--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Gregory of Nyssa said, ‘Ideas create…" description: "\"“Gregory of Nyssa said, ‘Ideas create idols; only wonder leads to knowing.’ ”\" — T.M. Doran" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f8/t-m-doran-68163_creativity_gregory-of-nyssa-said-ideas-create-idols_2531567.jpg" --- # Gregory of Nyssa said, ‘Ideas create idols; only wonder… ![“Gregory of Nyssa said, ‘Ideas create idols; only wonder leads to knowing.’” quote by T.M. Doran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f8/t-m-doran-68163_creativity_gregory-of-nyssa-said-ideas-create-idols_2531567.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f8/t-m-doran-68163_creativity_gregory-of-nyssa-said-ideas-create-idols_2531567.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f8/t-m-doran-68163_creativity_gregory-of-nyssa-said-ideas-create-idols_2531567.jpg) > ““Gregory of Nyssa said, ‘Ideas create idols; only wonder leads to knowing.’ ”” [T.M. Doran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-doran/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ideas become rigid concepts unless curiosity drives deeper understanding. **In simple terms:** Wonder prevents ideas from becoming idols. Key Takeaway Cultivate curiosity over certainty. Themes philosophy knowledge critical thinking creativity Mood reflective inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - research - personal growth - spiritual practice Key Concepts epistemology iconoclasm inquiry Questions to Reflect On - What idols have your ideas become? - How does wonder change your learning? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on wonder may neglect practical application. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Create Idols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create-idols-465507/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gregory/) [Gregory Nyssa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gregory-nyssa-1349367/) [Idols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idols/) [Idols Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idols-wonder-465505/) ## Related quotes > [Concepts create idols; only wonder comprehends anything. People kill one another over idols. Wonder makes us fall to our knees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/concepts-create-idols-only-wonder-comprehends-anything-people-kill/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Concepts create idols; only wonder understands anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-of-nyssa/concepts-create-idols-only-wonder-understands-anything/) [Gregory of Nyssa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-of-nyssa/) > [“Concepts create idols; only wonder grasps anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-of-nyssa/concepts-create-idols-only-wonder-grasps-anything/) [Gregory of Nyssa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-of-nyssa/) > [Concepts create idols of God, of whom only wonder can tell us anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-of-nyssa/concepts-create-idols-of-god-of-whom-only-wonder-can-tell-us-anything/) [Gregory of Nyssa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-of-nyssa/) > [“He squeezed my shoulder and smiled at me. I realized that I hadn't kissed him hello, I always kissed him hello. Of course, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/he-squeezed-my-shoulder-and-smiled-at-me-i-realized-that-i-hadn-t/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [“Miss Gregory took nearly everything . Her clothes. New girls don't have the privilege of wearing their own clothes. Her books. Socrates, Plato, Shakespeare?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-lazear/miss-gregory-took-nearly-everything-her-clothes-new-girls-don-t-have/) [Suzanne Lazear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-lazear/) > [“If I don't try to move, I don't have to find out what parts don't work. Lauren Crowder to Alan Gregory”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-white/if-i-don-t-try-to-move-i-don-t-have-to-find-out-what-parts-don-t-work/) [Stephen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-white/) > [“Judge a man not by his clothes, but by his wife's clothes." -John Gregory”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/botkin/judge-a-man-not-by-his-clothes-but-by-his-wife-s-clothes-john-gregory/) [Botkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/botkin/) > [The problem for me is that I can't ever really see who Gregory is, any more than I can see what a mirror by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-chandler/the-problem-for-me-is-that-i-can-t-ever-really-see-who-gregory-is-any/) [Elizabeth Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-chandler/) > [“Directed By: William Wyler Starring: Gregory”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamerson-inc/directed-by-william-wyler-starring-gregory/) [Jamerson INC](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamerson-inc/) > [“Gregory, o' my word, we'll not carry coals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/gregory-o-my-word-we-ll-not-carry-coals/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Sometimes thought Liir-his first thought in weeks and weeks-sometimes I hate this marvelous land of ours. It's so much like home, and then it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/sometimes-thought-liir-his-first-thought-in-weeks-and-weeks-sometimes/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“To get girls he had figured out that all you had to do was talk little, the bare minimum, and listen much, without ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sveva-casati-modignani/to-get-girls-he-had-figured-out-that-all-you-had-to-do-was-talk/) [Sveva Casati Modignani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sveva-casati-modignani/) > [It was a damned good thing men couldn’t have children. Gregory took no shame in admitting that the human race would have died out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/it-was-a-damned-good-thing-men-couldn-t-have-children-gregory-took-no/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [Gregory Hines was the most talented man I've ever met or seen. Gregory Hines is one of those people that whenever he talked to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-pierce/gregory-hines-was-the-most-talented-man-i-ve-ever-met-or-seen-gregory/) [Wendell Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-pierce/) ## More by T.M. Doran > [“Temerity in the presence of evil is not prudence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-doran/temerity-in-the-presence-of-evil-is-not-prudence/) [T.M. Doran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-doran/) > [“Experience didn't necessarily point one toward true north.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-doran/experience-didn-t-necessarily-point-one-toward-true-north/) [T.M. Doran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-doran/) > [“Stoicism, hedonism, and anarchism are, at their roots, urges for control, for the ‘I’ to dominate the other, if not the world. Dependency on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-doran/stoicism-hedonism-and-anarchism-are-at-their-roots-urges-for-control/) [T.M. Doran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-doran/) [Explore all 4 T.M. Doran quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-doran/) ## More Creativity quotes > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“The Soviet “creative intelligentsia” - that is, people accustomed to thinking one thing, saying another and doing a third - is as a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-amalrik/the-soviet-creative-intelligentsia-that-is-people-accustomed-to/) [Andrei Amalrik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-amalrik/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/a-rock-pile-ceases-to-be-a-rock-pile-the-moment-a-single-man/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [You don't get lucky. You create lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/you-don-t-get-lucky-you-create-lucky/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“You are the end of beauty and creativity one must have created so far.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/you-are-the-end-of-beauty-and-creativity-one-must-have-created-so-far/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Jonah Lehrer is one of the most talented explainers of science that we’ve got. What a pleasure it is to follow his investigation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-foer/jonah-lehrer-is-one-of-the-most-talented-explainers-of-science-that/) [Joshua Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-foer/) > [If you've got creativity, imagination, and intelligence, and you want to be hypnotised, then there's no reason you shouldn't be able to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-barry/if-you-ve-got-creativity-imagination-and-intelligence-and-you-want-to/) [Keith Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-barry/) > [“I believe in magic. As a writer, I create them on blank paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonnia-kemmer/i-believe-in-magic-as-a-writer-i-create-them-on-blank-paper/) [Sonnia Kemmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonnia-kemmer/) > [Creativity is like chasing chickens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-niemann/creativity-is-like-chasing-chickens/) [Christoph Niemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-niemann/) > [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [You always hear actors say, 'Theater is my first love,' and it is. It's a time when you really get to do what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-landecker/you-always-hear-actors-say-theater-is-my-first-love-and-it-is-it-s-a/) [Amy Landecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-landecker/) > [Create an environment for people to fail, to learn, and to grow. Their creativity and productivity will increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/create-an-environment-for-people-to-fail-to-learn-and-to-grow-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 13,625 Creativity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Gregory of Nyssa said, ‘Ideas create idols; only wonder leads to knowing.’ ”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "T.M. 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