--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I doubt the fact, to begin with, but if…" description: "\"I doubt the fact, to begin with, but if it be so even, what is this but in grand words asking me to believe a thing because I like it.\" — Thomas Huxley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ae/thomas-huxley-1183_asking_i-doubt-the-fact-to-begin-with-but-if-it_1665460.png" --- # I doubt the fact, to begin with, but if it be so even… ![“I doubt the fact, to begin with, but if it be so even, what is this but in grand words asking me to believe a thing because I like it.” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ae/thomas-huxley-1183_asking_i-doubt-the-fact-to-begin-with-but-if-it_1665460.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ae/thomas-huxley-1183_asking_i-doubt-the-fact-to-begin-with-but-if-it_1665460.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ae/thomas-huxley-1183_asking_i-doubt-the-fact-to-begin-with-but-if-it_1665460.png) > “I doubt the fact, to begin with, but if it be so even, what is this but in grand words asking me to believe a thing because I like it.” [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. Skepticism about belief without evidence; questioning grand claims that appeal to emotion. **In simple terms:** Question beliefs lacking evidence. Key Takeaway Base beliefs on evidence, not emotion. Themes skepticism critical thinking faith Mood inquisitive analytical Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - scientific research - media consumption - personal decisions Key Concepts epistemology rationalism Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance emotion and reason? - When is faith appropriate? A Different Perspective May discount intuitive insights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Positive atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-atheism/) ## Related quotes > [I am asking you to believe once again in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-am-asking-you-to-believe-once-again-in-america/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The book Forest Dark wants to provoke questions about what is reality and why are we so given to believe that reality is firm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/the-book-forest-dark-wants-to-provoke-questions-about-what-is-reality/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [“Langdon, I did not ask if you believe what man says about God. I asked if you believed in God. There is a difference.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/langdon-i-did-not-ask-if-you-believe-what-man-says-about-god-i-asked/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [By not asking too much, you can believe in almost anything..like..a starry night in the mountains, or even the existence of fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-friedman/by-not-asking-too-much-you-can-believe-in-almost-anything-like-a/) [Aimee Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-friedman/) > [Instead of asking yourself whether you believe or not, ask yourself whether you have, this day, done one thing because He said, Do it!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/instead-of-asking-yourself-whether-you-believe-or-not-ask-yourself/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“I did not ask if you believe what man says about God. I asked if you believed in God. There is a difference. Holy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/i-did-not-ask-if-you-believe-what-man-says-about-god-i-asked-if-you/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [“Do you like her' ''Of course!' What a question! Like asking her if she believe in God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/do-you-like-her-of-course-what-a-question-like-asking-her-if-she/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [“Christ isn't asking us to believe in our ability to exercise unwavering faith. He is asking us to believe that he is able.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/christ-isn-t-asking-us-to-believe-in-our-ability-to-exercise/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [Do I believe in God? Can't answer, I'm afraid. I'm not being flippant, but I don't understand the question. What is it that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/do-i-believe-in-god-can-t-answer-i-m-afraid-i-m-not-being-flippant/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I'M ASKING YOU TO BELIEVE... not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington... I'm asking you to believe in yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-m-asking-you-to-believe-not-just-in-my-ability-to-bring-about-real-2/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“The people who were behind my abuse were very clever. They had created something which would be so difficult to explain, so difficult to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-matthew/the-people-who-were-behind-my-abuse-were-very-clever-they-had-created/) [Laurie Matthew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-matthew/) > [I believe in only one thing and that thing is human liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/i-believe-in-only-one-thing-and-that-thing-is-human-liberty/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [A man who goes forth to take the life of another whom he does not know must believe only one thing: that by his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yitzhak-shamir/a-man-who-goes-forth-to-take-the-life-of-another-whom-he-does-not/) [Yitzhak Shamir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yitzhak-shamir/) > [Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/whether-you-believe-you-can-do-a-thing-or-not-you-are-right/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [If you believe you can do a thing, you can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-m-bristol/if-you-believe-you-can-do-a-thing-you-can-do-it/) [Claude M. Bristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-m-bristol/) ## 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 Asking quotes > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [And in your new lives you'll have to live entirely for that one sensation-that of imminent truth. And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“Stop asking yourself how or why and tell yourself you can." - Charmainism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-smith-ladd/stop-asking-yourself-how-or-why-and-tell-yourself-you-can-charmainism/) [Charmaine Smith Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-smith-ladd/) > [Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening, asking please, for God's sake, stop sending him signals that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/closing-his-eyes-he-sent-up-a-prayer-to-anyone-who-was-listening/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [People will identify with a persecuted minority without asking themselves what they are identifying with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/people-will-identify-with-a-persecuted-minority-without-asking/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [If you're having a bad day already and everybody is just asking you petty questions, it drives people to the edge, or something really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-weixler/if-you-re-having-a-bad-day-already-and-everybody-is-just-asking-you/) [Jess Weixler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-weixler/) > [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. If it were not so, how could we take it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-never-give-away-your-heart-you-lend-it-from-time-to-time-if-it/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I'm not asking people to feel sorry for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/i-m-not-asking-people-to-feel-sorry-for-me/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-boldness-of-asking-deep-questions-may-require-unforeseen/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [Use Google Before Asking A Stupid Question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muskaan/use-google-before-asking-a-stupid-question/) [Muskaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muskaan/) > [There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' People still ask that. It's like asking: 'Can women breathe in and out?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/there-were-people-asking-can-women-be-funny-people-still-ask-that-it/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [Love cannot be had for the asking; it comes only as a gift from the heart of another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/love-cannot-be-had-for-the-asking-it-comes-only-as-a-gift-from-the/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [“In such a regime, I say you died a good death if your life had inspired someone to come forward and shoot your murdered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/in-such-a-regime-i-say-you-died-a-good-death-if-your-life-had/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) Browse all 3,313 Asking quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I doubt the fact, to begin with, but if it be so even, what is this but in grand words asking me to believe a thing because I like it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Huxley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/i-doubt-the-fact-to-begin-with-but-if-it-be-so-even-what-is-this-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asking" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/i-doubt-the-fact-to-begin-with-but-if-it-be-so-even-what-is-this-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ae/thomas-huxley-1183_asking_i-doubt-the-fact-to-begin-with-but-if-it_1665460.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ae/thomas-huxley-1183_asking_i-doubt-the-fact-to-begin-with-but-if-it_1665460.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ae/thomas-huxley-1183_asking_i-doubt-the-fact-to-begin-with-but-if-it_1665460.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I doubt the fact, to begin with, but if it be so even, what is this but in grand words asking me to believe…” — 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": "I doubt the fact, to begin...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/i-doubt-the-fact-to-begin-with-but-if-it-be-so-even-what-is-this-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/i-doubt-the-fact-to-begin-with-but-if-it-be-so-even-what-is-this-but/#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 } } ] } ```