It takes a wonderful brain and exquisite senses to produce a few stupid ideas.
George SantayanaRead
Proofs are the last thing looked for by a truly religious mind which feels the imaginary fitness of its faith.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True faith does not rely on evidence; it is felt deeply within.
George Santayana's quote suggests that for those with genuine religious belief, the need for proofs and evidence is secondary to the intuitive sense of their faith. A truly religious person finds satisfaction in the emotional and personal connection to their beliefs rather than seeking out empirical validation or rational justification.
Themes
FaithBeliefReligionPhilosophyTrust
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a philosophical discussion about faith and evidence.
More from George Santayana
All quotes βThe working of great institutions is mainly the result of a vast mass of routine, petty malice, self interest, carelessness and sheer mistake. Only a residual fraction is thought.
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There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval. The dark background which death supplies brings out the tender colours of life in all their purity.
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Not to believe in love is a great sign of dullness. There are some people so indirect and lumbering that they think all real affection rests on circumstantial evidence.
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To feel beauty is a better thing than to understand how we come to feel it. To have imagination and taste, to love the best, to be carried by the contemplation of nature to a vivid faith in the ideal, all this is more, a great deal more, than any science can hope to be.
George SantayanaRead
The vital straining towards an ideal, definite but latent, when it dominates a whole life, may express that ideal more fully than could the best chosen words.
George SantayanaRead
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