Ancient Quote by Thomas Paine
“Everything wonderful in appearance has been ascribed to angels, to devils, or to saints. Everything ancient has some legendary tale annexed to it. The common operations of nature have not escaped their practice of corrupting everything.”
About This Quote
Human tendency to attribute extraordinary qualities to supernatural beings and mythic stories, while ordinary natural processes are often seen as corrupting forces.
In simple terms: People mythologize the extraordinary and blame the mundane.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the ordinary in the extraordinary.
Themes
mythmaking
perception
human nature
Mood
reflective
critical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
observational
When to use this quote
- history lessons
- art criticism
- religious discourse
- everyday observations
Key Concepts
anthropomorphism
narrative bias
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we assign divine or demonic origins to impressive things?
- How does this affect our understanding of reality?
A Different Perspective
May overlook the value of natural processes.
