--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Democritus sometimes does away with what…" description: "\"Democritus sometimes does away with what appears to the senses, and says that none of these appears according to truth but only according to opinion: t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/sextus-empiricus-45876_atoms_democritus-sometimes-does-away-with-what_2152914.jpg" --- # Democritus sometimes does away with what appears to the… ![“Democritus sometimes does away with what appears to the senses, and says that none of these appears according to truth but only according to opinion: the truth in real things is that there are atoms and void. 'By convention sweet', he says, 'by convention bitter, by convention hot, by convention…” quote by Sextus Empiricus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/sextus-empiricus-45876_atoms_democritus-sometimes-does-away-with-what_2152914.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/sextus-empiricus-45876_atoms_democritus-sometimes-does-away-with-what_2152914.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/sextus-empiricus-45876_atoms_democritus-sometimes-does-away-with-what_2152914.jpg) > “Democritus sometimes does away with what appears to the senses, and says that none of these appears according to truth but only according to opinion: the truth in real things is that there are atoms and void. 'By convention sweet', he says, 'by convention bitter, by convention hot, by convention cold, by convention colour: but in reality atoms and void.'” [Sextus Empiricus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sextus-empiricus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sensory experiences are subjective; true reality consists of atoms and void beyond perception. **In simple terms:** Our senses deceive; reality is atoms and empty space. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about sensory truth. Themes philosophy skepticism metaphysics Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type skeptical philosophical When to use this quote - science education - philosophy classes - critical thinking debates Key Concepts atomism empiricism Questions to Reflect On - What do we accept as true without proof? - How do conventions shape our perception? A Different Perspective Sensory evidence may still be useful despite its limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [According Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/according-truth-2437864/) [Atoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atoms/) [Atoms Void](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atoms-void-1473981/) [Bitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitter/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Colour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colour/) [Conventions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventions/) [Democritus Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democritus-does-4534807/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Hot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hot/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Opinion Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion-truth-1490236/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-things/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Atoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-atoms-2673483/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Senses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senses/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweet/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Void](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/void/) ## Related quotes > [We think there is color, we think there is sweet, we think there is bitter, but in reality there are atoms and a void.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/democritus/we-think-there-is-color-we-think-there-is-sweet-we-think-there-is/) [Democritus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/democritus/) > ['By convention there is color, by convention sweetness, by convention bitterness, but in reality there are atoms and the void,' announced Democritus. The universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-robert-harrison/by-convention-there-is-color-by-convention-sweetness-by-convention/) [Edward Robert Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-robert-harrison/) > [Success is nothing more than living your life according to your own truth and your own terms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/success-is-nothing-more-than-living-your-life-according-to-your-own/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Something might be true while being harmful and dangerous in the highest degree. 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Two opinions are greater than the sum of their parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-jelbert/curiosity-is-critical-to-your-evaluations-and-to-growing-the/) [Will Jelbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-jelbert/) > [Courage means going against majority opinion in the name of the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/courage-means-going-against-majority-opinion-in-the-name-of-the-truth/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) ## More by Sextus Empiricus > [Plato, quite decadently, wore an earring while young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sextus-empiricus/plato-quite-decadently-wore-an-earring-while-young/) [Sextus Empiricus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sextus-empiricus/) > [Scepticism is an ability, or mental attitude, which opposes appearances to judgments in any way whatsoever, with the result that,owing to the equipollence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sextus-empiricus/scepticism-is-an-ability-or-mental-attitude-which-opposes-appearances/) [Sextus Empiricus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sextus-empiricus/) > [To every argument an equal argument is opposed,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sextus-empiricus/to-every-argument-an-equal-argument-is-opposed/) [Sextus Empiricus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sextus-empiricus/) > [The skeptic, being a lover of his kind, desires to cure by speech, as best he can, the self-conceit and rashness of the dogmatists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sextus-empiricus/the-skeptic-being-a-lover-of-his-kind-desires-to-cure-by-speech-as/) [Sextus Empiricus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sextus-empiricus/) > [By skepticism . . . we arrive first at suspension of judgment, and second at freedom from disturbance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sextus-empiricus/by-skepticism-we-arrive-first-at-suspension-of-judgment-and-second-at/) [Sextus Empiricus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sextus-empiricus/) > [The Mode of circular reasoning is the form used when the proof itself which ought to establish the matter of inquiry requires confirmation derived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sextus-empiricus/the-mode-of-circular-reasoning-is-the-form-used-when-the-proof-itself/) [Sextus Empiricus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sextus-empiricus/) > [Skepticism relieved two terrible diseases that afflicted mankind: anxiety and dogmatism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sextus-empiricus/skepticism-relieved-two-terrible-diseases-that-afflicted-mankind/) [Sextus Empiricus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sextus-empiricus/) [Explore all 8 Sextus Empiricus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sextus-empiricus/) ## More Atoms quotes > [If the polymer chain assumes a helicoidal conformation in the crystalline state, and if it does not contain asymmetric carbon atoms, it can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giulio-natta/if-the-polymer-chain-assumes-a-helicoidal-conformation-in-the/) [Giulio Natta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giulio-natta/) > [Physicist Isador Isaac Rabi, who won a Nobel Prize for inventing a technique that permitted scientists to probe the structure of atoms and molecules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-saul-wurman/physicist-isador-isaac-rabi-who-won-a-nobel-prize-for-inventing-a/) [Richard Saul Wurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-saul-wurman/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [A monkey is unaware that atoms exist. 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