Good thing Quote by Sam Harris
““Finding ourselves in a universe that seems bent on destroying us, we quickly discover, both as individuals and as societies, that it is a good thing to understand the forces arrayed against us. And so it is that every human being comes to desire genuine knowledge about the world. This has always posed a special problem for religion, because every religion preaches the truth of propositions for which it has no evidence. In facet, every religion preaches the truth of propositions for which no evidence is even conceivable.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The End of Faith, Sam Harris, 2004
Understanding hostile forces drives humanity to seek genuine knowledge, challenging religions that claim truth without evidence.
In simple terms: We seek knowledge because the world seems hostile, questioning faith without proof.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions and seek evidence.
Themes
knowledge
skepticism
religion
human nature
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- personal reflection
- policy making
- education
- public discourse
Key Concepts
epistemology
existential risk
faith critique
Questions to Reflect On
- How does confronting hostility shape our quest for truth?
- Can faith and evidence coexist?
A Different Perspective
Religions may offer comfort that pure skepticism lacks.
![“How is it that, in this one area of our lives [religion], we have convinced ourselves that our beliefs about the world can float entirely free of reason and evidence?” quote by Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8de/sam-harris-457_faith_how-is-it-that-in-this-one-area-of-our-l_1600361.jpg)
![“Moderates in every faith are obliged to loosely interpret (or simply ignore) much of their canons in the interests of living in the modern world. [...] The first thing to observe about the moderate’s retreat from scriptural literalism is that it draws its inspiration not from scripture but from…” quote by Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b44/sam-harris-457_bible_moderates-in-every-faith-are-obliged-to_6967.jpg)
