--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It might be suggested, and not easily…" description: "\"It might be suggested, and not easily disproven that anything, no matter how exotic, can be believed by someone. On the other hand, abstract belief is ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/shirley-jackson-1526_abstract_it-might-be-suggested-and-not-easily-dis_1847837.jpg" --- # It might be suggested, and not easily disproven that… ![“It might be suggested, and not easily disproven that anything, no matter how exotic, can be believed by someone. On the other hand, abstract belief is largely impossible; it is the concrete, the actuality of the cup, the candle, the sacrificial stone, which hardens belief; the statue is nothing…” quote by Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/shirley-jackson-1526_abstract_it-might-be-suggested-and-not-easily-dis_1847837.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/shirley-jackson-1526_abstract_it-might-be-suggested-and-not-easily-dis_1847837.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/shirley-jackson-1526_abstract_it-might-be-suggested-and-not-easily-dis_1847837.jpg) > “It might be suggested, and not easily disproven that anything, no matter how exotic, can be believed by someone. On the other hand, abstract belief is largely impossible; it is the concrete, the actuality of the cup, the candle, the sacrificial stone, which hardens belief; the statue is nothing until it cries, the philosophy is nothing until the philosopher is martyred.” [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Concrete experiences shape belief more than abstract ideas; symbols gain meaning through lived sacrifice **In simple terms:** Belief is stronger when tied to real actions Key Takeaway Ground your beliefs in tangible experiences Themes faith concreteness philosophy Mood analytical contemplative Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - ritual practice - art creation - personal testimony Key Concepts Symbolic meaning existential authenticity Questions to Reflect On - How do you test abstract ideas in life? - When do symbols become powerful for you? A Different Perspective Abstract thought still offers valuable insight ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abstract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) [Abstract Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract-belief-1836132/) [Actuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actuality/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Belief Largely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-largely-2402977/) [Belief Statue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-statue-2402978/) [Candle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candle/) [Concrete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concrete/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Cups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cups/) [Exotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exotic/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Hardens Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardens-belief-1836133/) [Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible/) [Martyred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/martyred/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosopher/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Statues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statues/) [Stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stones/) ## Related quotes > [“The question of belief is a curious one, partaking of the wonders of childhood and the blind hopefulness of the very old; in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/the-question-of-belief-is-a-curious-one-partaking-of-the-wonders-of/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [Martyrdom has always been a proof of the intensity, never of the correctness of a belief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schnitzler/martyrdom-has-always-been-a-proof-of-the-intensity-never-of-the/) [Arthur Schnitzler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schnitzler/) > [“he has martyred me, but for no cause”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-smart/he-has-martyred-me-but-for-no-cause/) [Elizabeth Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-smart/) > [We ourselves were well conversant with war, murder and everything evil, but all of us throughout the whole wide earth have traded in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-martyr/we-ourselves-were-well-conversant-with-war-murder-and-everything-evil/) [Justin Martyr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-martyr/) > [Play the man, Mastre Ridley; we shall this day light such a cndle, by God's grace in England, as I trust shall never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-latimer/play-the-man-mastre-ridley-we-shall-this-day-light-such-a-cndle-by/) [Hugh Latimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-latimer/) > [No human beings are more dangerous than those who have suffered for a belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/no-human-beings-are-more-dangerous-than-those-who-have-suffered-for-a/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [“The Bible also affirms that in the end times God’s people will be martyred by beheading.            “And I saw the souls of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-price/the-bible-also-affirms-that-in-the-end-times-god-s-people-will-be/) [John Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-price/) > [We are not here to triumph by fighting, by strata gem, or by resistance, not to fight with beasts as men. We have fought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/we-are-not-here-to-triumph-by-fighting-by-strata-gem-or-by-resistance/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [Sir Thomas More was a victim of injustice and irony. Generously and meekly, just as he was about to be martyred, he said: Paul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/sir-thomas-more-was-a-victim-of-injustice-and-irony-generously-and/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [If Jesus didn't rise from the dead, an even greater miracle happened: 12 relatively uneducated guys changed the world and were martyred to protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hart/if-jesus-didn-t-rise-from-the-dead-an-even-greater-miracle-happened/) [Mark Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hart/) > [I have been astonished that men could die martyrs for their religion-- I have shuddered at it, I shudder no more. I could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/i-have-been-astonished-that-men-could-die-martyrs-for-their-religion-2/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [The difference between a man who faces death for the sake of an idea and an imitator who goes in search of martyrdom is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/the-difference-between-a-man-who-faces-death-for-the-sake-of-an-idea/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [“Christians are being martyred across the globe at alarmingly increasing rates. The ‘Voices of the Martyrs’ website reveals just how serious this killing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-price/christians-are-being-martyred-across-the-globe-at-alarmingly/) [John Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-price/) > [As her sons have seen her: the mother in patriarchy: controlling, erotic, castrating, heart-suffering, guilt-ridden, and guilt-provoking; a marble brow, a huge breast, an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/as-her-sons-have-seen-her-the-mother-in-patriarchy-controlling-erotic/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [No man dies for what he knows to be true. Men die for what they want to be true, for what some terror in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/no-man-dies-for-what-he-knows-to-be-true-men-die-for-what-they-want/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More by Shirley Jackson > [I can't help it when people are frightened," says Merricat. "I always want to frighten them more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/i-can-t-help-it-when-people-are-frightened-says-merricat-i-always/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [“She could not remember ever being truly happy in