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Truth seekers Quote by Sinclair Lewis

“They decided now, talking it over in their tight little two-and-quarter room flat, that most people who call themselves 'truth seekers' - persons who scurry about chattering of Truth as though it were a tangible seperable thing, like houses or salt or bread - did not so much desire to find Truth…” quote by Sinclair Lewis
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““They decided now, talking it over in their tight little two-and-quarter room flat, that most people who call themselves 'truth seekers' - persons who scurry about chattering of Truth as though it were a tangible seperable thing, like houses or salt or bread - did not so much desire to find Truth as to cure their mental itch. In novels, these truth-seekers quested the 'secret of life' in laboratories which did not seem to be provided wtih Bunsen flames or reagents; or they went, at great expense and much discomfort from hot trains and undesirable snakes, to Himalayan monasteries, to learn from unaseptic sages that the Mind can do all sorts of edifying things if one will but spend thirty or forty years in eating rice and gazing on one's navel. To these high matters Martin responded, 'Rot!' He insisted that there is no Truth but only many truths; that Truth is not a colored bird to be chased among the rocks and captured by its tail, but a skeptical attitude toward life. (260)””

Sinclair Lewis

About This Quote

Source Novel: It Can't Happen Here, 1935

The quote mocks pretentious truth‑seeking, arguing that truth is plural and best approached with skepticism, not dogma.

In simple terms: Truth is many, not a single thing; be skeptical.

Key Takeaway

Embrace questioning over certainty.

Themes

philosophy skepticism truth intellectual humility

Mood

irical thoughtful

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

  • academic debate
  • spiritual quests
  • personal growth
  • literary analysis

Key Concepts

pluralism skeptical attitude relativism

Questions to Reflect On

  • Do you treat truth as a single goal?
  • How does skepticism shape your decisions?
A Different Perspective

It may ignore the value of sincere inquiry.

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