--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There ought not to be anything in the…" description: "\"There ought not to be anything in the whole universe that man can't poke his nose into-that's the way we're built and I assume that there's some reason..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e4/robert-a-heinlein-209_assuming_there-ought-not-to-be-anything-in-the-wh_1370653.jpg" --- # There ought not to be anything in the whole universe that… ![“There ought not to be anything in the whole universe that man can't poke his nose into-that's the way we're built and I assume that there's some reason for that.” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e4/robert-a-heinlein-209_assuming_there-ought-not-to-be-anything-in-the-wh_1370653.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e4/robert-a-heinlein-209_assuming_there-ought-not-to-be-anything-in-the-wh_1370653.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e4/robert-a-heinlein-209_assuming_there-ought-not-to-be-anything-in-the-wh_1370653.jpg) > “There ought not to be anything in the whole universe that man can't poke his nose into-that's the way we're built and I assume that there's some reason for that.” [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human curiosity drives exploration; we are wired to investigate everything around us. **In simple terms:** People naturally explore everything. Key Takeaway Embrace curiosity, but balance with caution. Themes exploration human nature knowledge curiosity limits Mood inquisitive reflective Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - scientific research - travel - learning new skills - investigating mysteries - personal growth Key Concepts philosophy psychology anthropology Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide when to explore and when to respect boundaries? - What are the risks of probing too deeply? A Different Perspective Unchecked curiosity can lead to harmful intrusion or ethical breaches. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Exploration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploration/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) ## Related quotes > [One should not poke their nose into the private life of other persons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dutee-chand/one-should-not-poke-their-nose-into-the-private-life-of-other-persons/) [Dutee Chand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dutee-chand/) > [But does Man have any 'right' to spread through the universe? Man is what he is, a wild animal with the will to survive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/but-does-man-have-any-right-to-spread-through-the-universe-man-is/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [In a relationship I only want 3 things eyes that would cry love that won't die! and nose that won't poke-nose!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkemjika-linus/in-a-relationship-i-only-want-3-things-eyes-that-would-cry-love-that/) [Nkemjika Linus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkemjika-linus/) > [“Buddy, I don't mean to poke my nose in where it don't belong, but that there is a dame to kill for. Why'd you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-miller/buddy-i-don-t-mean-to-poke-my-nose-in-where-it-don-t-belong-but-that/) [Frank Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-miller/) > [I've never been bitten by a shark, though God knows I had to poke a lot of them in the nose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/i-ve-never-been-bitten-by-a-shark-though-god-knows-i-had-to-poke-a/) [Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) > [For me, one of the privileges of being a writer is to poke your nose around and learn about worlds you don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavid-hood/for-me-one-of-the-privileges-of-being-a-writer-is-to-poke-your-nose/) [Gavid Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavid-hood/) > [Nature includes all of the universe and man is not only a part of nature, he is in it up to his neck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-j-berrill/nature-includes-all-of-the-universe-and-man-is-not-only-a-part-of/) N.J. Berrill > [It has been said repeatedly that one can never, try as he will, get around to the front of the universe. Man is destined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/it-has-been-said-repeatedly-that-one-can-never-try-as-he-will-get/) [Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/) > [The universe is not for man alone, but is a theater of evolution for all living beings. Live and let live is its guiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-universe-is-not-for-man-alone-but-is-a-theater-of-evolution-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Knowledge is as infinite as the universe. The man who claims to know all, only reveals to all that he really knows nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/knowledge-is-as-infinite-as-the-universe-the-man-who-claims-to-know/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“WHEN YOU ARE GREATFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE OR RECEIVE, THE UNIVERSE AND YOUR MAN WANT TO GIVE YOU MORE.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-alfiori/when-you-are-greatful-for-what-you-have-or-receive-the-universe-and/) [Linda Alfiori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-alfiori/) > [Woman! woman! What a disturbing element you are in the universe - man's universe!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marah-ellis-ryan/woman-woman-what-a-disturbing-element-you-are-in-the-universe-man-s/) [Marah Ellis Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marah-ellis-ryan/) > [Technology is a way of organizing the universe so that man doesn't have to experience it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/technology-is-a-way-of-organizing-the-universe-so-that-man-doesn-t/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [In the eye of the universe, man is nothing! And man's hardest job is to be able to get rid of this nothingness!