Argument Quote by Rebecca Goldstein
“What was tortuously secured by complex argument becomes widely shared intuition, so obvious that we forget its provenance. We don’t see it, because we see with it.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Edge of Reason, Rebecca Goldstein, 1997
Complex arguments can become so ingrained that they feel obvious, hiding their origin and making us unaware of the reasoning behind them.
In simple terms: Ideas become hidden when they feel natural.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions behind familiar ideas.
Themes
cognition
perception
knowledge
intuition
Mood
reflective
critical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
analytical
educational
When to use this quote
- academic research
- everyday decision making
- policy analysis
- education
- media consumption
Key Concepts
epistemology
cognitive bias
conceptual blending
Questions to Reflect On
- What beliefs seem self‑evident but lack scrutiny?
- How does hidden provenance affect judgment?
A Different Perspective
Even obvious ideas can be flawed if their foundations are ignored.
![“Be honest: did you actually read [the above geometric proof]? Of course not. Who would want to? The effect of such a production being made over something so simple is to make people doubt their own intuition. Calling into question the obvious by insisting that it be 'rigorously proved' ... is to…” quote by Paul Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e5b/paul-lockhart-18353_geometry_be-honest-did-you-actually-read-the-abov_1114656.jpg)
