---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In these matters the only certainty is…"
description: "\"In these matters the only certainty is that nothing is certain.\" — Pliny the Elder"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5a/pliny-the-elder-2838_certain_in-these-matters-the-only-certainty-is-t_3233331.png"
---

#  In these matters the only certainty is that nothing is…

![“In these matters the only certainty is that nothing is certain.” quote by Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5a/pliny-the-elder-2838_certain_in-these-matters-the-only-certainty-is-t_3233331.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5a/pliny-the-elder-2838_certain_in-these-matters-the-only-certainty-is-t_3233331.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5a/pliny-the-elder-2838_certain_in-these-matters-the-only-certainty-is-t_3233331.png)

> “In these matters the only certainty is that nothing is certain.”

[Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Uncertainty is the only reliable fact in many situations.

**In simple terms:** Nothing is guaranteed.

Key Takeaway

Accept uncertainty and stay adaptable.

Themes

uncertainty philosophy life knowledge

Mood

thoughtful reflective

Type

aphilosophical observational

When to use this quote

- business planning
- personal relationships
- scientific research
- risk assessment

Key Concepts

epistemology probability humility

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you make decisions when outcomes are unknown?
- What strategies help you cope with unpredictability?

A Different Perspective

certaintycertainty can cause anxiety and paralysis.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/)

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> [I believe that we do not know anything for certain, but everything probably.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiaan-huygens/i-believe-that-we-do-not-know-anything-for-certain-but-everything/)

[Christiaan Huygens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiaan-huygens/)

> [That which is true must always remain true, though the applications may change greatly from generation to generation. It is the absence of such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-which-is-true-must-always-remain-true-though-the-applications/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Living by faith isn't living with certainty. It's trusting God in spite of unanswered questions and unresolved doubts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/living-by-faith-isn-t-living-with-certainty-it-s-trusting-god-in/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [“In this world, what is here is not necessarily here, and what is now may not really be now: place and time are malleable,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amir-aczel/in-this-world-what-is-here-is-not-necessarily-here-and-what-is-now/)

Amir Aczel

> [“Though what could anyone really say these days with one hundred percent certainty?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-risk-hallberg/though-what-could-anyone-really-say-these-days-with-one-hundred/)

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> [Go for broke. Always try and do too much. Dispense with safety nets. Take a deep breath before you begin talking. Aim for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/go-for-broke-always-try-and-do-too-much-dispense-with-safety-nets/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

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[John Allen Paulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-allen-paulos/)

> [Criticism, though dignified from the earliest ages by the labours of men eminent for knowledge and sagacity, has not yet attained the certainty and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/criticism-though-dignified-from-the-earliest-ages-by-the-labours-of/)

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> [ \[I\]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bacon/i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-at-certainty-without-doubt-and/)

[Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bacon/)

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[Bill Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-foster/)

> [Of course I doubt. I do not practice a certainty. I practice a faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/of-course-i-doubt-i-do-not-practice-a-certainty-i-practice-a-faith/)

[Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/)

## More by Pliny the Elder

> [Simple diet is best: for many dishes bring many diseases, and rich sauces are worse than even heaping several meats upon each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/simple-diet-is-best-for-many-dishes-bring-many-diseases-and-rich/)

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> [Amid the sufferings of life on earth, suicide is God's best gift to man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/amid-the-sufferings-of-life-on-earth-suicide-is-god-s-best-gift-to-man/)

[Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/)

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[Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/)

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[Explore all 147 Pliny the Elder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/)

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Browse all 13,673 Certain quotes

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