--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing is so contemptible as that…" description: "\"Nothing is so contemptible as that affectation of wisdom, which some display, by universal incredulity.\" — Oliver Goldsmith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/oliver-goldsmith-772_contemptible_nothing-is-so-contemptible-as-that-affec_3140615.png" --- # Nothing is so contemptible as that affectation of wisdom… ![“Nothing is so contemptible as that affectation of wisdom, which some display, by universal incredulity.” quote by Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/oliver-goldsmith-772_contemptible_nothing-is-so-contemptible-as-that-affec_3140615.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/oliver-goldsmith-772_contemptible_nothing-is-so-contemptible-as-that-affec_3140615.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/oliver-goldsmith-772_contemptible_nothing-is-so-contemptible-as-that-affec_3140615.png) > “Nothing is so contemptible as that affectation of wisdom, which some display, by universal incredulity.” [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People who feign wisdom while doubting everything are contemptible; true wisdom requires humility. **In simple terms:** Pretending wisdom while doubting is contemptible. Key Takeaway Seek genuine humility in learning. Themes wisdom humility skepticism Mood thoughtful critical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - education - public discourse - personal growth - leadership Key Concepts philosophy critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How can one balance doubt and confidence? - What is the role of humility in wisdom? A Different Perspective Over‑skepticism can hinder progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Incredulity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incredulity/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [At night returning, every labour sped, He sits him down, the monarch of a shed; Smiles by his cheerful fire, and round surveys His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/at-night-returning-every-labour-sped-he-sits-him-down-the-monarch-of/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Looking back through the mists of time, I recall some distinctly religious experiences in my teens--when I was only fourteen years old to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-linzey/looking-back-through-the-mists-of-time-i-recall-some-distinctly/) [Andrew Linzey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-linzey/) > [Knowledge of divine things for the most part is lost to us by incredulity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heraclitus/knowledge-of-divine-things-for-the-most-part-is-lost-to-us-by/) [Heraclitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heraclitus/) > [Sometimes the fluffy bunny of incredulity zooms around the bend so rapidly that the greyhound of language is left, agog, in the starting cage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/sometimes-the-fluffy-bunny-of-incredulity-zooms-around-the-bend-so/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [“Jules turned to her, incredulous. 'Do you socialize with Republicans?' "'It happens, Jules.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/jules-turned-to-her-incredulous-do-you-socialize-with-republicans-it/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [The human understanding is a revelation from its maker, which can never be disputed or doubted. There can be no scepticism, Pyrrhonism, or incredulity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-human-understanding-is-a-revelation-from-its-maker-which-can/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [Of all the weaknesses little men rail against, there is none that they are more apt to ridicule than the tendency to believe. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/of-all-the-weaknesses-little-men-rail-against-there-is-none-that-they/) [Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/) > [The Bishop goes on to the human eye, asking rhetorically, and with the implication that there is no answer, 'How could an organ so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-bishop-goes-on-to-the-human-eye-asking-rhetorically-and-with-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [ ... \[a\] girl one day flared out and told the principal "the only mission opening before a girl in his school was to marry… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-julia-cooper/a-girl-one-day-flared-out-and-told-the-principal-the-only-mission/) [Anna Julia Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-julia-cooper/) > [We are responsible for our incredulity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-power/we-are-responsible-for-our-incredulity/) [Samantha Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-power/) > [“The theologian Meric Casaubon argued—in his 1668 book, Of Credulity and Incredulity—that witches must exist because, after all, everyone believes in them. Anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-theologian-meric-casaubon-argued-in-his-1668-book-of-credulity/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The first step towards philosophy is incredulity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/the-first-step-towards-philosophy-is-incredulity/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [“If you can't show it, you don't know it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aron-ra/if-you-can-t-show-it-you-don-t-know-it/) [Aron Ra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aron-ra/) > [The reformer has enemies in all who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/the-reformer-has-enemies-in-all-who-profit-by-the-old-order-and-only/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Simplifying to the extreme, I define postmodern as incredulity toward metanarratives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-francois-lyotard/simplifying-to-the-extreme-i-define-postmodern-as-incredulity-toward/) [Jean-Francois Lyotard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-francois-lyotard/) ## More by Oliver Goldsmith > [The fortunate circumstances of our lives are generally found, at last, to be of our own producing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/the-fortunate-circumstances-of-our-lives-are-generally-found-at-last/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [How happy he who crowns in shades like these, A youth of labour with an age of ease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/how-happy-he-who-crowns-in-shades-like-these-a-youth-of-labour-with/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [One man is born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and the other with a wooden ladle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/one-man-is-born-with-a-silver-spoon-in-his-mouth-and-the-other-with-a/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [He cast off his friends as a huntsman his pack, For he knew when he pleas'd he could whistle them back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/he-cast-off-his-friends-as-a-huntsman-his-pack-for-he-knew-when-he/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Even children follow'd with endearing wile, And pluck'd his gown, to share the good man's smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/even-children-follow-d-with-endearing-wile-and-pluck-d-his-gown-to/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [The premises being thus settled, I proceed to observe that the concatenation of self-existence, proceeding in a reciprocal duplicate ratio, naturally produces a problematical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/the-premises-being-thus-settled-i-proceed-to-observe-that-the/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Truth from his lips prevailed with double sway, and fools, who came to scoff, remained to pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/truth-from-his-lips-prevailed-with-double-sway-and-fools-who-came-to/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Politics resemble religion; attempting to divest either of ceremony is the most certain mode of bringing