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/in-the-eye-of-the-universe-man-is-nothing-and-man-s-hardest-job-is-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Everything in the universe is everything else. A man is a killer is a saint is a monkey is a cockroach is a goldfish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-clevenger/everything-in-the-universe-is-everything-else-a-man-is-a-killer-is-a/) [Craig Clevenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-clevenger/) ## More by Robert A. Heinlein > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ninety percent of all human wisdom is the ability to mind your own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ninety-percent-of-all-human-wisdom-is-the-ability-to-mind-your-own/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [If we blow ourselves up we will do it by misapplication of science; if we manage to keep from blowing ourselves up, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-we-blow-ourselves-up-we-will-do-it-by-misapplication-of-science-if/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/nor-would-anybody-suspect-if-was-one-thing-all-people-took-for/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Women will forgive anything. Otherwise, the race would have died out long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/women-will-forgive-anything-otherwise-the-race-would-have-died-out/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/most-neuroses-and-some-psychoses-can-be-traced-to-the-unnecessary-and/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/no-statement-should-be-believed-because-it-is-made-by-an-authority/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“The instinct to survive is human nature itself, and every aspect of our personalities derives from it. Anything that conflicts with the survival instinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-instinct-to-survive-is-human-nature-itself-and-every-aspect-of/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“I tried to dig out of the computer a call directory for Luna. But it was still sulking. I could not get it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-tried-to-dig-out-of-the-computer-a-call-directory-for-luna-but-it/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“this has more aspects than a cat has hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/this-has-more-aspects-than-a-cat-has-hair/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Never own more than you can carry in both hands at a dead run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/never-own-more-than-you-can-carry-in-both-hands-at-a-dead-run/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“In Wilson's scale of evaluations breakfast rated just after life itself and ahead of the chance of immortality." ~ By His Bootstraps / Robert A. Heinlein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/in-wilson-s-scale-of-evaluations-breakfast-rated-just-after-life/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ignorance-is-curable-stupid-is-forever/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) [Explore all 888 Robert A. Heinlein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More Assuming quotes > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) James T. Conway > [Everyone assumes writers spend their time lounging around, writing and occasionally striking a pose whilst having a think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/everyone-assumes-writers-spend-their-time-lounging-around-writing-and/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [A state of mind is something that one assumes. It cannot be purchased, it must be created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/a-state-of-mind-is-something-that-one-assumes-it-cannot-be-purchased/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [One must believe that every living thing whatsoever must change insensibly in its organization and in its form... One must therefore never expect to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/one-must-believe-that-every-living-thing-whatsoever-must-change/) [Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/) > [I think the biggest problem working with me would be that I'm an only child, and so I have an internal dialogue that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-the-biggest-problem-working-with-me-would-be-that-i-m-an-only/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [It is worth noticing that those who assume an imposing demeanor and seek to pass themselves off for something beyond what they are, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/it-is-worth-noticing-that-those-who-assume-an-imposing-demeanor-and/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) > [People just assume that if you're famous, you're in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/people-just-assume-that-if-you-re-famous-you-re-in-hollywood/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [Humans suffer from self-centred notions as to the nature of life. Humans assume that alien life forms should conform to standards that match our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-perry/humans-suffer-from-self-centred-notions-as-to-the-nature-of-life/) [Steve Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-perry/) > [We can use our art to become political, to become something you want to talk about. We make clothes, but we have the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-rousteing/we-can-use-our-art-to-become-political-to-become-something-you-want/) [Olivier Rousteing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-rousteing/) > [Everyone seems to assume that the unscrupulous parts of journalism will be the frivolous or jocular parts. This is against all ethical experience. Jokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/everyone-seems-to-assume-that-the-unscrupulous-parts-of-journalism/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) Browse all 2,452 Assuming quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There ought not to be anything in the whole universe that man can't poke his nose into-that's the way we're built and I assume that there's some reason for that.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert A. Heinlein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/there-ought-not-to-be-anything-in-the-whole-universe-that-man-can-t/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assuming" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/there-ought-not-to-be-anything-in-the-whole-universe-that-man-can-t/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e4/robert-a-heinlein-209_assuming_there-ought-not-to-be-anything-in-the-wh_1370653.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e4/robert-a-heinlein-209_assuming_there-ought-not-to-be-anything-in-the-wh_1370653.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e4/robert-a-heinlein-209_assuming_there-ought-not-to-be-anything-in-the-wh_1370653.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There ought not to be anything in the whole universe that man can't poke his nose into-that's the way we're…” — Robert A. Heinlein", "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": "Robert A. Heinlein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There ought not to be anything...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/there-ought-not-to-be-anything-in-the-whole-universe-that-man-can-t/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/there-ought-not-to-be-anything-in-the-whole-universe-that-man-can-t/#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 } } ] } ```