--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Since God is silent, man is his own…" description: "\"Since God is silent, man is his own master; he must live in a disenchanted world, submit everything to criticism, and make his own way.\" — Peter Gay" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c8/peter-gay-30939_criticism_since-god-is-silent-man-is-his-own-maste_559290.png" --- # Since God is silent, man is his own master; he must live… ![“Since God is silent, man is his own master; he must live in a disenchanted world, submit everything to criticism, and make his own way.” quote by Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c8/peter-gay-30939_criticism_since-god-is-silent-man-is-his-own-maste_559290.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c8/peter-gay-30939_criticism_since-god-is-silent-man-is-his-own-maste_559290.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c8/peter-gay-30939_criticism_since-god-is-silent-man-is-his-own-maste_559290.png) > “Since God is silent, man is his own master; he must live in a disenchanted world, submit everything to criticism, and make his own way.” [Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In a silent universe, humans must become self‑governing and critical. **In simple terms:** God silent, so we guide ourselves. Key Takeaway Embrace critical thinking and self‑direction. Themes existentialism secularism self‑mastery Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal ethics - academic research - political activism Key Concepts autonomy criticism disenchantment Questions to Reflect On - What values will you choose to guide you? - How do you handle uncertainty? A Different Perspective May cause existential anxiety without communal support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Disenchanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disenchanted/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortality/) [Silent man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silent-man/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [God is silent. Now if only man would shut up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/god-is-silent-now-if-only-man-would-shut-up/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [“She prays to God, but He's silent. She searches for guidance, but the forest only moans.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-ryan/she-prays-to-god-but-he-s-silent-she-searches-for-guidance-but-the/) [Carrie Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-ryan/) > [“What is such a believer, whose very life depends upon the daily bread of the living Word of God, supposed to do when God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mason/what-is-such-a-believer-whose-very-life-depends-upon-the-daily-bread/) [Mike Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mason/) > [God is not silent. It is the nature of God to speak. The second person of the Holy Trinity is called "The Word." The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-is-not-silent-it-is-the-nature-of-god-to-speak-the-second-person/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [Don't say God is silent when your Bible is closed. Open it and read it. God will speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-cappa/don-t-say-god-is-silent-when-your-bible-is-closed-open-it-and-read-it/) Adam Cappa > [Though there are times when it may seem like God is silent, he is never absent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-houston/though-there-are-times-when-it-may-seem-like-god-is-silent-he-is/) [Brian Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-houston/) > [Virtue is only a conflict by which we get the mastery of our failings; that, by which every man proves his peculiar power of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schleiermacher/virtue-is-only-a-conflict-by-which-we-get-the-mastery-of-our-failings/) [Friedrich Schleiermacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schleiermacher/) > [Without books, God is silent, justice dormant, natural science at a stand, philosophy lame, letters dumb, and all things involved in darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/without-books-god-is-silent-justice-dormant-natural-science-at-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Doth not all nature around me praise God? If I were silent, I should be an exception to the universe. Doth not the thunder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/doth-not-all-nature-around-me-praise-god-if-i-were-silent-i-should-be/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [“Now pay attention to this. God is nameless for no one can either speak of him or know him. Therefore a pagan master says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meister-eckhart/now-pay-attention-to-this-god-is-nameless-for-no-one-can-either-speak/) [Meister Eckhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meister-eckhart/) > [“Sometimes when we’re being tested by discouragement, it seems God is silent. We pray and we don’t hear anything. We read the Scripture and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/sometimes-when-we-re-being-tested-by-discouragement-it-seems-god-is-2/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [“Sometimes when we’re being tested by discouragement, it seems God is silent. We pray and we don’t hear anything. We read the Scripture and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/sometimes-when-we-re-being-tested-by-discouragement-it-seems-god-is/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [The instructor is always silent when the test is given... ...When God is silent in your life... You are being tested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/the-instructor-is-always-silent-when-the-test-is-given-when-god-is/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [God is silent. Everything comes out of silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-meera/god-is-silent-everything-comes-out-of-silence/) [Mother Meera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-meera/) > [“God is often silent when we prefer that he speak and he interrupts us when we prefer that he stay silent. His ways are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-barnes/god-is-often-silent-when-we-prefer-that-he-speak-and-he-interrupts-us/) Craig Barnes ## More by Peter Gay > [“Cotton Mather lusted all his life for the presidency of Harvard, a post his father had held, and which the son affected to despise,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/cotton-mather-lusted-all-his-life-for-the-presidency-of-harvard-a/) [Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) > [And my interest in history was, and remains, very strong: what I wanted was to understand certain things better by understanding them psychoanalytically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/and-my-interest-in-history-was-and-remains-very-strong-what-i-wanted/) [Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) > [Freud, Jung thought, had been a great discoverer of facts about the mind, but far too inclined to leave the solid ground of "critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/freud-jung-thought-had-been-a-great-discoverer-of-facts-about-the/) [Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) > [“The need to live by secure, sharply etched classifications is buried deep in the human mind and one of its earliest demands; simplicity allays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/the-need-to-live-by-secure-sharply-etched-classifications-is-buried/) [Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) > [With the passage of years, not all of Dicken's readers remained infatuated with his pathos. One generation's sublimity became another generation's kitsch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/with-the-passage-of-years-not-all-of-dicken-s-readers-remained/) [Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) > [Every historian has informally an anthropology, without ever using the word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/every-historian-has-informally-an-anthropology-without-ever-using-the/) [Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) > [I decided that what I really wanted to do was to make my writing in history deeper, if that's the right word to use.