George Bernard Shaw’s assertion that “All great truths begin as blasphemies” points to the disruptive nature of paradigm-shifting ideas. Throughout history, some of humanity’s most profound truths once directly contradicted entrenched beliefs, dogmas, or social norms. These radical notions frequently incited accusations of heresy, rebellion, or blasphemy simply because they challenged the prevailing worldview. For instance, when Copernicus posited that the Earth was not the center of the universe, his ideas were deemed blasphemous by religious authorities. Later, the suggestion that species evolved by natural selection called into question established interpretations of creation, facing vitriolic resistance from both religious and scientific orthodoxy.
Blasphemy, in this context, does not just refer to offenses against religion, but extends to any challenge against widely accepted truths—whether scientific, moral, or cultural. When an individual offers an idea that upends common wisdom, the notion often appears outrageous or dangerous. After all, society builds its sense of order and security around shared assumptions; attacking those assumptions can feel threatening.
Yet time reveals that some of these “blasphemies” fundamentally reshape collective understanding. What was once forbidden speech becomes accepted truth. Examples can be seen in the struggles for equality, such as the abolition of slavery or the suffragist movement advocating women’s right to vote. Once decried as dangerous, these ideas eventually gained acceptance and even reverence.
The quote challenges readers to consider the value of dissent and the courage required to voice inconvenient truths. Progress depends on those willing to risk censure in pursuit of a deeper or more accurate understanding of the world. Instead of dismissing provocative ideas outright, society must retain some openness to the possibility that today’s heresy could be tomorrow’s enlightenment. Shaw’s observation serves as a reminder that challenging orthodoxy is an essential engine of growth, even if the first response to truth is often outrage.
"To be really great in little things, to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonization"
"I seemed to vow to myself that some day I would go to the region of ice and snow and go on and on till I came to one of the poles of the earth, the end of the axis upon which this great round ball turns"
