--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think one reason is that philosophers…" description: "\"I think one reason is that philosophers are more insecure to speak accessibly because non-philosophers are skeptical that philosophers have any special..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80b/rebecca-goldstein-4026_attitude_i-think-one-reason-is-that-philosophers_2615638.jpg" --- # I think one reason is that philosophers are more insecure… ![“I think one reason is that philosophers are more insecure to speak accessibly because non-philosophers are skeptical that philosophers have any special expertise. After all, all people - not just philosophers - have attitudes and points of view on various philosophical questions, and they rather…” quote by Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80b/rebecca-goldstein-4026_attitude_i-think-one-reason-is-that-philosophers_2615638.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80b/rebecca-goldstein-4026_attitude_i-think-one-reason-is-that-philosophers_2615638.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80b/rebecca-goldstein-4026_attitude_i-think-one-reason-is-that-philosophers_2615638.jpg) > “I think one reason is that philosophers are more insecure to speak accessibly because non-philosophers are skeptical that philosophers have any special expertise. After all, all people - not just philosophers - have attitudes and points of view on various philosophical questions, and they rather resent being told that there are professionals who can think about these things better.” [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Philosophers may seem inaccessible because they guard expertise, yet everyone holds philosophical views. **In simple terms:** Philosophers seem aloof, but all have opinions. Key Takeaway Make philosophy approachable for everyone. Themes philosophy communication expertise insecurity Mood curious critical Type inspirational educational When to use this quote - Classroom teaching - public talks - media appearances Key Concepts Public philosophy epistemic humility Questions to Reflect On - Why do people distrust expert opinions? - How can experts share knowledge without arrogance? A Different Perspective Specialists may oversimplify complex ideas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Expertise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expertise/) [Insecure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insecure/) [Non Philosophers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/non-philosophers-2066101/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosopher/) [Philosophers Attitudes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophers-attitudes-2066099/) [Philosophers Insecure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophers-insecure-2066097/) [Philosophers Skeptical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophers-skeptical-2066098/) [Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical/) [Philosophical questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical-questions/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Point of view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-of-view/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Resent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resent/) [Skeptical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skeptical/) [Skeptical Philosophers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skeptical-philosophers-2066100/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Special](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Various](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/various/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/) ## Related quotes > [“I had been reading Wittgenstein. There are no philosophical problems, only linguistic misunderstandings. Was this so? If so, why write at such length about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-had-been-reading-wittgenstein-there-are-no-philosophical-problems/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [One of the peculiar features of philosophical questions is how eager people are to offer solutions that miss the point of the questions. 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L. Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-doctorow/) > [There is a worry that many have expressed that, on the naturalistic way of approaching philosophical questions, philosophy will somehow be co-opted by science.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-kornblith/there-is-a-worry-that-many-have-expressed-that-on-the-naturalistic/) [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) > [“So, when I write a piece of fiction I select my characters and settings and so on because they have a bearing, at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/so-when-i-write-a-piece-of-fiction-i-select-my-characters-and/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [I'm not a sociologist, and the novel has often concerned itself with sociology. It's one of the generating forces that's made fiction interesting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lethem/i-m-not-a-sociologist-and-the-novel-has-often-concerned-itself-with/) [Jonathan Lethem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lethem/) > [Philosophical questions and modes of thought just seem natural to me. They mesh with the way my mind works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-scheffler/philosophical-questions-and-modes-of-thought-just-seem-natural-to-me/) [Samuel Scheffler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-scheffler/) > [The plain fact is that there are no conclusions. If we must state a conclusion, it would be that many of the former conclusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-jeans/the-plain-fact-is-that-there-are-no-conclusions-if-we-must-state-a/) [James Jeans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-jeans/) > [If we do get a quantum theory of spacetime, it should answer some of the deepest philosophical questions that we have, like what happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/if-we-do-get-a-quantum-theory-of-spacetime-it-should-answer-some-of/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [Mann was profoundly influenced by two philosophers, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, who returned to the most ancient of all philosophical questions - "How to live?