--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When men have realized that time has…" description: "\"When men have realized that time has upset many fighting faiths, they may come to believe... that the ultimate good desired is better reached by free t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/oliver-wendell-holmes-12756_accepted_when-men-have-realized-that-time-has-ups_749293.jpg" --- # When men have realized that time has upset many fighting… ![“When men have realized that time has upset many fighting faiths, they may come to believe... that the ultimate good desired is better reached by free trade in ideas-- that the best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market, and that truth is…” quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/oliver-wendell-holmes-12756_accepted_when-men-have-realized-that-time-has-ups_749293.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/oliver-wendell-holmes-12756_accepted_when-men-have-realized-that-time-has-ups_749293.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/oliver-wendell-holmes-12756_accepted_when-men-have-realized-that-time-has-ups_749293.jpg) > “When men have realized that time has upset many fighting faiths, they may come to believe... that the ultimate good desired is better reached by free trade in ideas-- that the best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market, and that truth is the only ground upon which their wishes safely can be carried out. That at any rate is the theory of our Constitution. It is an experiment. As all life is an experiment. Every year if not every day we wager our salvation upon some prophecy based upon imperfect knowledge.” [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) ## 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 argues that truth and societal progress emerge from open competition of ideas, likening it to a market where the strongest thoughts survive, and that this experimental approach underpins the Constitution. **In simple terms:** Truth thrives when ideas compete freely, like a market, forming the basis of constitutional experiment. Key Takeaway Encourage open debate and idea exchange. Themes freedom of speech democracy intellectual competition constitutional theory Mood thoughtful critical optimistic Type philosophical political inspirational When to use this quote - political discourse - legal reform - academic debate - media analysis Key Concepts marketplace of ideas experimentation truth testing Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure all voices are heard in the marketplace of ideas? - What safeguards protect against dominant narratives? A Different Perspective Free competition can be skewed by power imbalances, limiting true meritocracy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Experiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiments/) [Free trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-trade/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom of speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-of-speech/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Prophecy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prophecy/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Salvation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salvation/) [Tests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tests/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) [Wagers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wagers/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [But when men have realized that time has upset many fighting faiths, they may come to believe...that the best test of truth is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/but-when-men-have-realized-that-time-has-upset-many-fighting-faiths/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [ \[W\]hen men have realized that time has upset many fighting faiths, they may come to believe . . . that the best test of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justice-holmes/w-hen-men-have-realized-that-time-has-upset-many-fighting-faiths-they/) Justice Holmes > [ He \[Washington\] has often declared to me that he considered our new constitution as an experiment on the practicability of republican government, and with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/he-washington-has-often-declared-to-me-that-he-considered-our-new/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [ “\[According to Holmes\], ‘Every year if not every day we have to wager our salvation upon some prophecy based upon imperfect knowledge. While that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/according-to-holmes-every-year-if-not-every-day-we-have-to-wager-our/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [“Every year, if not every day, we have to wager our salvation upon some prophecy based upon imperfect knowledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/every-year-if-not-every-day-we-have-to-wager-our-salvation-upon-some/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) > [ \[The Constitution\] is an experiment as all life is an experiment. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/the-constitution-is-an-experiment-as-all-life-is-an-experiment/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [ The invisible government \[bosses\] is malign. But the evil doesn't come from the fact that it plays horse with the Newtonian theory of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/the-invisible-government-bosses-is-malign-but-the-evil-doesn-t-come/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [It is superfluous to try by the standards of theory, a part of the constitution which is allowed on all hands to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/it-is-superfluous-to-try-by-the-standards-of-theory-a-part-of-the/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [In the next place, the state governments are, by the very theory of the constitution, essential constituent parts of the general government. They can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-story/in-the-next-place-the-state-governments-are-by-the-very-theory-of-the/) [Joseph Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-story/) > [The true theory of our Constitution is surely the wisest and best, that the states are independent as to everything within themselves and united…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-true-theory-of-our-constitution-is-surely-the-wisest-and-best-2/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The true theory of our Constitution is surely the wisest and best, that the States are independent as to everything within themselves, and united…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-true-theory-of-our-constitution-is-surely-the-wisest-and-best/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Ridicule is the best test of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/ridicule-is-the-best-test-of-truth/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [“That which is true must be infinite and eternal. That is the one test of truth. It never decays, it is always the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/that-which-is-true-must-be-infinite-and-eternal-that-is-the-one-test/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [It is commonly said that ridicule is the best test of truth; for that it will not stick where it is not just. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/it-is-commonly-said-that-ridicule-is-the-best-test-of-truth-for-that/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [The test of truth in life is not whether we can remember what we learned in school, but whether we are prepared for change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-schleicher/the-test-of-truth-in-life-is-not-whether-we-can-remember-what-we/) [Andreas Schleicher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-schleicher/) ## More by Oliver Wendell Holmes > [Even a dog knows the difference between being kicked and being stumbled over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/even-a-dog-knows-the-difference-between-being-kicked-and-being/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) > [There are a good many real miseries in life that we cannot help smiling at, but they are the smiles that make wrinkles and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/there-are-a-good-many-real-miseries-in-life-that-we-cannot-help/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) > [The great thing in this world is not so much where you stand, as in what direction you are moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/the-great-thing-in-this-world-is-not-so-much-where-you-stand-as-in/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) > [A man's mind stretched by a new idea can never go back to its original dimensions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/a-man-s-mind-stretched-by-a-new-idea-can-never-go-back-to-its/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) > [Husband and wife come to look alike at last](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/husband-and-wife-come-to-look-alike-at-last/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) > [To brag little - to show well - to crow gently, if in luck - to pay up, to own up, and to shut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/to-brag-little-to-show-well-to-crow-gently-if-in-luck-to-pay-up-to/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) > [Beauty is only skin deep... but dont tell an ugly person that](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/beauty-is-only-skin-deep-but-dont-tell-an-ugly-person-that/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) > [The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/the-mind-once-expanded-to-the-dimensions-of-larger-ideas-never/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) > [Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul, As the swift seasons roll! Leave thy low-vaulted past! Let each new temple, nobler than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/build-thee-more-stately-mansions-o-my-soul-as-the-swift-seasons-roll/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) > [Alas for those that never sing, but die with all their music in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/alas-for-those-that-never-sing-but-die-with-all-their-music-in-them/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) > [Don't be consistent but be simple true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/don-t-be-consistent-but-be-simple-true/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) > [When I think of talking, it is of course with a woman. For talking at its best being an inspiration, it wants a corresponding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/when-i-think-of-talking-it-is-of-course-with-a-woman-for-talking-at/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) > [If I had a formula for bypassing trouble, I would not pass it round. Trouble creates a capacity to handle it. I don't embrace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/if-i-had-a-formula-for-bypassing-trouble-i-would-not-pass-it-round/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) > [The woman cries before the wedding; the man afterward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/the-woman-cries-before-the-wedding-the-man-afterward/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) > [I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/i-would-not-give-a-fig-for-the-simplicity-this-side-of-complexity-but/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) [Explore all 53 Oliver Wendell Holmes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/) ## More Accepted quotes > [Merkel has realized that the euro is not working, but she cannot change the narrative she has created because that narrative has caught the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/merkel-has-realized-that-the-euro-is-not-working-but-she-cannot/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [I started off playing by ear, and being around a bunch of musicians and playing in the streets and in the different parades and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-andrews/i-started-off-playing-by-ear-and-being-around-a-bunch-of-musicians/) [Troy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-andrews/) > [Greatness is not guarding yourself from people. Greatness is being accepted by the people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/greatness-is-not-guarding-yourself-from-people-greatness-is-being/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [The idea that this world is a playground instead of a battleground has now been accepted in practice by the vast majority of Christians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/the-idea-that-this-world-is-a-playground-instead-of-a-battleground/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [Bruce Katz is a spectacular talent! He's a brilliant composer and arranger who uses uncommon and unique musical intelligence to redefine jazz and blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-coryell/bruce-katz-is-a-spectacular-talent-he-s-a-brilliant-composer-and/) [Larry Coryell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-coryell/) > [wishes for sons by Lucille Clifton i wish them cramps. i wish them a strange town and the last tampon. 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