--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The matter with human beans,\" the BFG…" description: "\"The matter with human beans,\" the BFG went on, \"is that they is absolutely refusing to believe in anything unless they is actually seeing it right in f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/roald-dahl-899_beans_the-matter-with-human-beans-the-bfg-went_625849.jpg" --- # The matter with human beans," the BFG went on, "is that… ![“The matter with human beans," the BFG went on, "is that they is absolutely refusing to believe in anything unless they is actually seeing it right in front of their own schnozzles.” quote by Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/roald-dahl-899_beans_the-matter-with-human-beans-the-bfg-went_625849.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/roald-dahl-899_beans_the-matter-with-human-beans-the-bfg-went_625849.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/roald-dahl-899_beans_the-matter-with-human-beans-the-bfg-went_625849.jpg) > “The matter with human beans," the BFG went on, "is that they is absolutely refusing to believe in anything unless they is actually seeing it right in front of their own schnozzles.” [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often doubt ideas they cannot see directly, demanding personal evidence before belief. **In simple terms:** People need to see to believe. Key Takeaway Encourage openness to unseen possibilities. Themes skepticism belief perception Mood thoughtful curious Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - education - parenting - leadership - marketing - science communication Key Concepts cognitive bias empiricism Questions to Reflect On - How can you trust ideas without direct evidence? - What benefits arise from believing beyond the visible? A Different Perspective Blind reliance on sight can limit imagination and progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) ## Related quotes > [Well, first of all," said the BFG, "human beans is not really believing in giants, is they? Human beans is not thinking we exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/well-first-of-all-said-the-bfg-human-beans-is-not-really-believing-in/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [A whizzpopper!" cried the BFG, beaming at her. "Us giants is making whizzpoppers all the time! Whizzpopping is a sign of happiness. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/a-whizzpopper-cried-the-bfg-beaming-at-her-us-giants-is-making/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“Giants isn't eating each other either, the BFG said. Nor is giants killing each other. Giants is not very lovely, but they is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/giants-isn-t-eating-each-other-either-the-bfg-said-nor-is-giants/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“Refusing to believe that change can occur at any moment is one of the worst of human failings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-hershkovich/refusing-to-believe-that-change-can-occur-at-any-moment-is-one-of-the/) [Leigh Hershkovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-hershkovich/) > [“Faith is refusing to believe that the degree to which I understand something is the degree to which it exists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/faith-is-refusing-to-believe-that-the-degree-to-which-i-understand/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [Experience has taught me to believe that, these human beans are the most insidious enemies man, with a tendency to corpulence in advanced life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-banting/experience-has-taught-me-to-believe-that-these-human-beans-are-the/) [William Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-banting/) > [A teacher asked her class for sentences using the word beans.. My father grows beans, said one student. My father cooks beans, said another.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butterfly-kisses/a-teacher-asked-her-class-for-sentences-using-the-word-beans-my/) Butterfly\_Kisses > [Human beans are for Borrowers—like bread’s for butter!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norton/human-beans-are-for-borrowers-like-bread-s-for-butter/) [Mary Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norton/) > [You cannot insult a man more atrociously than by refusing to believe he is suffering .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/you-cannot-insult-a-man-more-atrociously-than-by-refusing-to-believe/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [“I don't think human beans are all that bad-" "They're bad and they're good," said Pod; "they're honest and they're artful- it's just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norton/i-don-t-think-human-beans-are-all-that-bad-they-re-bad-and-they-re/) [Mary Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norton/) > [“This much I knew and know: I was making myself hideously uncomfortable by not narrowing my attention to details of life which were immediately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/this-much-i-knew-and-know-i-was-making-myself-hideously-uncomfortable/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [The history of the church has been largely a history of "believers" refusing to believe in the way of the crucified Nazarene and instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/the-history-of-the-church-has-been-largely-a-history-of-believers/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [“You stand a better chance of bringing pretend to life through the power of belief than you stand any chance of erasing what's real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/you-stand-a-better-chance-of-bringing-pretend-to-life-through-the/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“If we allow ourselves to cast aside the unspeakable; refusing to believe in our own capacity for hate, deceit, and destruction, then is there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-macmichael/if-we-allow-ourselves-to-cast-aside-the-unspeakable-refusing-to/) William MacMichael > [“...Borrower's don't steal." "Except from human beings," said the boy. Arrietty burst out laughing; she laughed so much that she had to hide her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norton/borrower-s-don-t-steal-except-from-human-beings-said-the-boy-arrietty/) [Mary Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norton/) ## More by Roald Dahl > [Nowadays you can go anywhere in the world in a few hours, and nothing is fabulous any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/nowadays-you-can-go-anywhere-in-the-world-in-a-few-hours-and-nothing/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [When I walked to school in the mornings I would start out alone but would pick up four other boys along the way. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-i-walked-to-school-in-the-mornings-i-would-start-out-alone-but/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“There's no earthly way of knowing Which direction we are going There's no knowing where we're rowing Or which way the river's flowing Is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/there-s-no-earthly-way-of-knowing-which-direction-we-are-going-there/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“One of the vital things for a writer who’s writing a book, which is a lengthy project and is going to take about a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/one-of-the-vital-things-for-a-writer-who-s-writing-a-book-which-is-a/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“When Bruce Bogtrotter had eaten his way through half of the entire enormous cake, he paused for just a couple of seconds and took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-bruce-bogtrotter-had-eaten-his-way-through-half-of-the-entire/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Eschew all those beastly adjectives...