"Nature has planted in our minds an insatiable longing to see the truth"
About this Quote
The word “insatiable” matters. Cicero isn’t promising that truth is easily attainable; he’s insisting the chase is endless and defining. That slightly dark edge - desire without full satisfaction - matches the Roman political reality he lived through: a republic unraveling into strongmen, propaganda, and managed appearances. In that world, “truth” isn’t an abstract ideal; it’s what power fears. Casting truth-seeking as innate quietly delegitimizes regimes (or factions) that rely on confusion, spectacle, or coerced consensus.
There’s also a tactical move here aimed at Cicero’s educated Roman audience, steeped in Greek philosophy but suspicious of airy metaphysics. “Nature” functions as common ground: an authority that feels prior to party, tradition, even theology. He turns epistemology into civic ethics. If humans naturally strain toward truth, then public life should be organized to reward frank speech, evidence, and argument rather than flattery and intimidation. The quote flatters the reader’s self-image while recruiting that pride for a political purpose: keep asking, keep testing, don’t let comfort replace clarity.
Quote Details
| Topic | Truth |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Cicero. (n.d.). Nature has planted in our minds an insatiable longing to see the truth. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/nature-has-planted-in-our-minds-an-insatiable-9024/
Chicago Style
Cicero. "Nature has planted in our minds an insatiable longing to see the truth." FixQuotes. Accessed February 1, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/nature-has-planted-in-our-minds-an-insatiable-9024/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Nature has planted in our minds an insatiable longing to see the truth." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/nature-has-planted-in-our-minds-an-insatiable-9024/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.






