--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man has no reason to be ashamed of…" description: "\"A man has no reason to be ashamed of having an ape for his grandfather. If there were an ancestor whom I should feel shame in recalling it would rather..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/thomas-huxley-1183_acquaintance_a-man-has-no-reason-to-be-ashamed-of-hav_624917.png" --- # A man has no reason to be ashamed of having an ape for his… ![“A man has no reason to be ashamed of having an ape for his grandfather. If there were an ancestor whom I should feel shame in recalling it would rather be a man who plunges into scientific questions with which he has no real acquaintance, only to obscure them by an aimless rhetoric…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/thomas-huxley-1183_acquaintance_a-man-has-no-reason-to-be-ashamed-of-hav_624917.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/thomas-huxley-1183_acquaintance_a-man-has-no-reason-to-be-ashamed-of-hav_624917.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/thomas-huxley-1183_acquaintance_a-man-has-no-reason-to-be-ashamed-of-hav_624917.png) > “A man has no reason to be ashamed of having an ape for his grandfather. If there were an ancestor whom I should feel shame in recalling it would rather be a man who plunges into scientific questions with which he has no real acquaintance, only to obscure them by an aimless rhetoric…” [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Criticizes those who feign expertise without true understanding, preferring honest lineage over pretentious ignorance. **In simple terms:** Don't pretend to know what you don't. Key Takeaway Seek genuine knowledge, avoid empty rhetoric. Themes honesty science humility Mood reflective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - academic presentations - public debates - media interviews - educational settings Key Concepts expertise rhetoric intellectual integrity Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate genuine expertise from pretentiousness? - When is it acceptable to speak on topics outside your field? A Different Perspective May be perceived as elitist or dismissive of non‑experts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acquaintance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquaintance/) [Ancestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) [Apes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apes/) [Ashamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Grandfather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandfather/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Religious prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-prejudice/) [Rhetoric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhetoric/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/) ## Related quotes > [“\[ Responding to the Bishop of Oxford, Samuel Wilberforce's question whether he traced his descent from an ape on his mother's or his father's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/responding-to-the-bishop-of-oxford-samuel-wilberforce-s-question/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [If then, said I, the question is put to me would I rather have a miserable ape for a grandfather or a man highly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/if-then-said-i-the-question-is-put-to-me-would-i-rather-have-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [I wear my lines like a soldier wears his medals. They've been earned. They've been fought for - so there's no reason to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherie-lunghi/i-wear-my-lines-like-a-soldier-wears-his-medals-they-ve-been-earned/) [Cherie Lunghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherie-lunghi/) > [“Society conspires against her from early infancy. Her brain is steadily filled with plaster until it sets: ‘If you’re not married by the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelie-nothomb/society-conspires-against-her-from-early-infancy-her-brain-is/) [Amélie Nothomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelie-nothomb/) > [“Have you not reason then to be ashamed and to forbear this filthy novelty, so basely grounded, so foolishly received and so grossly mistaken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/have-you-not-reason-then-to-be-ashamed-and-to-forbear-this-filthy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is no reason to be ashamed of who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-gold/there-is-no-reason-to-be-ashamed-of-who-you-are/) [Judy Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-gold/) > [There's no reason to be ashamed of feeling good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martine-syms/there-s-no-reason-to-be-ashamed-of-feeling-good/) [Martine Syms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martine-syms/) > [One of the genuine phenomenons over the past four decades has been the liberal community's steadfast insistence that God should be barred from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armstrong-williams/one-of-the-genuine-phenomenons-over-the-past-four-decades-has-been/) [Armstrong Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armstrong-williams/) > [What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world void of national bias, race hate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carter-g-woodson/what-we-need-is-not-a-history-of-selected-races-or-nations-but-the/) [Carter G. Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carter-g-woodson/) > [Use their tactics if you feel strongly enough. Make a nuisance of yourself. Make an official complaint. Take it to a tribunal. As an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-condell/use-their-tactics-if-you-feel-strongly-enough-make-a-nuisance-of/) [Pat Condell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-condell/) > [We should emphasize not Negro History, but the Negro in history. What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carter-g-woodson/we-should-emphasize-not-negro-history-but-the-negro-in-history-what-2/) [Carter G. Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carter-g-woodson/) > [“They began by controlling books of cartoons and then detective books and, of course, films, one way or another, one group or another, political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/they-began-by-controlling-books-of-cartoons-and-then-detective-books/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Philosophy means the complete liberty of the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/philosophy-means-the-complete-liberty-of-the-mind/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The valuable library of Alexandria was pillaged or destroyed; and near twenty years afterwards, the appearance of the empty shelves excited the regret and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-valuable-library-of-alexandria-was-pillaged-or-destroyed-and-near/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [ Don't liken me to that \[SOB\]. Anybody that lets his public policies be mixed up with religious prejudice is a plain \[GD\] fool. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-long/don-t-liken-me-to-that-sob-anybody-that-lets-his-public-policies-be/) [Huey Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-long/) ## More by Thomas Huxley > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [There is nothing of permanent value (putting aside a few human affections) nothing that satisfies quiet reflection--except the sense of having worked according to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/there-is-nothing-of-permanent-value-putting-aside-a-few-human/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Economy does not lie in sparing money, but in spending it wisely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/economy-does-not-lie-in-sparing-money-but-in-spending-it-wisely/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [It is not to be forgotten that what we call rational grounds for our beliefs are often extremely irrational attempts to justify our instincts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/it-is-not-to-be-forgotten-that-what-we-call-rational-grounds-for-our/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Only a scientific people can survive in a scientific future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/only-a-scientific-people-can-survive-in-a-scientific-future/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Our reverence for the nobility of manhood will not be lessened by the knowledge that man is in substance and in structure, one with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/our-reverence-for-the-nobility-of-manhood-will-not-be-lessened-by-the/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [In science, as in art, and, as I believe, in every other sphere of human activity, there may be wisdom in a multitude of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/in-science-as-in-art-and-as-i-believe-in-every-other-sphere-of-human/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Science is simply common sense at its best, that is, rigidly accurate in observation, and merciless to fallacy in logic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/science-is-simply-common-sense-at-its-best-that-is-rigidly-accurate/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Oh devil! truth is better than much profit. I have searched over the grounds of my belief, and if wife and child and name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/oh-devil-truth-is-better-than-much-profit-i-have-searched-over-the/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Let us have "sweet girl graduates" by all means. They will be none the less sweet for a little wisdom; and the "golden hair"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/let-us-have-sweet-girl-graduates-by-all-means-they-will-be-none-the/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [In matters of the intellect, do not pretend that conclusions are certain which are not demonstrated or demonstrable. That I take to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/in-matters-of-the-intellect-do-not-pretend-that-conclusions-are/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [And you very soon find out, if you have not found it out before, that patience and tenacity of purpose are worth more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/and-you-very-soon-find-out-if-you-have-not-found-it-out-before-that/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [No one who has lived in the world as long as you & I have, can entertain the pious delusion that it is engineered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/no-one-who-has-lived-in-the-world-as-long-as-you-i-have-can-entertain/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Mix salt and sand, and it shall puzzle the wisest of men, with his mere natural appliances, to separate all the grains of sand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/mix-salt-and-sand-and-it-shall-puzzle-the-wisest-of-men-with-his-mere/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [What are the moral convictions most fondly held by barbarous and semi-barbarous people? They are the convictions that authority is the soundest basis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/what-are-the-moral-convictions-most-fondly-held-by-barbarous-and-semi/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) [Explore all 278 Thomas Huxley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) ## More Acquaintance quotes > [Distrust all those who love you extremely upon a very slight acquaintance and without any visible reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distrust-all-those-who-love-you-extremely-upon-a-very-slight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Be