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/eschew-all-those-beastly-adjectives/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Bunkum and tummyrot! You'll never get anywhere if you go about what-iffing like that. Would Columbus have discovered America if he'd said 'What if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/bunkum-and-tummyrot-you-ll-never-get-anywhere-if-you-go-about-what/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [If the Good Lord intended for us to walk, he wouldn't have invented rollar skates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/if-the-good-lord-intended-for-us-to-walk-he-wouldn-t-have-invented/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [The witching hour, somebody had once whispered to her, was a special moment in the middle of the night when every child and every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-witching-hour-somebody-had-once-whispered-to-her-was-a-special/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/those-who-don-t-believe-in-magic-will-never-find-it/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [But there was one other thing that the grown-ups also knew, and it was this: that however small the chance might be of striking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/but-there-was-one-other-thing-that-the-grown-ups-also-knew-and-it-was/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [When writing about oneself, one must strive to be truthful. Truth is more important than modesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-writing-about-oneself-one-must-strive-to-be-truthful-truth-is/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“the world is a scary place for such a small child”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-world-is-a-scary-place-for-such-a-small-child/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [And above all, watch with glittering eyes the world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/and-above-all-watch-with-glittering-eyes-the-world-around-you-because/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“We must hurry!’ said Mr. Wonka. ‘We have so much time and so little to do! No! Wait! Strike that! Reverse it!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/we-must-hurry-said-mr-wonka-we-have-so-much-time-and-so-little-to-do/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) [Explore all 318 Roald Dahl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) ## More Beans quotes > [For Starbucks, there will be no shortage of the highest-quality arabica beans. I suspect that for some others there could potentially be a problem,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/for-starbucks-there-will-be-no-shortage-of-the-highest-quality/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [Every study on chocolate is pointing to the same conclusion: there is something in chocolate that is really good for us. That something is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wolfe/every-study-on-chocolate-is-pointing-to-the-same-conclusion-there-is/) [David Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wolfe/) > [Mine was, as it were, the connecting link between wild and cultivated fields; as some states are civilized, and others half-civilized, and others savage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/mine-was-as-it-were-the-connecting-link-between-wild-and-cultivated/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I like beans. Lentils are beans, right? I love beans and rice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-fielder/i-like-beans-lentils-are-beans-right-i-love-beans-and-rice/) [Prince Fielder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-fielder/) > [Without wanting to claim that I'm really like James Bond I would certainly prefer to be thought of as closer to James Bond than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/without-wanting-to-claim-that-i-m-really-like-james-bond-i-would/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [It is a great delusion to suppose that flesh-meat of any kind is essential to health. Considerably more than three parts of the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-booth/it-is-a-great-delusion-to-suppose-that-flesh-meat-of-any-kind-is/) [Catherine Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-booth/) > [The beanball is one of the meanest things on Earth and no decent fellow would use it. The beanball is a potential murderer. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-johnson/the-beanball-is-one-of-the-meanest-things-on-earth-and-no-decent/) [Walter Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-johnson/) > [For your information, I'm staying like this, and everyone else can just get used to it! If people don't like me the way I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/for-your-information-i-m-staying-like-this-and-everyone-else-can-just/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [I was eating beans by candle light for a decade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-andre/i-was-eating-beans-by-candle-light-for-a-decade/) [Eric Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-andre/) > [ They pick me \[to be tested for steroids\] every time. I don't know why. I don't know if it's because I'm a big guy,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ortiz/they-pick-me-to-be-tested-for-steroids-every-time-i-don-t-know-why-i/) [David Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ortiz/) > [I found myself face to face with a long line of people resembling extras off the set of Night of the Living Dead: shuffling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-frank/i-found-myself-face-to-face-with-a-long-line-of-people-resembling/) [Joan Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-frank/) > [What I really want is to sit next to someone under an L.L. bean blanket on the beach in the fall and drink coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/what-i-really-want-is-to-sit-next-to-someone-under-an-l-l-bean/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [Botanically speaking, tomatoes are the fruit of a vine, just as are cucumbers, squashes, beans and peas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-gray/botanically-speaking-tomatoes-are-the-fruit-of-a-vine-just-as-are/) Horace Gray > [Hunger makes you restless. you dream about food - not just any food, but perfect food, the best food, magical meals, famous and awe-inspiring,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/hunger-makes-you-restless-you-dream-about-food-not-just-any-food-but/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [“Shopping at the Dandelion Co-op made me feel European. Very Audrey Hepburn as Sabrina in Paris (that movie played a few weeks ago in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-genevieve-tucholke/shopping-at-the-dandelion-co-op-made-me-feel-european-very-audrey/) [April Genevieve Tucholke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-genevieve-tucholke/) Browse all 409 Beans quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The matter with human beans,\" the BFG went on, \"is that they is absolutely refusing to believe in anything unless they is actually seeing it right in front of their own schnozzles.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Roald Dahl" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-matter-with-human-beans-the-bfg-went-on-is-that-they-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beans" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-matter-with-human-beans-the-bfg-went-on-is-that-they-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/roald-dahl-899_beans_the-matter-with-human-beans-the-bfg-went_625849.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/roald-dahl-899_beans_the-matter-with-human-beans-the-bfg-went_625849.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/roald-dahl-899_beans_the-matter-with-human-beans-the-bfg-went_625849.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The matter with human beans,\" the BFG went on, \"is that they is absolutely refusing to believe in anything…” — Roald Dahl", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Roald Dahl", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The matter with human beans,\" the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-matter-with-human-beans-the-bfg-went-on-is-that-they-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-matter-with-human-beans-the-bfg-went-on-is-that-they-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```