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kitcher/mann-was-profoundly-influenced-by-two-philosophers-schopenhauer-and/) [Philip Kitcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kitcher/) > [Quite early on, and certainly since I started writing, I found that philosophical questions occupied me more than any other kind. I hadn't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/quite-early-on-and-certainly-since-i-started-writing-i-found-that/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Science will always raise philosophical questions like, is any scientific theory or model correct? How do we know? Are unobserved things real? etc. and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-crane/science-will-always-raise-philosophical-questions-like-is-any/) [Tim Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-crane/) ## More by Rebecca Goldstein > [Youth is not an essential, but rather an accidental property. Nobody is in essence young. One either ceases to be or ceases to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/youth-is-not-an-essential-but-rather-an-accidental-property-nobody-is/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [Plato dramatically puts the detachment of the philosopher from his time this way: to philosophize is to prepare to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/plato-dramatically-puts-the-detachment-of-the-philosopher-from-his/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [When you ask why did some particular question occur to a scientist or philosopher for the first time, or why did this particular approach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/when-you-ask-why-did-some-particular-question-occur-to-a-scientist-or/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [“Freedom for me is a pain in the Buridan's ass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/freedom-for-me-is-a-pain-in-the-buridan-s-ass/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [Those who share my heroes are, in the deepest sense, of my own kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/those-who-share-my-heroes-are-in-the-deepest-sense-of-my-own-kind/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [“one evangelical scientist who had felt his doubts falling away from him when he was hiking in the mountains and came upon a frozen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/one-evangelical-scientist-who-had-felt-his-doubts-falling-away-from/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [Because of the failure of religion to offer satisfying answers to an increasing number of people, it's time for philosophy to address forcefully these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/because-of-the-failure-of-religion-to-offer-satisfying-answers-to-an/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [If we look at our attitudes consistently and work out the logical implications we're on the road to moral progress, moral understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/if-we-look-at-our-attitudes-consistently-and-work-out-the-logical/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [We may not need God to tell us where the world came from, but we need God to be able to live moral lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/we-may-not-need-god-to-tell-us-where-the-world-came-from-but-we-need/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [In order to refute a conclusion, you have to put forth the best possible argument for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/in-order-to-refute-a-conclusion-you-have-to-put-forth-the-best/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [Philosophical progress changes what we take to be "intuitively" obvious, and this change covers up the tracks of the laborious arguments that preceded the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/philosophical-progress-changes-what-we-take-to-be-intuitively-obvious/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [What one tries to force into a child against its own nature will never come to good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/what-one-tries-to-force-into-a-child-against-its-own-nature-will/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [Thinking is the soul speaking to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/thinking-is-the-soul-speaking-to-itself/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [What is remarkable about the Greeks - even pre-philosophically - is that despite the salience of religious rituals in their lives, when it came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/what-is-remarkable-about-the-greeks-even-pre-philosophically-is-that/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [In fact, it’s the very impersonality of impersonal knowledge that renders such knowledge the most ethically potent of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/in-fact-it-s-the-very-impersonality-of-impersonal-knowledge-that/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) [Explore all 116 Rebecca Goldstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) ## More Attitude quotes > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/) [Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [Vow to be valiant. Resolve to be radiant. Determine to be dynamic. Strive to be sincere. Aspire to be attuned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/vow-to-be-valiant-resolve-to-be-radiant-determine-to-be-dynamic/) [William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/) > [Don't judge me because I'm stupid. Don't judge me because I'm, mean. Don't judge me because I'm weird. Don't judge me for mistakes. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-harden-me/don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-stupid-don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-mean-don/) [Isaiah Harden (Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-harden-me/) > [Your feelings (mood) dictate your thought, your thought determines your attitude (reactions) and your attitude describes your lifestyle, so: be careful how you feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheye-hassan/your-feelings-mood-dictate-your-thought-your-thought-determines-your/) [Sheye Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheye-hassan/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“Good Seeds! Gratitude is the Greatest Attitude that has no Substitute.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-kelvin-clive/good-seeds-gratitude-is-the-greatest-attitude-that-has-no-substitute/) [Bernard Kelvin Clive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-kelvin-clive/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [One genuine reason to feel jealous of my parents:-) I will never ever have a kid as awesome as their's...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-genuine-reason-to-feel-jealous-of-my-parents-i-will-never-ever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [My attitude it that you don't give in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-taylor/my-attitude-it-that-you-don-t-give-in/) [Phil Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-taylor/) > [Transparency pertains to impartial behavior, implies openness, communication, and accountability. 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