Fables Quote by Plutarch
““As geographers, Sosius, crowd into the edges of their maps parts of the world which they do not know about, adding notes in the margin to the effect, that beyond this lies nothing but sandy deserts full of wild beasts, unapproachable bogs, Scythian ice, or a frozen sea, so, in this work of mine, in which I have compared the lives of the greatest men with one another, after passing through those periods which probable reasoning can reach to and real history find a footing in, I might very well say of those that are farther off, beyond this there is nothing but prodigies and fictions, the only inhabitants are the poets and inventors of fables; there is no credit, or certainty any farther.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Parallel Lives by Plutarch, c. 100 AD
He warns that unknown territories are filled with imagined dangers, urging humility and reliance on evidence over speculation.
In simple terms: Unknowns often become imagined threats.
Key Takeaway
Seek evidence, avoid speculation.
Themes
knowledge
humility
skepticism
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
historical
When to use this quote
- historical research
- scientific inquiry
- travel planning
- risk assessment
Key Concepts
epistemology
exploration
mythmaking
Questions to Reflect On
- What assumptions limit our understanding?
- How do we balance caution with curiosity?
A Different Perspective
May underestimate genuine unknown risks.
![“No theory is too false, no fable too absurd, no superstition too degrading for acceptance when it has become embedded in common belief. Men will submit themselves to torture and to death, mothers will immolate [burn] their children at the bidding of beliefs they thus accept.” quote by Henry George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/68e/henry-george-8103_absurd_no-theory-is-too-false-no-fable-too-absu_70212.jpg)
![“We are full of dreams [...] We long for the unattainable. We believe in the nonsense of fables. There is no pure love; there is lust and there is need.” quote by David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/af7/david-gemmell-1821_believe_we-are-full-of-dreams-we-long-for-the-un_94239.jpg)
![“[Jorge Luis Borges] had short stories, and I was trying to learn how to write short stories, and then he had these things in the middle that were like fables, and I loved hearing fables.” quote by Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a46/sandra-cisneros-862_borges_jorge-luis-borges-had-short-stories-and_102630.jpg)
