--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He caught a glimpse of that extraordinary…" description: "\"“He caught a glimpse of that extraordinary faculty in man, that strange, altruistic, rare, and obstinate decency which will make writers or scientists ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75d/t-h-white-4461_death_he-caught-a-glimpse-of-that-extraordinar_1440506.png" --- # He caught a glimpse of that extraordinary faculty in man… ![“He caught a glimpse of that extraordinary faculty in man, that strange, altruistic, rare, and obstinate decency which will make writers or scientists maintain their truths at the risk of death. Eppur si muove, Galileo was to say; it moves all the same. They were to be in a position to burn him if…” quote by T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75d/t-h-white-4461_death_he-caught-a-glimpse-of-that-extraordinar_1440506.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75d/t-h-white-4461_death_he-caught-a-glimpse-of-that-extraordinar_1440506.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75d/t-h-white-4461_death_he-caught-a-glimpse-of-that-extraordinar_1440506.png) > ““He caught a glimpse of that extraordinary faculty in man, that strange, altruistic, rare, and obstinate decency which will make writers or scientists maintain their truths at the risk of death. Eppur si muove, Galileo was to say; it moves all the same. They were to be in a position to burn him if he would go on with it, with his preposterous nonsense about the earth moving round the sun, but he was to continue with the sublime assertion because there was something which he valued more than himself. The Truth. To recognize and to acknowledge What Is. That was the thing which man could do, which his English could do, his beloved, his sleeping, his now defenceless English. They might be stupid, ferocious, unpolitical, almost hopeless. But here and there, oh so seldome, oh so rare, oh so glorious, there were those all the same who would face the rack, the executioner, and even utter extinction, in the cause of something greater than themselves. Truth, that strange thing, the jest of Pilate's. Many stupid young men had thought they were dying for it, and many would continue to die for it, perhaps for a thousand years. They did not have to be right about their truth, as Galileo was to be. It was enough that they, the few and martyred, should establish a greatness, a thing above the sum of all they ignorantly had.”” [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote celebrates the rare, stubborn decency that drives individuals to uphold truth even at great personal cost, exemplified by Galileo’s defiance. **In simple terms:** Courageous truth‑seeking despite danger. Key Takeaway Stand for truth, even if it costs you everything. Themes courage truth martyrdom intellectual integrity altruism Mood defiant reflective inspirational Type philosophical historical ethical When to use this quote - scientific dissent - political oppression - personal sacrifice - ethical dilemmas - historical reform Key Concepts philosophy history ethics human nature Questions to Reflect On - What would you risk for a truth you believe in? - How does society reward or punish truth‑tellers? A Different Perspective Truth alone may not change outcomes; societal forces can suppress it. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Galileo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/galileo/) [Galileo Martyred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/galileo-martyred-5153296/) [Galileo Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/galileo-say-5153294/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Muove Galileo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muove-galileo-5153297/) [Optimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimism/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Galileo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-galileo-5153295/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Young men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-men/) ## Related quotes > [“So we may well believe that the King's men were shriven on the night before they fought. 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Eppur si muove, Galileo was to say; it moves all the same. They were to be in a position to burn him if he would go on with it, with his preposterous nonsense about the earth moving round the sun, but he was to continue with the sublime assertion because there was something which he valued more than himself. The Truth. To recognize and to acknowledge What Is. That was the thing which man could do, which his English could do, his beloved, his sleeping, his now defenceless English. They might be stupid, ferocious, unpolitical, almost hopeless. But here and there, oh so seldome, oh so rare, oh so glorious, there were those all the same who would face the rack, the executioner, and even utter extinction, in the cause of something greater than themselves. Truth, that strange thing, the jest of Pilate's. Many stupid young men had thought they were dying for it, and many would continue to die for it, perhaps for a thousand years. 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