--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What terrible questions we are learning…" description: "\"What terrible questions we are learning to ask! The former men believed in magic, by which temples, cities, and men were swallowed up, and all trace of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_asks_what-terrible-questions-we-are-learning_741011.jpg" --- # What terrible questions we are learning to ask! The former… ![“What terrible questions we are learning to ask! The former men believed in magic, by which temples, cities, and men were swallowed up, and all trace of them gone. We are coming on the secret of a magic which sweeps out of men's minds all vestige of theism and beliefs which they and their fathers…” quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_asks_what-terrible-questions-we-are-learning_741011.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_asks_what-terrible-questions-we-are-learning_741011.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7d/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_asks_what-terrible-questions-we-are-learning_741011.jpg) > “What terrible questions we are learning to ask! The former men believed in magic, by which temples, cities, and men were swallowed up, and all trace of them gone. We are coming on the secret of a magic which sweeps out of men's minds all vestige of theism and beliefs which they and their fathers held and were framed upon.” [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emerson warns that modern skepticism erodes traditional beliefs, leaving humanity spiritually empty. **In simple terms:** Losing faith empties minds. Key Takeaway Preserve meaningful belief systems. Themes skepticism spirituality tradition Mood reflective concerned Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - education reform - personal reflection - community dialogue Key Concepts nihilism cultural loss intellectual humility Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs still serve humanity? - How to balance doubt and meaning? A Different Perspective Some belief systems can hinder progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Temples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temples/) [Theism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theism/) ## Related quotes > [Don't set out to teach theism from your natural history... You spoil both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/don-t-set-out-to-teach-theism-from-your-natural-history-you-spoil-both/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The secret of the magic of life consists in using action in order to attain non-action. One must not wish to leap over everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lu-yen-hsun/the-secret-of-the-magic-of-life-consists-in-using-action-in-order-to/) [Lu Yen-hsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lu-yen-hsun/) > [“Learning the secret of flight from a bird was a good deal like learning the secret of magic from a magician.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orville-wright/learning-the-secret-of-flight-from-a-bird-was-a-good-deal-like-2/) [Orville Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orville-wright/) > [The syntactical nature of reality, the real secret of magic, is that the world is made of words. 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Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [“For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/for-some-reason-the-back-of-his-neck-prickled-the-very-dust-and/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [The real secret of magic is that the world is made of words, and that if you know the words that the world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-real-secret-of-magic-is-that-the-world-is-made-of-words-and-that/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [“The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/the-very-dust-and-silence-in-here-seemed-to-tingle-with-some-secret/) [J.K. 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A woman's body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/sometimes-by-a-woodland-stream-he-watched-the-water-rush-over-the/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) ## More by Ralph Waldo Emerson > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If we will not interfere with our thought, but will act entirely, or see how the thing stands in God, we know the particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-we-will-not-interfere-with-our-thought-but-will-act-entirely-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. 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