--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is as if a man should hesitate…" description: "\"“It is as if a man should hesitate indefinitely to ask a certain woman to marry him because he was not perfectly sure that she would prove an angel aft..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/william-james-228_doubt_it-is-as-if-a-man-should-hesitate-indefi_1969033.png" --- # It is as if a man should hesitate indefinitely to ask a… ![“It is as if a man should hesitate indefinitely to ask a certain woman to marry him because he was not perfectly sure that she would prove an angel after he brought her home. Would he not cut himself off from that particular angel-possibility as decisively as if he went and married some one else?…” quote by William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/william-james-228_doubt_it-is-as-if-a-man-should-hesitate-indefi_1969033.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/william-james-228_doubt_it-is-as-if-a-man-should-hesitate-indefi_1969033.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/william-james-228_doubt_it-is-as-if-a-man-should-hesitate-indefi_1969033.png) > ““It is as if a man should hesitate indefinitely to ask a certain woman to marry him because he was not perfectly sure that she would prove an angel after he brought her home. Would he not cut himself off from that particular angel-possibility as decisively as if he went and married some one else? Scepticism, then, is not avoidance of option; it is option of a certain particular kind of risk. Better risk loss of truth than chance of error,-that is your faith-vetoer's exact position. He is actively playing his stake as much as the believer is; he is backing the field against the religious hypothesis, just as the believer is backing the religious hypothesis against the field.”” [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Skepticism isn’t avoidance but a calculated risk; choosing belief involves weighing truth against error. **In simple terms:** Choosing belief is a risk. Key Takeaway Weigh truth against possible error. Themes belief skepticism risk philosophy Mood analytical inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - making life choices - religious decisions - ethical dilemmas - personal convictions Key Concepts epistemology faith decision theory Questions to Reflect On - What risks do you take in believing? - How do you balance truth and error? A Different Perspective Risk of belief may lead to falsehoods. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Pragmatism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pragmatism/) [Scepticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scepticism/) [Skepticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skepticism/) ## Related quotes > [Better risk loss of truth than chance of error--that is your faith-vetoer's exact position. 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