--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: However you define God, and whether you…" description: "\"However you define God, and whether you believe in God or not, the world we live in has been shaped by the universal human conviction that there is mor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/211/robert-winston-7323_been_however-you-define-god-and-whether-you-b_258053.jpg" --- # However you define God, and whether you believe in God or… ![“However you define God, and whether you believe in God or not, the world we live in has been shaped by the universal human conviction that there is more to life than life itself; that there is a 'god' shaped hole at the centre of our universe.” quote by Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/211/robert-winston-7323_been_however-you-define-god-and-whether-you-b_258053.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/211/robert-winston-7323_been_however-you-define-god-and-whether-you-b_258053.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/211/robert-winston-7323_been_however-you-define-god-and-whether-you-b_258053.jpg) > “However you define God, and whether you believe in God or not, the world we live in has been shaped by the universal human conviction that there is more to life than life itself; that there is a 'god' shaped hole at the centre of our universe.” [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humans universally sense something beyond material existence, shaping cultures and worldviews regardless of specific belief in a deity. **In simple terms:** People feel life has deeper meaning beyond the physical. Key Takeaway Recognize and respect the search for meaning. Themes meaning existence culture belief spirituality Mood contemplative inquisitive Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - personal crisis - artistic creation - scientific inquiry - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts Humanism transcendence psychology Questions to Reflect On - What drives your sense of purpose? - How do you reconcile scientific views with spiritual longing? A Different Perspective Not everyone experiences this conviction; some view life as purely material. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe in god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-in-god/) [Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life itself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-itself/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [You should always go where there is a 'you-shaped' hole in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/you-should-always-go-where-there-is-a-you-shaped-hole-in-the-world/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [“We have a love-shaped hole within us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vironika-tugaleva/we-have-a-love-shaped-hole-within-us/) [Vironika Tugaleva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vironika-tugaleva/) > [“There is a god in whom I do not believe Yet to this god my love stretches, This god whom I do not believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-smith/there-is-a-god-in-whom-i-do-not-believe-yet-to-this-god-my-love/) [Stevie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-smith/) > [I'm living my life for an audience of one. I live my life to please God. And I believe if He's pleased, that people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-graham-lotz/i-m-living-my-life-for-an-audience-of-one-i-live-my-life-to-please/) [Anne Graham Lotz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-graham-lotz/) > [Well I think fundamentally, what I think surprises me is the creationist movement, and the notion that somehow you can't believe in God if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/well-i-think-fundamentally-what-i-think-surprises-me-is-the/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [The atheist does not say 'there is no God,' but he says 'I know not what you mean by God; I am without idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bradlaugh/the-atheist-does-not-say-there-is-no-god-but-he-says-i-know-not-what/) [Charles Bradlaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bradlaugh/) > [“If any human concious able to define the God then he exactly don't know about the God. If willing to describe then he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-jajal/if-any-human-concious-able-to-define-the-god-then-he-exactly-don-t/) [kunal jajal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-jajal/) > [“To say that some kind of god might exist is to vivify its being with mystery. To define a god into existence because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/to-say-that-some-kind-of-god-might-exist-is-to-vivify-its-being-with/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > [I define God as an energy. A spiritual energy. It has no denomination, it has no judgment, it has an energy that when we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/i-define-god-as-an-energy-a-spiritual-energy-it-has-no-denomination/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [How do I define God? I don't… People who find such conceptions important for themselves have every right to frame them as they like.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/how-do-i-define-god-i-don-t-people-who-find-such-conceptions/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I cannot define for you what God is. I can only say that my work has proved empirically that the pattern of God exists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/i-cannot-define-for-you-what-god-is-i-can-only-say-that-my-work-has/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [I wouldn't even like to begin to define God - I have absolutely no idea. But what I feel, and what touches me, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/i-wouldn-t-even-like-to-begin-to-define-god-i-have-absolutely-no-idea/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [“I came to define God by His handiwork: a craftsman who builds the hope of eternity into our genes, a master electrician and chemist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bradley-hagerty/i-came-to-define-god-by-his-handiwork-a-craftsman-who-builds-the-hope/) [Barbara Bradley Hagerty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bradley-hagerty/) > [We each define our god, and from this definition, we set the criteria for self-love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-taylor/we-each-define-our-god-and-from-this-definition-we-set-the-criteria/) [Jeremy Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-taylor/) > [We grew up going to church, and I believe in God. I don't know that I have the ability to define what or who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/we-grew-up-going-to-church-and-i-believe-in-god-i-don-t-know-that-i/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) ## More by Robert Winston > [Although religion might be useful in developing a solid moral framework - and enforcing it - we can quite easily develop moral intuitions without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/although-religion-might-be-useful-in-developing-a-solid-moral/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [I don't much like being a public figure, because so often how people appear is not how they really are, and I think one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/i-don-t-much-like-being-a-public-figure-because-so-often-how-people/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [Women of child-bearing age steadily run out of eggs by the continuous process of cell death. While reading a copy of the 'Guardian' carefully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/women-of-child-bearing-age-steadily-run-out-of-eggs-by-the-continuous/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [Of course it is a very simple matter to identify genes which might modify intelligence or memory and start thinking about whether you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/of-course-it-is-a-very-simple-matter-to-identify-genes-which-might/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [Following 25 children for the TV series 'Child of Our Time' has been extraordinary. The BBC's original plan was to commemorate the new millennium.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/following-25-children-for-the-tv-series-child-of-our-time-has-been/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [I don't believe in regretting - one should try to move on. My mum was good at that. She was deeply in love with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/i-don-t-believe-in-regretting-one-should-try-to-move-on-my-mum-was/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [I don't think you can impose limits on science because the very nature of homo sapiens is that he - she - is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/i-don-t-think-you-can-impose-limits-on-science-because-the-very/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [When I look in the mirror, I am slightly reminded of self-portraits by Durer and by Rembrandt, because they both show a degree of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/when-i-look-in-the-mirror-i-am-slightly-reminded-of-self-portraits-by/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [Surgeons always underestimate the pain and disability involved in what they do to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/surgeons-always-underestimate-the-pain-and-disability-involved-in/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [Carbon dioxide is unusual because it doesn't go through the usual three phases of matter, from solid to liquid to gas, but it goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/carbon-dioxide-is-unusual-because-it-doesn-t-go-through-the-usual/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [I remember eating in school in the years after the Second World War. Most of my friends had miserable portions of Spam with an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/i-remember-eating-in-school-in-the-years-after-the-second-world-war/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [As parents, can we counter the effect of television violence? One worrying feature in Britain is that so many TV sets are in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/as-parents-can-we-counter-the-effect-of-television-violence-one/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [I'm a traditional Jew with an orthodox background, and it informs much of my approach to science. 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Growing up in the segregated South, it was a very painful experience for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/well-i-ve-been-politically-involved-for-a-really-long-time-growing-up/) [Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. 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