either into contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/politics-resemble-religion-attempting-to-divest-either-of-ceremony-is/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [To what fortuitous occurrence do we not owe every pleasure and convenience of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/to-what-fortuitous-occurrence-do-we-not-owe-every-pleasure-and/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Every acknowledgment of gratitude is a circumstance of humiliation; and some are found to submit to frequent mortifications of this kind, proclaiming what obligations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/every-acknowledgment-of-gratitude-is-a-circumstance-of-humiliation/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [ \[T\]here are depths of thousands of miles which are hidden from our inquiry. The only tidings we have from those unfathomable regions are by… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/t-here-are-depths-of-thousands-of-miles-which-are-hidden-from-our/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Like the bee, we should make our industry our amusement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/like-the-bee-we-should-make-our-industry-our-amusement/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Age, that lessens the enjoyment of life, increases our desire of living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/age-that-lessens-the-enjoyment-of-life-increases-our-desire-of-living/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Thus let me hold thee to my heart, And every care resign: And we shall never, never part, My life-my all that's mine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/thus-let-me-hold-thee-to-my-heart-and-every-care-resign-and-we-shall/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Here lies David Garrick, describe me who can, An abridgment of all that was pleasant in man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/here-lies-david-garrick-describe-me-who-can-an-abridgment-of-all-that/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) [Explore all 375 Oliver Goldsmith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) ## More Contemptible quotes > [A man who lets himself be bored is even more contemptible than the bore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/a-man-who-lets-himself-be-bored-is-even-more-contemptible-than-the/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [We gave him a hearty welcome, for there was nearly half as much of the entertaining as of the contemptible about the man..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/we-gave-him-a-hearty-welcome-for-there-was-nearly-half-as-much-of-the/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [“It is a difficult choice sometimes whether to feel revolted at the male sex or merely to dismiss them as contemptible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/it-is-a-difficult-choice-sometimes-whether-to-feel-revolted-at-the/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [None but the contemptible are apprehensive of contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/none-but-the-contemptible-are-apprehensive-of-contempt/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Contemptuous people are sure to be contemptible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/contemptuous-people-are-sure-to-be-contemptible/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) > [Nothing that is not a real crime makes a man appear so contemptible and little in the eyes of the world as inconsistency, especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/nothing-that-is-not-a-real-crime-makes-a-man-appear-so-contemptible/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“For it was intelligence that was the thin line between endearing rapscallion and idiot bastard. - Éibhear the Contemptible”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-a-aiken/for-it-was-intelligence-that-was-the-thin-line-between-endearing/) [G.A. Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-a-aiken/) > [The unanimously applauded, self-congratulatory bromides of a Soviet Party Congress seemed contemptible. The unanimity of the sanctimonious, reality-concealing rhetoric spouted by American officials and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/the-unanimously-applauded-self-congratulatory-bromides-of-a-soviet/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [As men neither fear nor respect what has been made contemptible, all honor to him who makes oppression laughable as well as detestable. Armies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/as-men-neither-fear-nor-respect-what-has-been-made-contemptible-all/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [To my eye Rubens' colouring is most contemptible. His shadows are a filthy brown somewhat the colour of excrement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/to-my-eye-rubens-colouring-is-most-contemptible-his-shadows-are-a/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [It was better, he thought, to fail in attempting exquisite things than to succeed in the department of the utterly contemptible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-machen/it-was-better-he-thought-to-fail-in-attempting-exquisite-things-than/) [Arthur Machen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-machen/) > [An ignorant man is insignificant and contemptible; nobody cares for his company, and he can just be said to live, and that is all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/an-ignorant-man-is-insignificant-and-contemptible-nobody-cares-for/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [There is something feeble and a little contemptible about a man who cannot face the perils of life without the help of comfortable myths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-is-something-feeble-and-a-little-contemptible-about-a-man-who-2/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [There is no being so poor and so contemptible, who does not think there is somebody still poorer, and still more contemptible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/there-is-no-being-so-poor-and-so-contemptible-who-does-not-think/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“Not one word was said by Moses or Aaron as to the wickedness of depriving a human being of his liberty. Not a word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-ingersoll/not-one-word-was-said-by-moses-or-aaron-as-to-the-wickedness-of/) [Robert G. Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-ingersoll/) Browse all 52 Contemptible quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nothing is so contemptible as that affectation of wisdom, which some display, by universal incredulity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oliver Goldsmith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/nothing-is-so-contemptible-as-that-affectation-of-wisdom-which-some/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Contemptible" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/nothing-is-so-contemptible-as-that-affectation-of-wisdom-which-some/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/oliver-goldsmith-772_contemptible_nothing-is-so-contemptible-as-that-affec_3140615.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/oliver-goldsmith-772_contemptible_nothing-is-so-contemptible-as-that-affec_3140615.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/oliver-goldsmith-772_contemptible_nothing-is-so-contemptible-as-that-affec_3140615.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nothing is so contemptible as that affectation of wisdom, which some display, by universal incredulity.” — Oliver Goldsmith", "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": "Oliver Goldsmith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Nothing is so contemptible as that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/nothing-is-so-contemptible-as-that-affectation-of-wisdom-which-some/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/nothing-is-so-contemptible-as-that-affectation-of-wisdom-which-some/#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 } } ] } ```