--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I often think of the different ways…" description: "\"I often think of the different ways Goethe and Darwin got at evolution. Goethe had the poetic conception of it all right; Darwin worked it out step by ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/susan-glaspell-11255_ahead_i-often-think-of-the-different-ways-goet_1090039.jpg" --- # I often think of the different ways Goethe and Darwin got… ![“I often think of the different ways Goethe and Darwin got at evolution. Goethe had the poetic conception of it all right; Darwin worked it out step by step. Who's ahead? And which has any business scoffing at the other?” quote by Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/susan-glaspell-11255_ahead_i-often-think-of-the-different-ways-goet_1090039.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/susan-glaspell-11255_ahead_i-often-think-of-the-different-ways-goet_1090039.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/susan-glaspell-11255_ahead_i-often-think-of-the-different-ways-goet_1090039.jpg) > “I often think of the different ways Goethe and Darwin got at evolution. Goethe had the poetic conception of it all right; Darwin worked it out step by step. Who's ahead? And which has any business scoffing at the other?” [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Poetic intuition and systematic analysis both illuminate evolution, each valuable in its own way. **In simple terms:** Poetry and science both explain evolution. Key Takeaway Respect both intuitive and analytical approaches. Themes science poetry evolution methodology Mood curious balanced Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - education - research - creative writing Key Concepts interdisciplinary insight history of ideas Questions to Reflect On - How can we integrate poetic insight with scientific rigor? - What are the limits of each method? A Different Perspective One may oversimplify complex truths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ahead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ahead/) [Any](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/any/) [Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Conception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conception/) [Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darwin/) [Darwin Worked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darwin-worked-2812391/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different ways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-ways/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Evolution Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution-goethe-2812390/) [Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goethe/) [Goethe Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goethe-darwin-2812389/) [Got](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Often](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/often/) [Other](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/other/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Poetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetic/) [Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right/) [Step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/step/) [Step By Step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/step-by-step/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Ways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ways/) [Ways Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ways-goethe-2812392/) [Which](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/which/) [Worked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worked/) ## Related quotes > [“Goethe, the great nineteenth-century thinker, reportedly summed up, “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/goethe-the-great-nineteenth-century-thinker-reportedly-summed-up-you/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [Ask Jeeves! Who ever used that thing? College freshmen to find out who Goethe was - that's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/ask-jeeves-who-ever-used-that-thing-college-freshmen-to-find-out-who/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [Goethe said there would be little left of him if he were to discard what he owed to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-saunders-cushman/goethe-said-there-would-be-little-left-of-him-if-he-were-to-discard/) [Charlotte Saunders Cushman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-saunders-cushman/) > [“Treat others as if they were what they ought to be and you will help them become what they are capable of becoming.” Goethe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-moore/treat-others-as-if-they-were-what-they-ought-to-be-and-you-will-help/) [Mike Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-moore/) > [“Lo que habéis heredado de vuestros padres, volvedlo a ganar a pulso o no será vuestro”, dice Goethe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-alicia-chavez/lo-que-hab-is-heredado-de-vuestros-padres-volvedlo-a-ganar-a-pulso-o/) [Martha Alicia Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-alicia-chavez/) > [What am I then...? Everything that I have seen, heard, and observed I have collected and exploited. My works have been nourished by countless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/what-am-i-then-everything-that-i-have-seen-heard-and-observed-i-have/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“Goethe had long since remarked that nationalistic feelings ‘are at their strongest and most violent where there is the lowest degree of culture’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/goethe-had-long-since-remarked-that-nationalistic-feelings-are-at/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [“do you know the land where the lemon-trees blossom;where the golden oranges glow in the dark foliage''.