--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The search for comfort at the expense of…" description: "\"“The search for comfort at the expense of truth has never been a motive for religious belief, since all creeds are chock-full of terrible proposals, wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/sam-harris-457_creeds_the-search-for-comfort-at-the-expense-of_2343230.jpg" --- # The search for comfort at the expense of truth has never… ![“The search for comfort at the expense of truth has never been a motive for religious belief, since all creeds are chock-full of terrible proposals, which are no more comfort to anyone and which the faithful believe despite the pain it causes them, for fear of leaving some dark corner of reality…” quote by Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/sam-harris-457_creeds_the-search-for-comfort-at-the-expense-of_2343230.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/sam-harris-457_creeds_the-search-for-comfort-at-the-expense-of_2343230.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0af/sam-harris-457_creeds_the-search-for-comfort-at-the-expense-of_2343230.jpg) > ““The search for comfort at the expense of truth has never been a motive for religious belief, since all creeds are chock-full of terrible proposals, which are no more comfort to anyone and which the faithful believe despite the pain it causes them, for fear of leaving some dark corner of reality unacknowledged.”” [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prioritizing comfort over truth leads to belief systems that ignore harsh realities, causing pain but persisting due to fear of confronting unknown truths. **In simple terms:** Comfort over truth creates harmful beliefs. Key Takeaway Question truth, even when uncomfortable. Themes religion truth comfort fear belief reality Mood reflective critical serious Type philosophical analytical thought‑provoking When to use this quote - personal crises - political debates - ethical decisions - spiritual searching Key Concepts existentialism cognitive dissonance psychology Questions to Reflect On - What truths are you avoiding? - How does fear shape your beliefs? A Different Perspective Comfort can be a seductive but misleading guide; truth may be painful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creeds/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-belief/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“All of us are tethered to some purpose in life, and therefore we are unable to understand Krishna. 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Miller are doing lasting harm to our discourse by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/there-is-no-question-but-that-nominally-religious-scientists-like/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [We have Christians against Muslims against Jews, and no matter how liberal your theology, merely identifying yourself as a Christian or a Jew lends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-have-christians-against-muslims-against-jews-and-no-matter-how/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“Your principal concern appears to be that the Creator of the universe will take offense at something people do while naked. This prudery of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/your-principal-concern-appears-to-be-that-the-creator-of-the-universe/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“As manuals for contemplative understanding, the Bible and the Koran are worse than useless. 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Only consciousness can know itself—and directly, through first-person experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/but-the-reality-of-consciousness-appears-irreducible-only/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“Whether or not one likes Huntington's formulation, one thing is clear: the evil that has finally reached our shores is not merely the evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/whether-or-not-one-likes-huntington-s-formulation-one-thing-is-clear/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The problem is that religion tends to give people bad reasons to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-problem-is-that-religion-tends-to-give-people-bad-reasons-to-be/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [Muslim moderates, wherever they are, must be given every tool necessary to win a war of ideas with their co-religionists. 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