her adult life; her years with her mother had been built up devotedly around small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/she-could-not-remember-ever-being-truly-happy-in-her-adult-life-her/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [“Upstairs Margaret said abruptly, 'I suppose it starts to happen first in the suburbs,' and when Brad said, 'What starts to happen?' she said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/upstairs-margaret-said-abruptly-i-suppose-it-starts-to-happen-first/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [“The beautiful clarity of all marked outlines occurred to her--there would be a deep satisfaction in strengthening fences, for instance, going along on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/the-beautiful-clarity-of-all-marked-outlines-occurred-to-her-there/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [“And we held each other in the dark hall and laughed, with the tears running down our cheeks and echoes of our laughter going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/and-we-held-each-other-in-the-dark-hall-and-laughed-with-the-tears/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [“Why do people want to talk to each other? I mean, what are the things people always want to find out about other people?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/why-do-people-want-to-talk-to-each-other-i-mean-what-are-the-things/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/within-walls-continued-upright-bricks-met-neatly-floors-were-firm-and/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [“It was as though the people needed the ugliness of the village, and fed on it. The houses and the stores seemed to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/it-was-as-though-the-people-needed-the-ugliness-of-the-village-and/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [“Eleanor—“I plan to stay up and read for a while.” “Are you still reading Pamela?” Eleanor asked the doctor. “Volume two. I have three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/eleanor-i-plan-to-stay-up-and-read-for-a-while-are-you-still-reading/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [“Is everyone really crazy but me?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/is-everyone-really-crazy-but-me/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [February, when the days of winter seem endless and no amount of wistful recollecting can bring back any air of summer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/february-when-the-days-of-winter-seem-endless-and-no-amount-of/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [“it’s quite a hazard, quite a hazard indeed, people knocking you down. Still, it’s a genuine pleasure to find one as willing as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/it-s-quite-a-hazard-quite-a-hazard-indeed-people-knocking-you-down/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [On the moon we have everything. Lettuce, and pumpkin pie and Amanita phalloides. We have cat-furred plants and horses dancing with their wings. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/on-the-moon-we-have-everything-lettuce-and-pumpkin-pie-and-amanita/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [She walked quickly around her one-room apartment. After more than four years in this one home she knew all its possibilities, how it could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/she-walked-quickly-around-her-one-room-apartment-after-more-than-four/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [I very much dislike writing about myself or my work, and when pressed for autobiographical material can only give a bare chronological outline which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/i-very-much-dislike-writing-about-myself-or-my-work-and-when-pressed/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) [Explore all 224 Shirley Jackson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) ## More Abstract quotes > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wisdom-is-the-abstract-of-the-past-but-beauty-is-the-promise-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Where human eyes have never seen, where human beings have never been, I build a world of abstract dreams, and I wait for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-ra/where-human-eyes-have-never-seen-where-human-beings-have-never-been-i/) [Sun Ra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-ra/) > [A little too abstract, a little too wise, It is time for us to kiss the earth again, It is time to let the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robinson-jeffers/a-little-too-abstract-a-little-too-wise-it-is-time-for-us-to-kiss-the/) [Robinson Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robinson-jeffers/) > [“Happy is very abstract, you can't touch it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-veal/happy-is-very-abstract-you-can-t-touch-it/) [Julius Veal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-veal/) > [Abstract Expressionism was invented by New York drunks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/abstract-expressionism-was-invented-by-new-york-drunks/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [The more horrible this world (as today, for instance), the more abstract our art, whereas a happy world brings forth an art of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-more-horrible-this-world-as-today-for-instance-the-more-abstract/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) > [Describing comic sensibility is near impossible. It's sort of an abstract silliness, that sometimes the joke isn't the star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-carvey/describing-comic-sensibility-is-near-impossible-it-s-sort-of-an/) [Dana Carvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-carvey/) > [For people of color - especially African Americans - the idea that racist cops might frame members of their community is no abstract notion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/for-people-of-color-especially-african-americans-the-idea-that-racist/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [The word of the Lord never comes to us as an opinion, no attempt is made to support it by argument, it comes as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-w-ivins/the-word-of-the-lord-never-comes-to-us-as-an-opinion-no-attempt-is/) [Anthony W. Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-w-ivins/) > [A mobile is an abstract sculpture made chiefly out of sheet metal, steel rods, wire and wood. Some or all of these elements move,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-calder/a-mobile-is-an-abstract-sculpture-made-chiefly-out-of-sheet-metal/) [Alexander Calder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-calder/) > [I'm this superphilosophical kind of person. Stuck in a prison of abstract ideas and overpowering emotions, I have this personality that makes it really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsuo-kirino/i-m-this-superphilosophical-kind-of-person-stuck-in-a-prison-of/) [Natsuo Kirino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsuo-kirino/) > [Future lawyers should be more aware that law is not a system of abstract logic, but the web of arrangements, rooted in history but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/future-lawyers-should-be-more-aware-that-law-is-not-a-system-of/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [The trouble is that when you read criticisms about the other films that I've made you get the impression that they're all about themes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/the-trouble-is-that-when-you-read-criticisms-about-the-other-films/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [Painting is... a richer language than words... Painting operates through signs which are not abstract and incorporeal like words. The signs of painting are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dubuffet/painting-is-a-richer-language-than-words-painting-operates-through/) [Jean Dubuffet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dubuffet/) [Browse all 1,403 Abstract quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It might be suggested, and not easily disproven that anything, no matter how exotic, can be believed by someone. 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