--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To regard the successful experiences…" description: "\"To regard the successful experiences which ensue from a belief as a criterion of its truth is one thing--and a thing that is sometimes bad and sometime..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/william-pepperell-montague-102_assuming_to-regard-the-successful-experiences-whi_308436.jpg" --- # To regard the successful experiences which ensue from a… ![“To regard the successful experiences which ensue from a belief as a criterion of its truth is one thing--and a thing that is sometimes bad and sometimes good--but to assume that truth itself consists in the process by which it is verified is a different thing and always bad.” quote by William Pepperell Montague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/william-pepperell-montague-102_assuming_to-regard-the-successful-experiences-whi_308436.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/william-pepperell-montague-102_assuming_to-regard-the-successful-experiences-whi_308436.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/william-pepperell-montague-102_assuming_to-regard-the-successful-experiences-whi_308436.jpg) > “To regard the successful experiences which ensue from a belief as a criterion of its truth is one thing--and a thing that is sometimes bad and sometimes good--but to assume that truth itself consists in the process by which it is verified is a different thing and always bad.” William Pepperell Montague ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Treating successful outcomes as proof of belief is flawed; truth isn’t defined by verification methods. **In simple terms:** Success doesn’t prove belief is true. Key Takeaway Question verification methods. Themes philosophy epistemology truth belief logic Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - academic debate - scientific research - personal decision making Key Concepts verification truth criteria belief systems Questions to Reflect On - How do you distinguish true belief from lucky outcomes? - Can verification ever capture absolute truth? A Different Perspective Verification can be biased or incomplete. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Whatever a theologian regards as true must be false: there you have almost a criterion of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/whatever-a-theologian-regards-as-true-must-be-false-there-you-have/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [In the face of the idea that truth might afford the opposite of satisfaction and turn out to be completely shocking to humanity at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-horkheimer/in-the-face-of-the-idea-that-truth-might-afford-the-opposite-of/) [Max Horkheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-horkheimer/) > [The criterion of truth is that it works even if nobody is prepared to acknowledge it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-criterion-of-truth-is-that-it-works-even-if-nobody-is-prepared-to/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“If you never assume the truth, you'll never be shackled by a lie.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-vanleeuwen/if-you-never-assume-the-truth-you-ll-never-be-shackled-by-a-lie/) [Robert Vanleeuwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-vanleeuwen/) > [If reason is a universal faculty, the decision of the common mind is the nearest criterion of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bancroft/if-reason-is-a-universal-faculty-the-decision-of-the-common-mind-is/) [George Bancroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bancroft/) > [Use reason and logic to find the answers yourself, dont accept what a collective assume to be truth, it is up to you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deri-isaac/use-reason-and-logic-to-find-the-answers-yourself-dont-accept-what-a/) [Deri Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deri-isaac/) > [“It isn't very logical to live my life on goundless supposition. I have to assume the truth of the moment is the truth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacquelyn-frank/it-isn-t-very-logical-to-live-my-life-on-goundless-supposition-i-have/) [Jacquelyn Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacquelyn-frank/) > [ I hope that every \[person\] at one point in their life has the opportunity to have something that is at the heart of their… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/i-hope-that-every-person-at-one-point-in-their-life-has-the/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [What a theologian feels as true, must be false: one has therein almost a criterion of truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/what-a-theologian-feels-as-true-must-be-false-one-has-therein-almost/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Our great cultural error is to assume that 'truth' arrives only through reductive theories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/our-great-cultural-error-is-to-assume-that-truth-arrives-only-through/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) > [Truth consists of having the same idea about something that God has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joubert/truth-consists-of-having-the-same-idea-about-something-that-god-has/) [Joseph Joubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joubert/) > [Religion is another name for the realization of Truth. It consists in becoming and being one with the Supreme Being. Doctrines and dogmas are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narayanananda-swami/religion-is-another-name-for-the-realization-of-truth-it-consists-in/) Narayanananda Swami > [“Truth makes little sense and has no real impact if it is merely a collection of abstract ideas. Truth that is living experience, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reginald-a-ray/truth-makes-little-sense-and-has-no-real-impact-if-it-is-merely-a/) Reginald A. Ray > [“The real advantage which truth has, consists in this, that when an opinion is true, it may be extinguished once, twice or many times,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-real-advantage-which-truth-has-consists-in-this-that-when-an-2/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [The real advantage which truth has, consists in this, that when an opinion is true, it may be extinguished once, twice, or many times,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-real-advantage-which-truth-has-consists-in-this-that-when-an/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) ## More by William Pepperell Montague > [Skepticism is not a denial of belief, but rather a denial of rational grounds for belief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pepperell-montague/skepticism-is-not-a-denial-of-belief-but-rather-a-denial-of-rational/) William Pepperell Montague Explore all 2 William Pepperell Montague quotes ## More Assuming quotes > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) James T. Conway > [Everyone assumes writers spend their time lounging around, writing and occasionally striking a pose whilst having a think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/everyone-assumes-writers-spend-their-time-lounging-around-writing-and/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. 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Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) Browse all 2,452 Assuming quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To regard the successful experiences which ensue from a belief as a criterion of its truth is one thing--and a thing that is sometimes bad and sometimes good--but to assume that truth itself consists in the process by which it is verified is a different thing and always bad.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Pepperell Montague" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pepperell-montague/to-regard-the-successful-experiences-which-ensue-from-a-belief-as-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assuming" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pepperell-montague/to-regard-the-successful-experiences-which-ensue-from-a-belief-as-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/william-pepperell-montague-102_assuming_to-regard-the-successful-experiences-whi_308436.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/william-pepperell-montague-102_assuming_to-regard-the-successful-experiences-whi_308436.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/william-pepperell-montague-102_assuming_to-regard-the-successful-experiences-whi_308436.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To regard the successful experiences which ensue from a belief as a criterion of its truth is one thing--and…” — William Pepperell Montague", "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 Pepperell Montague", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pepperell-montague/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To regard the successful experiences which...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pepperell-montague/to-regard-the-successful-experiences-which-ensue-from-a-belief-as-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pepperell-montague/to-regard-the-successful-experiences-which-ensue-from-a-belief-as-a/#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 } } ] } ```