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maeve-binchy/do-you-know-the-land-where-the-lemon-trees-blossom-where-the-golden/) [Maeve Binchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maeve-binchy/) > [“Sometimes when reading Goethe I have a paralyzing suspicion that he is trying to be funny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-davenport/sometimes-when-reading-goethe-i-have-a-paralyzing-suspicion-that-he/) [Guy Davenport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-davenport/) > [“It was the period in Germany of Goethe’s highest fame. Notwithstanding his rather condescending attitude towards patriotism he had been adopted as the national…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-somerset-maugham/it-was-the-period-in-germany-of-goethe-s-highest-fame-notwithstanding/) [William Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-somerset-maugham/) > [“We should talk less and draw more. (Goethe)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huxley-aldous-2/we-should-talk-less-and-draw-more-goethe/) [Huxley Aldous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huxley-aldous-2/) > [Goethe tells us in his greatest poem that Faust lost the liberty of his soul when he said to the passing moment, 'Stay, thou…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/goethe-tells-us-in-his-greatest-poem-that-faust-lost-the-liberty-of/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [“Night knew no bounds. Goethe, on a moonlit evening in Naples, was “overwhelmed by a feeling of infinite space.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-roger-ekirch/night-knew-no-bounds-goethe-on-a-moonlit-evening-in-naples-was/) [A. Roger Ekirch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-roger-ekirch/) > [“Someone once told me people write down stories because they would like to forget, and those who read are those who would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zelazny/someone-once-told-me-people-write-down-stories-because-they-would/) [John Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zelazny/) > [I know very well what Goethe meant when he said that he never had a chagrin but he made a poem out of it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-know-very-well-what-goethe-meant-when-he-said-that-he-never-had-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More by Susan Glaspell > [It is through suppression that hells are formed in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/it-is-through-suppression-that-hells-are-formed-in-us/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [Defeat furnishes good material to the poets and the artists, but none of us care to have the glory of the conquered apply to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/defeat-furnishes-good-material-to-the-poets-and-the-artists-but-none/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [Be the most you can be, so life will be more because you were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/be-the-most-you-can-be-so-life-will-be-more-because-you-were/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [Hurts of childhood live on; in one form or other they are there to the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/hurts-of-childhood-live-on-in-one-form-or-other-they-are-there-to-the/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [What men have thought about life in the past is less important than what you feel about it to-day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/what-men-have-thought-about-life-in-the-past-is-less-important-than/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [I live by the sea, but the body of water I have the most feeling about is the Mississippi River, where I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/i-live-by-the-sea-but-the-body-of-water-i-have-the-most-feeling-about/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [But mayn't desertion be a brave thing? A fine thing? To desert a thing we've gone beyond - to have the courage to desert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/but-mayn-t-desertion-be-a-brave-thing-a-fine-thing-to-desert-a-thing/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [They made small effort to cover their raw souls with the mantle of commonplace words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/they-made-small-effort-to-cover-their-raw-souls-with-the-mantle-of/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [What is a clock? Something agreed upon and arbitrarily imposed upon us. Standard time. Not true time. Symbolizing the whole standardization of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/what-is-a-clock-something-agreed-upon-and-arbitrarily-imposed-upon-us/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [Im an American. Weve translated democracy and brotherhood and equality into enterprise and opportunity and success - and thats getting Americanised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/im-an-american-weve-translated-democracy-and-brotherhood-and-equality/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [In writing ... remember that the biggest stories are not written about wars, or about politics, or even murders. The biggest stories are written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/in-writing-remember-that-the-biggest-stories-are-not-written-about/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [We all go through the same things - it's all just a different kind of the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/we-all-go-through-the-same-things-it-s-all-just-a-different-kind-of/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [“Oh, I wish I’d come over here once in a while! That was a crime! That was a crime! Who’s going to punish that?