--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: From the earliest days of man there has…" description: "\"“From the earliest days of man there has endured the conviction that there is an order of existence which is entirely strange to him. It does indeed se..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/thomas-ligotti-2073_faith_from-the-earliest-days-of-man-there-has_2326877.png" --- # From the earliest days of man there has endured the… ![“From the earliest days of man there has endured the conviction that there is an order of existence which is entirely strange to him. It does indeed seem that the strict order of the visible world is only a semblance, one providing certain gross materials which become the basis for subtle…” quote by Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/thomas-ligotti-2073_faith_from-the-earliest-days-of-man-there-has_2326877.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/thomas-ligotti-2073_faith_from-the-earliest-days-of-man-there-has_2326877.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a9/thomas-ligotti-2073_faith_from-the-earliest-days-of-man-there-has_2326877.png) > ““From the earliest days of man there has endured the conviction that there is an order of existence which is entirely strange to him. It does indeed seem that the strict order of the visible world is only a semblance, one providing certain gross materials which become the basis for subtle improvisations of invisible powers. Hence, it may appear to some that a leafless tree is not a tree but a signpost to another realm; that an old house is not a house but a thing possessing a will of its own; that the dead may throw off that heavy blanket of earth to walk in their sleep, and in ours. And these are merely a few of the infinite variations on the themes of the natural order as it is usually conceived. But is there really a strange world? Of course. Are there, then, two worlds? Not at all. There is only our own world and it alone is alien to us, intrinsically so by virtue of its lack of mysteries. If only it actually were deranged by invisible powers, if only it were susceptible to real strangeness, perhaps it would seem more like a home to us, and less like an empty room filled with the echoes of this dreadful improvising. To think that we might have found comfort in a world suited to our nature, only to end up in one so resoundingly strange!”” [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The world feels alien because we project hidden meanings onto ordinary things, yet the strangeness is inherent in reality itself. **In simple terms:** Reality seems strange because we imagine hidden forces. Key Takeaway Accept the mystery of existence. Themes existential philosophy perception reality illusion Mood thoughtful melancholic curious Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - reading literature - contemplating nature - philosophical discussion - creative writing Key Concepts ontological alienism subjective reality psychological projection Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing inherent strangeness affect your worldview? - Can you find comfort in an unknowable reality? 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