Certainty Quote by Thomas Starr King
“Be sure of the foundation of your life. Know why you live as you do. Be ready to give a reason for it. Do not, in such a matter as life, build an opinion or custom on what you guess is true. Make it a matter of certainty and science.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Address to the California Legislature, 1861
Life’s foundations must be built on certainty and scientific reasoning, not guesswork; one should know and justify one’s purpose.
In simple terms: Base life on proven reasons, not guesses.
Key Takeaway
Seek certainty and rational purpose.
Themes
purpose
science
certainty
philosophy
self‑knowledge
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- career planning
- education
- spiritual practice
- policy making
- personal growth
Key Concepts
epistemology
existential meaning
Questions to Reflect On
- What core purpose guides your life?
- How do you balance certainty with openness to new ideas?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on certainty can stifle creativity and adaptability.
![“[I]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge in mathematics, in so far as disposed through it we are able to reach certainty in other sciences and truth by the exclusion of error.” quote by Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d13/roger-bacon-15067_able_i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-a_24209.jpg)