Curiosity Quote by Moliere
“Human weakness is to desire to know what one does not want to know.”
About This Quote
Source Play: Tartuffe, 1664
People are drawn to knowledge that confirms their desires, avoiding uncomfortable truths.
In simple terms: Desire blinds us to unwanted truths.
Key Takeaway
Question your motives before seeking answers.
Themes
human nature
knowledge
self‑deception
Mood
introspective
critical
Type
philosophical
advice
When to use this quote
- self‑reflection
- education
- decision making
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we avoid certain facts?
- How can we confront uncomfortable knowledge?
A Different Perspective
Avoiding truth can lead to poor choices.
![“We have no clear ideas of the agency of [demonic] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but tells us plainly that he is always watching us, and desiring to sift us as wheat. I believe we give him no more than his due, when we charge him with having a…” quote by John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c75/john-newton-6629_abundance_we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of_2907.jpg)
![“[T]he question "What is everything?" has no meaning, even though it seems to be profound. [...] The point is, perhaps, that I am not looking for a verbal answer, just as when I ask for a kiss, I do not want a piece of paper with "A kiss" written on it. It is rather that metaphysical wonder looks…” quote by Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/705/alan-w-watts-9497_curiosity_t-he-question-what-is-everything-has-no_3984.jpg)
![“By profession a biologist, [Thomas Henry Huxley] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences. Absolutely nothing was uninteresting to him. His curiosity ranged from music to theology and from philosophy to history. He didn't simply know something…” quote by H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f46/h-l-mencken-245_absolutely-nothing_by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-h_5368.jpg)
