move/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it sure has earned a lot of people graduate degrees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-irving/curiosity-may-have-killed-the-cat-but-it-sure-has-earned-a-lot-of/) Robyn Irving [Browse all 2,721 Curiosity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You have noticed that the human being is a curiosity. In times past he has had (and worn out and flung away) hundreds and hundreds of religions; today he has hundreds and hundreds of religions, and launches not fewer than three new ones every year. 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