--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But as a skeptic I am dubious about…" description: "\"But as a skeptic I am dubious about science as about everything else, unless the scientist is himself a skeptic, and few of them are. The stench of for..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a3/robertson-davies-834_dubious_but-as-a-skeptic-i-am-dubious-about-scie_595910.png" --- # But as a skeptic I am dubious about science as about… ![“But as a skeptic I am dubious about science as about everything else, unless the scientist is himself a skeptic, and few of them are. The stench of formaldehyde may be as potent as the whiff of incense in stimulating a naturally idolatrous understanding.” quote by Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a3/robertson-davies-834_dubious_but-as-a-skeptic-i-am-dubious-about-scie_595910.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a3/robertson-davies-834_dubious_but-as-a-skeptic-i-am-dubious-about-scie_595910.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a3/robertson-davies-834_dubious_but-as-a-skeptic-i-am-dubious-about-scie_595910.png) > “But as a skeptic I am dubious about science as about everything else, unless the scientist is himself a skeptic, and few of them are. The stench of formaldehyde may be as potent as the whiff of incense in stimulating a naturally idolatrous understanding.” [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Skepticism toward science is justified unless the scientist themselves questions their own assumptions, highlighting the difficulty of truly objective inquiry. **In simple terms:** Science is trusted only when its practitioners are also questioning. Key Takeaway Seek evidence and maintain healthy doubt. Themes skepticism science trust objectivity Mood cautious inquisitive Type critical philosophical When to use this quote - academic research - medical diagnostics - policy making - public communication Key Concepts philosophy of science epistemology bias Questions to Reflect On - How do we ensure scientists remain critical of their own work? - What role does humility play in scientific progress? A Different Perspective Even skeptical scientists may still be influenced by prevailing paradigms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist/) [Skeptic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skeptic/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [All philanthropy ... is only a savory fumigation burning at the mouth of a sewer. This incense offering makes the air more endurable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-key/all-philanthropy-is-only-a-savory-fumigation-burning-at-the-mouth-of/) [Ellen Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-key/) > [You might sooner get lightning out of incense smoke than true action or passion out of your modern English religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/you-might-sooner-get-lightning-out-of-incense-smoke-than-true-action/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [“Growing as they did, however, out of the old earth, the flowers still sent a fresh and sweet incense up to their Creator...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/growing-as-they-did-however-out-of-the-old-earth-the-flowers-still/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [If upon this earth we ever have a glimpse of heaven,it is when we pass a home in winter, at night,and through the windows,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-upon-this-earth-we-ever-have-a-glimpse-of-heaven-it-is-when-we/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [There's a little book I'm thinking of writing - "Swan Song" is what I shall call it. The song of the dying. And my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxim-gorky/there-s-a-little-book-i-m-thinking-of-writing-swan-song-is-what-i/) [Maxim Gorky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxim-gorky/) > [The library was a little old shaby place. Francie thought it was beautiful. The feeling she had about it was as good as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/the-library-was-a-little-old-shaby-place-francie-thought-it-was/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“The amount of perfume she had on was like a human sacrifice on Incense Night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-moles/the-amount-of-perfume-she-had-on-was-like-a-human-sacrifice-on/) Stephen Moles > [His smell—the scent of a demon, cinnamon incense, amber musk—wrapped around me, filled my lungs. I felt like I could breathe again, without every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/his-smell-the-scent-of-a-demon-cinnamon-incense-amber-musk-wrapped/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [Alcoholism, the opium habit and tobaccoism are a trio of poison habits which have been weighty handicaps to human progress during the last three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-harvey-kellogg/alcoholism-the-opium-habit-and-tobaccoism-are-a-trio-of-poison-habits/) [John Harvey Kellogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-harvey-kellogg/) > [No ashes are lighter than those of incense, and few things burn out sooner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/no-ashes-are-lighter-than-those-of-incense-and-few-things-burn-out/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [My writing routine is everyday I put a record on, the same one since 20 years. Then I burn a stick of incense, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/my-writing-routine-is-everyday-i-put-a-record-on-the-same-one-since/) [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/) > [It is by far the most elegant worship, hardly excepting the Greek mythology. What with incense, pictures, statues, altars, shrines, relics, and the real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/it-is-by-far-the-most-elegant-worship-hardly-excepting-the-greek/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [As soon as I find myself in the presence of a rich man, I cannot help looking upon him as an exceptional and beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/as-soon-as-i-find-myself-in-the-presence-of-a-rich-man-i-cannot-help/) [Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/) > [The praise of a fool is incense to the wisest of us . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/the-praise-of-a-fool-is-incense-to-the-wisest-of-us/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [I'm in awe of the universe, but I don't necessarily believe there's an intelligence or agent behind it. I do have a passion for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-in-awe-of-the-universe-but-i-don-t-necessarily-believe-there-s-an-2/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) ## More by Robertson Davies > [“...the irrational will have its say, perhaps because 'irrational' is the wrong word for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/the-irrational-will-have-its-say-perhaps-because-irrational-is-the/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [If you're going to do something that looks evil, don't smear it with icing and pretend it's good; just bloody well do it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/if-you-re-going-to-do-something-that-looks-evil-don-t-smear-it-with/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Extraordinary people survive under the most terrible circumstances and they become more extraordinary because of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/extraordinary-people-survive-under-the-most-terrible-circumstances/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Although there may be nothing new under the sun, what is old is new to us and so rich and astonishing that we never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/although-there-may-be-nothing-new-under-the-sun-what-is-old-is-new-to/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [If I had to describe my remarks this evening frankly as if I were in police court and on oath, so to speak I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/if-i-had-to-describe-my-remarks-this-evening-frankly-as-if-i-were-in/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [The people of the United States, perhaps more than any other nation in history, love to abase themselves and proclaim their unworthiness, and seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/the-people-of-the-united-states-perhaps-more-than-any-other-nation-in/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [I don't suppose God laughs at the people who think He doesn't exist. He's above jokes. But the devil isn't. That's one of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/i-don-t-suppose-god-laughs-at-the-people-who-think-he-doesn-t-exist/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Inactivity and deprivation of all accustomed stimulus is not rest; it is a preparation for the tomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/inactivity-and-deprivation-of-all-accustomed-stimulus-is-not-rest-it/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [“My lifelong involvement with Mrs Dempster began at 5:58 o'clock p.m. on 27 December 1908, at which time I was ten years and seven months old.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/my-lifelong-involvement-with-mrs-dempster-began-at-5-58-o-clock-p-m/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [In a government like ours, the Crown is the abiding and unshakable element in government; politicians may come and go, but the Crown remains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/in-a-government-like-ours-the-crown-is-the-abiding-and-unshakable/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [The art of the quoter is to know when to stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/the-art-of-the-quoter-is-to-know-when-to-stop/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [There can be no doubt that Samuel Marchbanks is one of the choice and master spirits of this age. If there were such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/there-can-be-no-doubt-that-samuel-marchbanks-is-one-of-the-choice-and/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Nobody who looks as though he enjoyed life is ever called distinguished, though he is a man in a million.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/nobody-who-looks-as-though-he-enjoyed-life-is-ever-called/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [They're all so highly educated, you know. Education is a great shield against experience. It offers so much, ready-made and all from the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/they-re-all-so-highly-educated-you-know-education-is-a-great-shield/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Students today are a pretty solemn lot. One of the really notable achievements of the twentieth century has been to make the young old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/students-today-are-a-pretty-solemn-lot-one-of-the-really-notable/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) [Explore all 357 Robertson Davies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) ## More Dubious quotes > [It would have been easier to fight alone with inadequate forces than to have to accept...responsibility for our ally's lack of fighting qualities and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-kesselring/it-would-have-been-easier-to-fight-alone-with-inadequate-forces-than/) [Albert Kesselring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-kesselring/) > [The diversity of India cannot thrive on facile attempts to create the homogeneous category of "Indian." Nor can it thrive on dubious attempts to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nyla-ali-khan/the-diversity-of-india-cannot-thrive-on-facile-attempts-to-create-the/) [Nyla Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nyla-ali-khan/) > [Sometimes it's a fraught, kind of laden world of performance that I think can be really dubious, but it's also super fun to almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hecker/sometimes-it-s-a-fraught-kind-of-laden-world-of-performance-that-i/) [Tim Hecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hecker/) > [Man is constantly being assured that he has more power than ever before in history, but his daily experience is one of powerlessness. ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/man-is-constantly-being-assured-that-he-has-more-power-than-ever/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [I’m saying language is a passport. A dubious, dangerous passport too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xiaolu-guo/i-m-saying-language-is-a-passport-a-dubious-dangerous-passport-too/) [Xiaolu Guo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xiaolu-guo/) > [So, Beav, tell me about yourself." "I'm Blue." "Sweetheart, if I had your dubious taste in men, I wouldn't be too happy, either." "My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/so-beav-tell-me-about-yourself-i-m-blue-sweetheart-if-i-had-your/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [Writing is to descend like a miner to the depths of the mine with a lamp on your forehead, a light whose dubious brightness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-cendrars/writing-is-to-descend-like-a-miner-to-the-depths-of-the-mine-with-a/) [Blaise Cendrars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-cendrars/) > [It should seem that Negroes, of all Americans, would be found in the Free-thought fold, since they have suffered more than any other class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-harrison/it-should-seem-that-negroes-of-all-americans-would-be-found-in-the/) Hubert Harrison > [What we really need the poet's and orator's I help to keep alive in us is not, then, the common and gregarious courage which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/what-we-really-need-the-poet-s-and-orator-s-i-help-to-keep-alive-in/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Faculty Psychology is getting to be respectable again after centuries of hanging around with phrenologists and other dubious types. By faculty psychology I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-fodor/faculty-psychology-is-getting-to-be-respectable-again-after-centuries/) [Jerry Fodor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-fodor/) > [“It is of the dubious inevitable side of human nature—like gold teeth and tinned salmon and bastard lacy valentines”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-maclane/it-is-of-the-dubious-inevitable-side-of-human-nature-like-gold-teeth/) [Mary MacLane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-maclane/) > [Wholeness is sort of a dubious concept. Because in terms of the human body and literal wholeness and structures, you think: "here are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/wholeness-is-sort-of-a-dubious-concept-because-in-terms-of-the-human/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) > [You see, my Lord Archbishop, what is "dubious" about my theology is not that it contradicts particular doctrinal teachings, things are much worse or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-drewermann/you-see-my-lord-archbishop-what-is-dubious-about-my-theology-is-not/) [Eugen Drewermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-drewermann/) > [The most universal and effectual way of discovering the true meaning of law, when the words are dubious, is by considering the reason and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blackstone/the-most-universal-and-effectual-way-of-discovering-the-true-meaning/) [William Blackstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blackstone/) > [The dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he’s given the freedom to starve anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-dubious-privilege-of-a-freelance-writer-is-he-s-given-the-freedom/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 172 Dubious quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But as a skeptic I am dubious about science as about everything else, unless the scientist is himself a skeptic, and few of them are. The stench of formaldehyde may be as potent as the whiff of incense in stimulating a naturally idolatrous understanding.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robertson Davies" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/but-as-a-skeptic-i-am-dubious-about-science-as-about-everything-else/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dubious" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/but-as-a-skeptic-i-am-dubious-about-science-as-about-everything-else/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a3/robertson-davies-834_dubious_but-as-a-skeptic-i-am-dubious-about-scie_595910.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a3/robertson-davies-834_dubious_but-as-a-skeptic-i-am-dubious-about-scie_595910.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a3/robertson-davies-834_dubious_but-as-a-skeptic-i-am-dubious-about-scie_595910.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But as a skeptic I am dubious about science as about everything else, unless the scientist is himself a…” — Robertson Davies", "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": "Robertson Davies", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But as a skeptic I am...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/but-as-a-skeptic-i-am-dubious-about-science-as-about-everything-else/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/but-as-a-skeptic-i-am-dubious-about-science-as-about-everything-else/#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 } } ] } ```