--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A belief may be larger than a fact. A…" description: "\"A belief may be larger than a fact. A faith that is overdefined is the very faith most likely to prove inadequate to the great moments of life.\" — Vann..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bb/vannevar-bush-16927_belief_a-belief-may-be-larger-than-a-fact-a-fai_3158214.jpg" --- # A belief may be larger than a fact. A faith that is… ![“A belief may be larger than a fact. A faith that is overdefined is the very faith most likely to prove inadequate to the great moments of life.” quote by Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bb/vannevar-bush-16927_belief_a-belief-may-be-larger-than-a-fact-a-fai_3158214.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bb/vannevar-bush-16927_belief_a-belief-may-be-larger-than-a-fact-a-fai_3158214.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bb/vannevar-bush-16927_belief_a-belief-may-be-larger-than-a-fact-a-fai_3158214.jpg) > “A belief may be larger than a fact. A faith that is overdefined is the very faith most likely to prove inadequate to the great moments of life.” [Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ideas that exceed factual limits can become too rigid, failing when faced with life's profound challenges. **In simple terms:** Overly rigid beliefs may falter in great moments. Key Takeaway Stay flexible in belief systems. Themes philosophy faith rigidity Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal crises - scientific research - ethical dilemmas - spiritual quests Key Concepts epistemology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs have you outgrown? - How can flexibility improve decision‑making? A Different Perspective Rigid doctrines can limit adaptability and growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Great moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-moments/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Moments of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments-of-life/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [A belief may be larger than a fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannevar-bush/a-belief-may-be-larger-than-a-fact/) [Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) > [The great moments of life are but moments like the others. Your doom is spoken in a word or two. A single look from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/the-great-moments-of-life-are-but-moments-like-the-others-your-doom/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Most of life is hell. It’s filed with failure and loss. People disappoint you. Dreams don’t work out. Hearts get broken. Innocent journalists die.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigourney-weaver/most-of-life-is-hell-it-s-filed-with-failure-and-loss-people/) [Sigourney Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigourney-weaver/) > [One must conclude that, contrary to the established and current wisdom, a scenario describing the genesis of life on earth by chance and natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-yockey/one-must-conclude-that-contrary-to-the-established-and-current-wisdom/) Hubert Yockey > [“Stick with it in faith my friend, Don't Quit! Help is being sent of God, and will appear at the very moment you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-d-longoria-jr/stick-with-it-in-faith-my-friend-don-t-quit-help-is-being-sent-of-god/) [Raymond D. Longoria Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-d-longoria-jr/) > [What does it mean to believe rather than to know? To surrender to something that's not fact but faith?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/what-does-it-mean-to-believe-rather-than-to-know-to-surrender-to/) [Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/) > [The problem is that people think faith is something to be admired. In fact, faith means you believe in something for which you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-j-stenger/the-problem-is-that-people-think-faith-is-something-to-be-admired-in/) [Victor J. Stenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-j-stenger/) > [“The fact that faith has motivated many people to do good things does not suggest that faith is itself a necessary (or even a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-fact-that-faith-has-motivated-many-people-to-do-good-things-does/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [Of all the arts the living of a life is perhaps the greatest; to live every moment of life with the same imaginative commitment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-raine/of-all-the-arts-the-living-of-a-life-is-perhaps-the-greatest-to-live/) [Kathleen Raine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-raine/) > [ Every moment of life is a step toward the grave. \[Fr., Chaque instant de la vie est un pas vers la mort.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prosper-jolyot-de-crebillon/every-moment-of-life-is-a-step-toward-the-grave-fr-chaque-instant-de/) Prosper Jolyot de Crebillon > [Give up money, give up fame, give up science, give the earth itself and all it contains rather than do an immoral act. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/give-up-money-give-up-fame-give-up-science-give-the-earth-itself-and-2/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [So often the most meaningful moments in our lives are those that we share with our families. Treasured memories are created by celebrating, sharing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-magsamen/so-often-the-most-meaningful-moments-in-our-lives-are-those-that-we/) [Sandra Magsamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-magsamen/) > [Your every breath of life is so precious, so don't waste any moment of life while sitting idol.