much alone with God, and take time to get thoroughly acquainted. Converse over everything with Him. Unburden yourself wholly -every thought, feeling, wish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horatius-bonar/be-much-alone-with-god-and-take-time-to-get-thoroughly-acquainted/) [Horatius Bonar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horatius-bonar/) > [The study of history and philosophy, accompanied by some acquaintance with art and literature, should be for lawyers and engineers as well as for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/the-study-of-history-and-philosophy-accompanied-by-some-acquaintance/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [The love of new acquaintance comes not so much from being weary of what we had before, or from any satisfaction there is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-love-of-new-acquaintance-comes-not-so-much-from-being-weary-of/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [One frequently only finds out how really beautiful a women is, until after considerable acquaintance with her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/one-frequently-only-finds-out-how-really-beautiful-a-women-is-until/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“I'd rather be a nodding acquaintance, than a bobble head”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-stern/i-d-rather-be-a-nodding-acquaintance-than-a-bobble-head/) [Josh Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-stern/) > [In addition to my other numerous acquaintances, I have one more intimate confidant… My depression is the most faithful mistress I have known —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/in-addition-to-my-other-numerous-acquaintances-i-have-one-more/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [God is a spirit. Jesus was led up of the Spirit to be tempted of the Devil; and it is also true that spirits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bradlaugh/god-is-a-spirit-jesus-was-led-up-of-the-spirit-to-be-tempted-of-the/) [Charles Bradlaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bradlaugh/) > [ \[On an anarchist acquaintance:\] Everything in appearance the most alarmist aunt could wish. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-townsend-warner/on-an-anarchist-acquaintance-everything-in-appearance-the-most/) [Sylvia Townsend Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-townsend-warner/) > [There is no such thing as educational value in the abstract. The notion that some subjects and methods and that acquaintance with certain facts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/there-is-no-such-thing-as-educational-value-in-the-abstract-the/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [ \[Books\] will visit you at your convenience, whether you are lonesome or not, on rainy days or fair. They propose themselves as either transient… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/books-will-visit-you-at-your-convenience-whether-you-are-lonesome-or/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [I'm not dating Prateik; he is just a good acquaintance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amyra-dastur/i-m-not-dating-prateik-he-is-just-a-good-acquaintance/) [Amyra Dastur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amyra-dastur/) > [Moderation is the inseparable companion of wisdom, but with it genius has not even a nodding acquaintance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/moderation-is-the-inseparable-companion-of-wisdom-but-with-it-genius/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [The greatest embarrassment of my political career has been that active duties seem to deprive me of time for careful investigation. I seem almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/the-greatest-embarrassment-of-my-political-career-has-been-that/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [A woman who can't forgive should never have more than a nodding acquaintance with a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-woman-who-can-t-forgive-should-never-have-more-than-a-nodding/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 484 Acquaintance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquaintance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man has no reason to be ashamed of having an ape for his grandfather. If there were an ancestor whom I should feel shame in recalling it would rather be a man who plunges into scientific questions with which he has no real acquaintance, only to obscure them by an aimless rhetoric…", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Huxley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/a-man-has-no-reason-to-be-ashamed-of-having-an-ape-for-his/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acquaintance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/a-man-has-no-reason-to-be-ashamed-of-having-an-ape-for-his/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/thomas-huxley-1183_acquaintance_a-man-has-no-reason-to-be-ashamed-of-hav_624917.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/thomas-huxley-1183_acquaintance_a-man-has-no-reason-to-be-ashamed-of-hav_624917.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/thomas-huxley-1183_acquaintance_a-man-has-no-reason-to-be-ashamed-of-hav_624917.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man has no reason to be ashamed of having an ape for his grandfather. If there were an ancestor whom I…” — Thomas Huxley", "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": "Thomas Huxley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man has no reason to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/a-man-has-no-reason-to-be-ashamed-of-having-an-ape-for-his/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/a-man-has-no-reason-to-be-ashamed-of-having-an-ape-for-his/#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 } } ] } ```