---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have the same sense of the power and…"
description: "\"I have the same sense of the power and virtue of knowledge that some people get from a religious background.\" — Walter Gilbert"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/walter-gilbert-24058_backgrounds_i-have-the-same-sense-of-the-power-and-v_1838963.png"
---

#  I have the same sense of the power and virtue of knowledge…

![“I have the same sense of the power and virtue of knowledge that some people get from a religious background.” quote by Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/walter-gilbert-24058_backgrounds_i-have-the-same-sense-of-the-power-and-v_1838963.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/walter-gilbert-24058_backgrounds_i-have-the-same-sense-of-the-power-and-v_1838963.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/walter-gilbert-24058_backgrounds_i-have-the-same-sense-of-the-power-and-v_1838963.png)

> “I have the same sense of the power and virtue of knowledge that some people get from a religious background.”

[Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Knowledge can inspire a deep sense of purpose similar to religious conviction.

**In simple terms:** Knowledge inspires purpose like religion.

Key Takeaway

Seek knowledge for its own virtue.

Themes

learning purpose spirituality

Mood

reflective inspired

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- education
- personal growth
- career development

Key Concepts

Epistemology humanism

Questions to Reflect On

- How does knowledge shape your values?
- Can learning fulfill spiritual needs?

A Different Perspective

Knowledge alone may not replace community support.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Backgrounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backgrounds/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-religious-334476/) [Power Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-virtue-637690/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious Background](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-background-298296/) [Sense Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-power-414081/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Virtue Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue-knowledge-2334086/)

## Related quotes

> [You may be Catholic or Protestant or Buddhist or Baptist or Muslim or Mormon or Jewish or Jain, or you have no religion at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/you-may-be-catholic-or-protestant-or-buddhist-or-baptist-or-muslim-or/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [No power in society, no hardship in your condition can depress you, keep you down, in knowledge, power, virtue, influence, but by your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/no-power-in-society-no-hardship-in-your-condition-can-depress-you/)

[William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/)

> [When good thing are accomplished, it does not claim (or name) them. This is Te, which is close in meaning to power or virtue.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/when-good-thing-are-accomplished-it-does-not-claim-or-name-them-this/)

[Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/)

> [There is explosive power in virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/there-is-explosive-power-in-virtue/)

[Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/)

> [“that, when it comes to humanity, “the perfection of our nature and capability of happiness, must be estimated by the degree of reason, virtue,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heath/that-when-it-comes-to-humanity-the-perfection-of-our-nature-and/)

[Joseph Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heath/)

> [If virtue &amp; knowledge are diffused among the people, they will never be enslav'd. This will be their great security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/if-virtue-knowledge-are-diffused-among-the-people-they-will-never-be/)

[Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/)

> [“Knowledge will teach candour, she who aims at attainment of it will find her countenance improved as her mind is informed and her looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-withey/knowledge-will-teach-candour-she-who-aims-at-attainment-of-it-will/)

[Lynne Withey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-withey/)

> [Wisdom is a virtue, knowledge only a view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monk-frost/wisdom-is-a-virtue-knowledge-only-a-view/)

[Monk Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monk-frost/)

> [Consider your origins: you were not made to live as brutes, but to follow virtue and knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/consider-your-origins-you-were-not-made-to-live-as-brutes-but-to/)

[Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/)

> [You don't need a religious background to strive for something good, for genuine compassion and love for others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/you-don-t-need-a-religious-background-to-strive-for-something-good/)

[Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/)

> [Judaism, Christianity, and I'm sure other religions also, are having to deal with the fact that they may or may not have lived up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/judaism-christianity-and-i-m-sure-other-religions-also-are-having-to/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [I grew up with a very religious background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-clemons/i-grew-up-with-a-very-religious-background/)

[Clarence Clemons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-clemons/)

> [“If John the Baptist and Jesus’ early followers drew on this background, they were requiring even their fellow Jews to come to God on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-john-the-baptist-and-jesus-early-followers-drew-on-this-background/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“The teachings of a religion should influence the personality and daily conduct of each believer. Thus, each person's conduct will normally be a reflection,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-teachings-of-a-religion-should-influence-the-personality-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I grew up with a religious background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-caruso/i-grew-up-with-a-religious-background/)

[Alex Caruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-caruso/)

## More by Walter Gilbert

> [Why do we do basic research? To learn about ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/why-do-we-do-basic-research-to-learn-about-ourselves/)

[Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

> [Three billion bases of DNA sequence can be put on a single compact disc and one will be able to pull a CD out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/three-billion-bases-of-dna-sequence-can-be-put-on-a-single-compact/)

[Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

> [We know specific genes are turned on in specific cells, but we don't know to what extent this happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/we-know-specific-genes-are-turned-on-in-specific-cells-but-we-don-t/)

[Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

> [Early on, it's good to develop the ability to write. Learning to write is a useful exercise, even if what you're writing about is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/early-on-it-s-good-to-develop-the-ability-to-write-learning-to-write/)

[Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

> [Biology will relate every human gene to the genes of other animals and bacteria, to this great chain of being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/biology-will-relate-every-human-gene-to-the-genes-of-other-animals/)

[Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

> [The community as a whole doesn't listen patiently to critics who adopt alternative viewpoints. Although the great lesson of history is that knowledge develops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/the-community-as-a-whole-doesn-t-listen-patiently-to-critics-who/)

[Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

> [By asking a novel question that you don't know the answer to, you discover whether you can formulate a way of finding the answer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/by-asking-a-novel-question-that-you-don-t-know-the-answer-to-you/)

[Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

> [Today we try to identify a gene and then study its properties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/today-we-try-to-identify-a-gene-and-then-study-its-properties/)

[Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

> [The virtues of science are skepticism and independence of thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/the-virtues-of-science-are-skepticism-and-independence-of-thought/)

[Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

> [The best project is one that asks a novel question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/the-best-project-is-one-that-asks-a-novel-question/)

[Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

> [I am afraid that those comments go back to the late 80's. At that time I was a skeptic - the argument based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/i-am-afraid-that-those-comments-go-back-to-the-late-80-s-at-that-time/)

[Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

> [Biology will tell you a lot of things, but there are many that it can not explain and you need to look at physics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/biology-will-tell-you-a-lot-of-things-but-there-are-many-that-it-can/)

[Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

> [Error is far more common than fraud which probably comprises 1 percent or a tenth of a percent of the literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/error-is-far-more-common-than-fraud-which-probably-comprises-1/)

[Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

> [The interaction of the variation in our genes is what's responsible for lots of our attributes and vigor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/the-interaction-of-the-variation-in-our-genes-is-what-s-responsible/)

[Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

> [Here is a human being; it's me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/here-is-a-human-being-it-s-me/)

[Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

[Explore all 25 Walter Gilbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/)

## More Backgrounds quotes

> [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/)

[Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/)

> [When you see how fragile and delicate life can be, all else fades into the background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-morasca/when-you-see-how-fragile-and-delicate-life-can-be-all-else-fades-into/)

[Jenna Morasca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-morasca/)

> [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/)

[John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/)

> [Eventually the consumer will come to appreciate the editorial point of view of every different brand. User-generated content without editorial oversight will simply be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/eventually-the-consumer-will-come-to-appreciate-the-editorial-point/)

[Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/)

> [I bring my classical training - some of it, but not all of it - and also my background and culture, to spirituals. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-battle/i-bring-my-classical-training-some-of-it-but-not-all-of-it-and-also/)

[Kathleen Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-battle/)

> [The acting background helped a lot when I started writing. I was training for it. In acting class they teach you about the stakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-higgins-clark/the-acting-background-helped-a-lot-when-i-started-writing-i-was/)

[Carol Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-higgins-clark/)

> [In the dim background of our mind we know meanwhile what we ought to be doing: getting up, dressing ourselves, answering the person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/in-the-dim-background-of-our-mind-we-know-meanwhile-what-we-ought-to/)

[William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/)

> [I think it is a sin to look at another person as inferior to yourself because of race or because of ethnic background and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/i-think-it-is-a-sin-to-look-at-another-person-as-inferior-to-yourself/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [The thing that is making jazz healthy today is that people are coming out of other backgrounds - from rock, folk, from ethnic music.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-taylor/the-thing-that-is-making-jazz-healthy-today-is-that-people-are-coming/)

[Billy Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-taylor/)

> [We do not have to be ashamed of what we are. As sentient beings we have wonderful backgrounds. These backgrounds may not be particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-do-not-have-to-be-ashamed-of-what-we-are-as-sentient-beings-we/)

[Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/)

> [People from my sort of background needed grammar schools to compete with children from privileged homes like Shirley Williams and Anthony Wedgwood Benn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/people-from-my-sort-of-background-needed-grammar-schools-to-compete/)

[Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/)

> [Persons who have cleansed themselves of any transgression and who have shown their ability to deal with homosexual inclinations and put them in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/persons-who-have-cleansed-themselves-of-any-transgression-and-who/)

[Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/)

> [I come from a theater background, so I always like to dissect the scene and try to get some hint about what the author…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adina-porter/i-come-from-a-theater-background-so-i-always-like-to-dissect-the/)

[Adina Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adina-porter/)

> [And, of course, some SF is set close enough to here and now that Anglo and European do apply. Since many of the writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/and-of-course-some-sf-is-set-close-enough-to-here-and-now-that-anglo/)

[Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/)

> [For me, I try to look at a person's swagger and a little background on them if I already haven't liked them as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bivins/for-me-i-try-to-look-at-a-person-s-swagger-and-a-little-background-on/)

[Michael Bivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bivins/)

[Browse all 1,648 Backgrounds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backgrounds/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I have the same sense of the power and virtue of knowledge that some people get from a religious background.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Walter Gilbert"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/i-have-the-same-sense-of-the-power-and-virtue-of-knowledge-that-some/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Backgrounds"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/i-have-the-same-sense-of-the-power-and-virtue-of-knowledge-that-some/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/walter-gilbert-24058_backgrounds_i-have-the-same-sense-of-the-power-and-v_1838963.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/walter-gilbert-24058_backgrounds_i-have-the-same-sense-of-the-power-and-v_1838963.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/walter-gilbert-24058_backgrounds_i-have-the-same-sense-of-the-power-and-v_1838963.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I have the same sense of the power and virtue of knowledge that some people get from a religious background.” — Walter Gilbert",
                "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": "Walter Gilbert",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I have the same sense of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/i-have-the-same-sense-of-the-power-and-virtue-of-knowledge-that-some/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/i-have-the-same-sense-of-the-power-and-virtue-of-knowledge-that-some/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
