--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have often wondered and even laughed at…" description: "\"I have often wondered and even laughed at those who fancied that everything had been so consummately and absolutely investigated by an Aristotle or a G..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/244/william-harvey-21703_galen_i-have-often-wondered-and-even-laughed-a_962990.png" --- # I have often wondered and even laughed at those who… ![“I have often wondered and even laughed at those who fancied that everything had been so consummately and absolutely investigated by an Aristotle or a Galen or some other mighty name, that nothing could by any possibility be added to their knowledge.” quote by William Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/244/william-harvey-21703_galen_i-have-often-wondered-and-even-laughed-a_962990.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/244/william-harvey-21703_galen_i-have-often-wondered-and-even-laughed-a_962990.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/244/william-harvey-21703_galen_i-have-often-wondered-and-even-laughed-a_962990.png) > “I have often wondered and even laughed at those who fancied that everything had been so consummately and absolutely investigated by an Aristotle or a Galen or some other mighty name, that nothing could by any possibility be added to their knowledge.” [William Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques the belief that past great thinkers have fully exhausted knowledge, emphasizing that science is always open to new discoveries. **In simple terms:** Science is never complete; new ideas always emerge. Key Takeaway Remain curious and question accepted wisdom. Themes humility science progress inquiry Mood reflective inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - medical research - philosophical debate - education - innovation - policy making Key Concepts epistemology historical perspective scientific method Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions limit your willingness to explore? - How can you balance respect for tradition with openness to new ideas? A Different Perspective It may underestimate the value of foundational work that still guides current understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) ## Related quotes > [“What would you study, Percy?” “Dunno,” he admitted. “Marine science,” she suggested. “Oceanography?” “Surfing?” he asked. She laughed, and the sound sent a shock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/what-would-you-study-percy-dunno-he-admitted-marine-science-she/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Surfing?” he asked. She laughed, and the sound sent a shock wave through the water. The wailing faded to background noise. Annabeth wondered if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/surfing-he-asked-she-laughed-and-the-sound-sent-a-shock-wave-through/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [“Allow me to give you this orange, Your Highness, along with my wishes for a swift recovery.” “That’s very generous of you, Master Galen,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-day-george/allow-me-to-give-you-this-orange-your-highness-along-with-my-wishes/) [Jessica Day George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-day-george/) > [“What about me?" I whisper. "Where do I belong?" "With me," my mother and Galen say in unison. They exchange hard glares. Galen locks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/what-about-me-i-whisper-where-do-i-belong-with-me-my-mother-and-galen/) [Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/) > [“Emma, I will love you with every breath in my body and beyond my own death. I swear to be your shield, your protector,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/emma-i-will-love-you-with-every-breath-in-my-body-and-beyond-my-own/) [Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/) > [“You do realize she's over two thousand five hundred years old, speaks at least a hundred languages, and has such a depth of knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/you-do-realize-she-s-over-two-thousand-five-hundred-years-old-speaks/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [“As soon as she releases me, Galen grabs my hand and I don't even have time to gasp before he snatches me to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/as-soon-as-she-releases-me-galen-grabs-my-hand-and-i-don-t-even-have-2/) [Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/) > [Pansy rolled over and went to sleep, but Petunia stayed awake long after Olga left, and long after Oliver crawled out from under the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-day-george/pansy-rolled-over-and-went-to-sleep-but-petunia-stayed-awake-long/) [Jessica Day George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-day-george/) > [“I'm not sure if all Syrena have bulletproof endurance or if Galen is particularly blessed with it. Even now, as I lock the front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/i-m-not-sure-if-all-syrena-have-bulletproof-endurance-or-if-galen-is/) [Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/) > [I shouldn’t ask you to,” he said, devotion in every word, “but I’m going to. Wait for me, Jess. I’ll come back to you.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/i-shouldn-t-ask-you-to-he-said-devotion-in-every-word-but-i-m-going/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [We stand in need of such reflections to comfort us for the loss of some illustrious characters, which in our eyes might have seemed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/we-stand-in-need-of-such-reflections-to-comfort-us-for-the-loss-of/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [“Mine passed out before I could enjoy it. I always pick the weak ones,” Quinton says grimly. “We are what we eat my friend,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessa-l-gilbert/mine-passed-out-before-i-could-enjoy-it-i-always-pick-the-weak-ones/) [Jessa L. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessa-l-gilbert/) > [The science of the church is neglected for the study of geometry, and they lose sight of Heaven while they are employed in measuring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-science-of-the-church-is-neglected-for-the-study-of-geometry-and/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [“In the field of medicine, Galen, the Alexandrian scientist, propounded a view that is still around, nowadays called 'alternative medicine.'It was taught in many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-f-cantor/in-the-field-of-medicine-galen-the-alexandrian-scientist-propounded-a/) [Norman F. Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-f-cantor/) > [“He'd live on land and eat cheesecake for the rest of his life before that happened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/he-d-live-on-land-and-eat-cheesecake-for-the-rest-of-his-life-before/) [Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/) ## More by William Harvey > [I profess to learn and to teach anatomy not from books but from dissections, not from the tenets of Philosophers but from the fabric…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/i-profess-to-learn-and-to-teach-anatomy-not-from-books-but-from/) [William Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/) > [For the concept of a circuit of the blood does not destroy, but rather advances traditional medicine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/for-the-concept-of-a-circuit-of-the-blood-does-not-destroy-but-rather/) [William Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/) > [Harvey sought for truth in Truth's own book- Creation - which by God himself was writ;And wisely thought 'twas fitNot to read comments only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/harvey-sought-for-truth-in-truth-s-own-book-creation-which-by-god/) [William Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/) > [The heart is the household divinity which, discharging its function, nourishes, cherishes, quickens the whole body, and is indeed the foundation of life, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/the-heart-is-the-household-divinity-which-discharging-its-function/) [William Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/) > [And so I conclude that blood lives and is nourished of itself and in no way depends on any other part of the body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/and-so-i-conclude-that-blood-lives-and-is-nourished-of-itself-and-in/) [William Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/) > [There is a lust in man no charm can tame: Of loudly publishing his neighbor's shame: On eagles wings immortal scandals fly, while virtuous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/there-is-a-lust-in-man-no-charm-can-tame-of-loudly-publishing-his/) [William Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/) > [There is no perfect knowledge which can be entitled ours, that is innate; none but what has been obtained from experience, or derived in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/there-is-no-perfect-knowledge-which-can-be-entitled-ours-that-is/) [William Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/) > [Very many maintain that all we know is still infinitely less than all that still remains unknown; nor do philosophers pin their faith to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/very-many-maintain-that-all-we-know-is-still-infinitely-less-than-all/) [William Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/) > [“...I found the task so truly arduous... that I was almost tempted to think... that the movement of the heart was only to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/i-found-the-task-so-truly-arduous-that-i-was-almost-tempted-to-think/) [William Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/) > [As art is a habit with reference to things to be done, so is science a habit in respect to things to be known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/as-art-is-a-habit-with-reference-to-things-to-be-done-so-is-science-a/) [William Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/) > [The heart of animals is the foundation of their life, the sovereign of everything within them, the sun of their microcosm, that upon which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/the-heart-of-animals-is-the-foundation-of-their-life-the-sovereign-of/) [William Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/) > [Nature is a volume of which God is the author.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/nature-is-a-volume-of-which-god-is-the-author/) [William Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/) > [I avow myself the partisan of truth alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/i-avow-myself-the-partisan-of-truth-alone/) [William Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/) > [Civilization is only a series of victories against nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/civilization-is-only-a-series-of-victories-against-nature/) [William Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/) > [Only by understanding the wisdom of natural foods and their effects on the body, shall we attain mastery of disease and pain, which shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/only-by-understanding-the-wisdom-of-natural-foods-and-their-effects/) [William Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/) [Explore all 28 William Harvey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/) ## More Galen quotes > [“He'd live on land and eat cheesecake for the rest of his life before that happened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/he-d-live-on-land-and-eat-cheesecake-for-the-rest-of-his-life-before/) [Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/) > [“In the field of medicine, Galen, the Alexandrian scientist, propounded a view that is still around, nowadays called 'alternative medicine.'It was taught in many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-f-cantor/in-the-field-of-medicine-galen-the-alexandrian-scientist-propounded-a/) [Norman F. Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-f-cantor/) > [The science of the church is neglected for the study of geometry, and they lose sight of Heaven while they are employed in measuring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-science-of-the-church-is-neglected-for-the-study-of-geometry-and/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [“Mine passed out before I could enjoy it. I always pick the weak ones,” Quinton says grimly. “We are what we eat my friend,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessa-l-gilbert/mine-passed-out-before-i-could-enjoy-it-i-always-pick-the-weak-ones/) [Jessa L. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessa-l-gilbert/) > [We stand in need of such reflections to comfort us for the loss of some illustrious characters, which in our eyes might have seemed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/we-stand-in-need-of-such-reflections-to-comfort-us-for-the-loss-of/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [I shouldn’t ask you to,” he said, devotion in every word, “but I’m going to. Wait for me, Jess. I’ll come back to you.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/i-shouldn-t-ask-you-to-he-said-devotion-in-every-word-but-i-m-going/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [“I'm not sure if all Syrena have bulletproof endurance or if Galen is particularly blessed with it. Even now, as I lock the front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/i-m-not-sure-if-all-syrena-have-bulletproof-endurance-or-if-galen-is/) [Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/) > [Pansy rolled over and went to sleep, but Petunia stayed awake long after Olga left, and long after Oliver crawled out from under the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-day-george/pansy-rolled-over-and-went-to-sleep-but-petunia-stayed-awake-long/) [Jessica Day George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-day-george/) > [“As soon as she releases me, Galen grabs my hand and I don't even have time to gasp before he snatches me to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/as-soon-as-she-releases-me-galen-grabs-my-hand-and-i-don-t-even-have-2/) [Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/) > [“You do realize she's over two thousand five hundred years old, speaks at least a hundred languages, and has such a depth of knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/you-do-realize-she-s-over-two-thousand-five-hundred-years-old-speaks/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [“Emma, I will love you with every breath in my body and beyond my own death. I swear to be your shield, your protector,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/emma-i-will-love-you-with-every-breath-in-my-body-and-beyond-my-own/) [Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/) > [“What about me?" I whisper. "Where do I belong?" "With me," my mother and Galen say in unison. They exchange hard glares. Galen locks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/what-about-me-i-whisper-where-do-i-belong-with-me-my-mother-and-galen/) [Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/) > [“Allow me to give you this orange, Your Highness, along with my wishes for a swift recovery.” “That’s very generous of you, Master Galen,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-day-george/allow-me-to-give-you-this-orange-your-highness-along-with-my-wishes/) [Jessica Day George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-day-george/) > [“She pressed the blade’s tip into her palm and cut. Not as deeply as he had, but enough to ensure a successful exchange. Her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/she-pressed-the-blade-s-tip-into-her-palm-and-cut-not-as-deeply-as-he/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [Voles-tu, mon petit papillon.” Illium laughed at Galen’s instruction to “fly, little butterfly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/voles-tu-mon-petit-papillon-illium-laughed-at-galen-s-instruction-to/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) Browse all 66 Galen quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have often wondered and even laughed at those who fancied that everything had been so consummately and absolutely investigated by an Aristotle or a Galen or some other mighty name, that nothing could by any possibility be added to their knowledge.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Harvey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/i-have-often-wondered-and-even-laughed-at-those-who-fancied-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Galen" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/i-have-often-wondered-and-even-laughed-at-those-who-fancied-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/244/william-harvey-21703_galen_i-have-often-wondered-and-even-laughed-a_962990.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/244/william-harvey-21703_galen_i-have-often-wondered-and-even-laughed-a_962990.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/244/william-harvey-21703_galen_i-have-often-wondered-and-even-laughed-a_962990.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have often wondered and even laughed at those who fancied that everything had been so consummately and…” — William Harvey", "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": "William Harvey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-harvey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have often wondered and even...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/i-have-often-wondered-and-even-laughed-at-those-who-fancied-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-harvey/i-have-often-wondered-and-even-laughed-at-those-who-fancied-that/#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 } } ] } ```