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/oh-i-wish-i-d-come-over-here-once-in-a-while-that-was-a-crime-that/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [That's the worst of a war--you have to go on hearing about it so long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/that-s-the-worst-of-a-war-you-have-to-go-on-hearing-about-it-so-long/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [I go about in the world - free, busy, happy. Among people, I have no time to think of myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/i-go-about-in-the-world-free-busy-happy-among-people-i-have-no-time/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) [Explore all 61 Susan Glaspell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) ## More Ahead quotes > [Anybody who thinks that they should lead the country should go ahead and put their hat in the ring. I am not among them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/anybody-who-thinks-that-they-should-lead-the-country-should-go-ahead/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [If I have a problem with somebody, I go ahead and say what's on my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico-hulkenberg/if-i-have-a-problem-with-somebody-i-go-ahead-and-say-what-s-on-my-mind/) [Nico Hulkenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico-hulkenberg/) > [I once invested in a risky business. Quite a few people warned me not to do so, but I still went ahead and invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautam-rode/i-once-invested-in-a-risky-business-quite-a-few-people-warned-me-not/) [Gautam Rode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautam-rode/) > [“What lies behind us is nothing compared to what lies within us and ahead of us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/what-lies-behind-us-is-nothing-compared-to-what-lies-within-us-and/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [In Life, We May Never Get The Same Opportunity Again, But There's Always Something Better Ahead...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/in-life-we-may-never-get-the-same-opportunity-again-but-there-s/) [Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/) > [Makeup is only fun if it's occasional and capricious - just like it's a treat to have an empty day ahead, but it wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/makeup-is-only-fun-if-it-s-occasional-and-capricious-just-like-it-s-a/) [Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/) > [There is no such thing as disposable time if you want to stay ahead of the game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-such-thing-as-disposable-time-if-you-want-to-stay-ahead/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm the kind of guy who comes home and checks scores for everything. I'm a sports fan in general, so I pretty much keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chadwick-boseman/i-m-the-kind-of-guy-who-comes-home-and-checks-scores-for-everything-i/) [Chadwick Boseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chadwick-boseman/) > [People are flying you places in business class. Everyone wants to take pictures of you and find out information about you. It's a freak-out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolandi-visser/people-are-flying-you-places-in-business-class-everyone-wants-to-take/) [Yolandi Visser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolandi-visser/) > [I wasn't putting my all into it and I was still managing to score goals, and that gave me something to dream about, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gray/i-wasn-t-putting-my-all-into-it-and-i-was-still-managing-to-score/) [Andre Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gray/) > [There's no limit to what you can accomplish, but there's always someone one step ahead of you, so it's a constant uphill battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-mary-stewart/there-s-no-limit-to-what-you-can-accomplish-but-there-s-always/) [Catherine Mary Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-mary-stewart/) > [I was never bothered about my position in the industry. If I had believed in it, I wouldn't have allowed anyone to get ahead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dharmendra/i-was-never-bothered-about-my-position-in-the-industry-if-i-had/) [Dharmendra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dharmendra/) > [I don't want to look too far ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jofra-archer/i-don-t-want-to-look-too-far-ahead/) [Jofra Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jofra-archer/) > [“one who takes the first step always remains one step ahead”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabi-shaheen/one-who-takes-the-first-step-always-remains-one-step-ahead/) [Rabi Shaheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabi-shaheen/) > [I am not interested to sing in Bollywood. I sing for only those actors whom I admire. I sing free of cost for them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-honey-singh/i-am-not-interested-to-sing-in-bollywood-i-sing-for-only-those-actors/) [Yo Yo Honey Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-honey-singh/) [Browse all 1,773 Ahead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ahead/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I often think of the different ways Goethe and Darwin got at evolution. Goethe had the poetic conception of it all right; Darwin worked it out step by step. Who's ahead? And which has any business scoffing at the other?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Susan Glaspell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/i-often-think-of-the-different-ways-goethe-and-darwin-got-at/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ahead" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/i-often-think-of-the-different-ways-goethe-and-darwin-got-at/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/susan-glaspell-11255_ahead_i-often-think-of-the-different-ways-goet_1090039.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/susan-glaspell-11255_ahead_i-often-think-of-the-different-ways-goet_1090039.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/susan-glaspell-11255_ahead_i-often-think-of-the-different-ways-goet_1090039.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I often think of the different ways Goethe and Darwin got at evolution. Goethe had the poetic conception of…” — Susan Glaspell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Susan Glaspell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I often think of the different...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/i-often-think-of-the-different-ways-goethe-and-darwin-got-at/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/i-often-think-of-the-different-ways-goethe-and-darwin-got-at/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```