--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The beginning of wisdom is the awareness…" description: "\"The beginning of wisdom is the awareness that there is insufficient evidence that a god or gods have created us and the recognition that we are respons..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/paul-kurtz-19129_able_the-beginning-of-wisdom-is-the-awareness_1708107.jpg" --- # The beginning of wisdom is the awareness that there is… ![“The beginning of wisdom is the awareness that there is insufficient evidence that a god or gods have created us and the recognition that we are responsible in part for our own destiny. Human beings can achieve this good life, but it is by the cultivation of the virtues of intelligence and courage…” quote by Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/paul-kurtz-19129_able_the-beginning-of-wisdom-is-the-awareness_1708107.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/paul-kurtz-19129_able_the-beginning-of-wisdom-is-the-awareness_1708107.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/paul-kurtz-19129_able_the-beginning-of-wisdom-is-the-awareness_1708107.jpg) > “The beginning of wisdom is the awareness that there is insufficient evidence that a god or gods have created us and the recognition that we are responsible in part for our own destiny. Human beings can achieve this good life, but it is by the cultivation of the virtues of intelligence and courage, not faith and obedience, that we will most likely be able to do so.” [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wisdom begins by doubting divine creation and accepting personal responsibility, cultivating intelligence and courage over blind faith. **In simple terms:** Question gods, take responsibility, develop virtues. Key Takeaway Cultivate rational virtues. Themes philosophy ethics secularism Mood thought‑provoking serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - public policy - personal development Key Concepts critical thinking courage intelligence Questions to Reflect On - What virtues guide your life? - How do you balance doubt with meaning? A Different Perspective May conflict with deeply held religious beliefs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Cultivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultivation/) [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) [Good life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-life/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humanist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanist/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Obedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obedience/) [Recognition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recognition/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [Virtues are dispositions not only to act in particular ways, but also to feel in particular ways. To act virtuously is not, as Kant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-macintyre/virtues-are-dispositions-not-only-to-act-in-particular-ways-but-also/) [Alasdair MacIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-macintyre/) > [“The Buddhist precepts are different from the Confucian teachings in the form of expression, but they agree in their warning against the evil and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/the-buddhist-precepts-are-different-from-the-confucian-teachings-in/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [“Wisdom is the awareness and acknowledgement of the gap between life as you perceive, project and wish it to be and life as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-ogunlaru/wisdom-is-the-awareness-and-acknowledgement-of-the-gap-between-life/) [Rasheed Ogunlaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-ogunlaru/) > [“Our mind thinks, and with our heart's wisdom we have the awareness to question those thoughts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-cates/our-mind-thinks-and-with-our-heart-s-wisdom-we-have-the-awareness-to/) [Regina Cates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-cates/) > [It's important that we see clearly with wisdom and awareness, but also take action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-coleman/it-s-important-that-we-see-clearly-with-wisdom-and-awareness-but-also/) [Mark Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-coleman/) > [The beginning of wisdom is a definition of terms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/the-beginning-of-wisdom-is-a-definition-of-terms/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [It's not that there aren't a million other things to learn about God, but He says you've got to start with the fear of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/it-s-not-that-there-aren-t-a-million-other-things-to-learn-about-god/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) > [A wholesome oblivion of one's neighbours is the beginning of wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-le-gallienne/a-wholesome-oblivion-of-one-s-neighbours-is-the-beginning-of-wisdom/) [Richard Le Gallienne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-le-gallienne/) > [“You have your own stories, the dramatic and more ordinary moments where what has gone wrong becomes an opening to more of yourself and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krista-tippett/you-have-your-own-stories-the-dramatic-and-more-ordinary-moments/) [Krista Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krista-tippett/) > [That is the first thing to learn — not to seek. When you seek you are really only window-shopping. The question of whether or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/that-is-the-first-thing-to-learn-not-to-seek-when-you-seek-you-are/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon/the-fear-of-the-lord-is-the-beginning-of-wisdom/) [Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon/) > [“Forgetfulness is the beginning of happiness as fear is the beginning of wisdom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/forgetfulness-is-the-beginning-of-happiness-as-fear-is-the-beginning/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The beginning of all wisdom is to understand that you don't know. To know is the enemy of all learning. To be sure is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-villasenor/the-beginning-of-all-wisdom-is-to-understand-that-you-don-t-know-to/) [Victor Villasenor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-villasenor/) > [“fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;         all those who practice it have  f a good understanding.         His  g praise endures forever!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fear-of-the-lord-is-the-beginning-of-wisdom-all-those-who-practice-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fear can indeed be the beginning of wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ward-baroness-jackson-of-lodsworth/fear-can-indeed-be-the-beginning-of-wisdom/) [Barbara Ward, Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ward-baroness-jackson-of-lodsworth/) ## More by Paul Kurtz > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [The government doesn't have to solve everyone's problem here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/the-government-doesn-t-have-to-solve-everyone-s-problem-here/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [The skeptic has no illusions about life, nor a vain belief in the promise of immortality. Since this life here and now is all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/the-skeptic-has-no-illusions-about-life-nor-a-vain-belief-in-the/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [We need to be skeptical of utopianists who offer unreliable totalistic visions of other worlds and strive to take us there. 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The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/i-believe-that-a-person-should-take-an-affirmative-outlook-there-are/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [Only a fool of a scientist would dismiss the evidence and reports in front of him and substitute his own beliefs in their place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/only-a-fool-of-a-scientist-would-dismiss-the-evidence-and-reports-in/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [Secular humanism does not have the essential attributes of a religion: belief in a deity, the wish for some sort of afterlife, sacred dogma…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/secular-humanism-does-not-have-the-essential-attributes-of-a-religion/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [It is not the courage to be that we must develop as much as the courage to become. We are responsible for our destiny.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/it-is-not-the-courage-to-be-that-we-must-develop-as-much-as-the/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [As I see it, creative achievement is the very heart of the human enterprise... The destiny of man, of all men and of each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/as-i-see-it-creative-achievement-is-the-very-heart-of-the-human/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [Secular humanism proposes ... the complete implementation of the agenda of modernism ... what is necessary for it to occur is a ... New Enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/secular-humanism-proposes-the-complete-implementation-of-the-agenda/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [Three key humanist virtues are courage, cognition, and caring - not dependence, ignorance, or insensitivity to the needs of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/three-key-humanist-virtues-are-courage-cognition-and-caring-not/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [We are not simply intellectual creatures. 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I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. 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