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wiz-khalifa/your-every-breath-of-life-is-so-precious-so-don-t-waste-any-moment-of/) [Wiz Khalifa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wiz-khalifa/) > [The test of a man’s religious life and character is not what he does in the exceptional moments of life, but what he does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-test-of-a-man-s-religious-life-and-character-is-not-what-he-does/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Give up money, give up fame, give up science, give the earth itself and all it contains rather than do an immoral act. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/give-up-money-give-up-fame-give-up-science-give-the-earth-itself-and/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More by Vannevar Bush > [The camera hound of the future wears on his forehead a lump a little larger than a walnut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannevar-bush/the-camera-hound-of-the-future-wears-on-his-forehead-a-lump-a-little/) [Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) > [If scientific reasoning were limited to the logical processes of arithmetic, we should not get very far in our understanding of the physical world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannevar-bush/if-scientific-reasoning-were-limited-to-the-logical-processes-of/) [Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) > [Science has a simple faith, which transcends utility. Nearly all men of science, all men of learning for that matter, and men of simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannevar-bush/science-has-a-simple-faith-which-transcends-utility-nearly-all-men-of/) [Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) > [Science can give mankind a better standard of living, better health and a better mental life, if mankind in turn gives science the sympathy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannevar-bush/science-can-give-mankind-a-better-standard-of-living-better-health/) [Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) > [The responsibility for the creation of new scientific knowledge - and for most of its application - rests on that small body of men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannevar-bush/the-responsibility-for-the-creation-of-new-scientific-knowledge-and/) [Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) > [If scientific reasoning were limited to the logical processes of arithmetic, we should not get very far in our understanding of the physical world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannevar-bush/if-scientific-reasoning-were-limited-to-the-logical-processes-of-2/) [Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) > [Science has a simple faith, which transcends utility. It is the faith that it is the privilege of man to learn to understand, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannevar-bush/science-has-a-simple-faith-which-transcends-utility-it-is-the-faith/) [Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) > [A belief may be larger than a fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannevar-bush/a-belief-may-be-larger-than-a-fact/) [Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) > [It was through the Second World War that most of us suddenlyappreciated for the first time the power of man's concentrated efforts to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannevar-bush/it-was-through-the-second-world-war-that-most-of-us/) [Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) > [Wholly new forms of encyclopedias will appear, ready made with a mesh of associative trails running through them, ready to be dropped into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannevar-bush/wholly-new-forms-of-encyclopedias-will-appear-ready-made-with-a-mesh/) [Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) > [Give these people money, let them play, and they'll come up with something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannevar-bush/give-these-people-money-let-them-play-and-they-ll-come-up-with/) [Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) > [The scene changes but the aspirations of men of good will persist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannevar-bush/the-scene-changes-but-the-aspirations-of-men-of-good-will-persist/) [Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) > [A record, if it is to be useful to science, must be continuously extended, it must be stored, and above all it must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannevar-bush/a-record-if-it-is-to-be-useful-to-science-must-be-continuously/) [Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) > [ The summation of human experience is being expanded at a prodigious rate, \[but\] the means we use for threading through the consequent maze to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannevar-bush/the-summation-of-human-experience-is-being-expanded-at-a-prodigious/) [Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) > [There will always be plenty of things to compute in the detailed affairs of millions of people doing complicated things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vannevar-bush/there-will-always-be-plenty-of-things-to-compute-in-the-detailed/) [Vannevar Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) [Explore all 38 Vannevar Bush quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vannevar-bush/) ## More Belief quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/here-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-the-man-of-faith-and-the-man/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [In business, as in politics, it is never easy to go against the beliefs and attitudes held by the majority. The businessman who moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/in-business-as-in-politics-it-is-never-easy-to-go-against-the-beliefs/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [There's no greatest moment in the arts. It's a life; it's a continuity thing. You can't have a great moment because it's spiritual. 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