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/i-decided-that-what-i-really-wanted-to-do-was-to-make-my-writing-in/) [Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) > [The ideas of theologians are refuted by their adversaries, the ideas of scientists are refuted by their followers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/the-ideas-of-theologians-are-refuted-by-their-adversaries-the-ideas/) [Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) > [What interests me, and has always interested me, has been modernism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/what-interests-me-and-has-always-interested-me-has-been-modernism/) [Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) > [To have a liberal temperament is a kind of psychological boon, To be able to understand that someone you disagree with is not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/to-have-a-liberal-temperament-is-a-kind-of-psychological-boon-to-be/) [Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) > [My definition of modernism took a while to develop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/my-definition-of-modernism-took-a-while-to-develop/) [Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) > [I have always had a strong interest in history and finding out about the past can be remarkably helpful with working out the future,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/i-have-always-had-a-strong-interest-in-history-and-finding-out-about/) [Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) > [“While it may be hard to live with generalizations, it is inconceivable to live without them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/while-it-may-be-hard-to-live-with-generalizations-it-is-inconceivable/) [Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) > [People seem to forget that one reason they are now thinking differently is Freud's legacy itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/people-seem-to-forget-that-one-reason-they-are-now-thinking/) [Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) > [There is something very intriguing about, for example, the sense of accomplishment that a small child has, which you might be able to reduce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/there-is-something-very-intriguing-about-for-example-the-sense-of/) [Peter Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) [Explore all 17 Peter Gay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/) ## More Criticism quotes > [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [I receive something we might euphemistically call an 'inappropriately hostile' response - that is to say, more than fair criticism or even fair anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-receive-something-we-might-euphemistically-call-an-inappropriately/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/for-some-reason-we-are-truly-convinced-that-if-we-criticize-ourselves/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. I think people are conditioned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-tyrnauer/i-reject-criticism-because-the-last-thing-i-wanted-was-to-sit-there/) [Matt Tyrnauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-tyrnauer/) > [I'm more comfortable modelling as a man because I don't get any criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rain-dove/i-m-more-comfortable-modelling-as-a-man-because-i-don-t-get-any/) [Rain Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rain-dove/) > [I don't mind positive criticism, but when it is negative and personal, it is quite hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inzamam-ul-haq/i-don-t-mind-positive-criticism-but-when-it-is-negative-and-personal/) [Inzamam-ul-Haq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inzamam-ul-haq/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Everything is allowable in literature, but what is not allowable in criticism is objection on the grounds of probability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/everything-is-allowable-in-literature-but-what-is-not-allowable-in/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [Lots of relationships fail because we spend more time pointing out each other's mistakes and not enough time enjoying each other's company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lots-of-relationships-fail-because-we-spend-more-time-pointing-out/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [No man can be criticised but by a greater than he. Do not, then, read the reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/no-man-can-be-criticised-but-by-a-greater-than-he-do-not-then-read/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [People believe that criticism should be objective, whatever that means, but I really don't understand what people mean by that. I guess if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/people-believe-that-criticism-should-be-objective-whatever-that-means/) [Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/) > [I welcome criticism. I come from a - I wouldn't say mean, but you've got to have tough skin to be in my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saweetie/i-welcome-criticism-i-come-from-a-i-wouldn-t-say-mean-but-you-ve-got/) [Saweetie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saweetie/) > [The good author is he who contemplates without marked joy or excessive sorrow the adventures of his soul amongst criticisms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-good-author-is-he-who-contemplates-without-marked-joy-or/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) [Browse all 3,954 Criticism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Since God is silent, man is his own master; he must live in a disenchanted world, submit everything to criticism, and make his own way.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Gay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/since-god-is-silent-man-is-his-own-master-he-must-live-in-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Criticism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/since-god-is-silent-man-is-his-own-master-he-must-live-in-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c8/peter-gay-30939_criticism_since-god-is-silent-man-is-his-own-maste_559290.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c8/peter-gay-30939_criticism_since-god-is-silent-man-is-his-own-maste_559290.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c8/peter-gay-30939_criticism_since-god-is-silent-man-is-his-own-maste_559290.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Since God is silent, man is his own master; he must live in a disenchanted world, submit everything to…” — Peter Gay", "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": "Peter Gay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Since God is silent, man is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/since-god-is-silent-man-is-his-own-master-he-must-live-in-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gay/since-god-is-silent-man-is-his-own-master-he-must-live-in-a/#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 } } ] } ```