"The great act of faith is when a man decides he is not God"
- Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
About this Quote
This quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. talks to the idea of humbleness and the acknowledgment of one's own constraints. It recommends that a fantastic act of faith is when an individual has the ability to acknowledge that they are not all-knowing or all-powerful, and that there are things outside of their control. This is a difficult awareness for lots of people, as it requires a particular level of self-awareness and acceptance of one's own death. It is a reminder that no matter how much understanding or power a person may have, they are still human and subject to the very same laws of nature as everybody else. By acknowledging this, a person can have faith in something higher than themselves and can discover peace in the knowledge that they are not alone in deep space.
"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"
"Having soon discovered to be great, I must appear so, and therefore studiously avoided mixing in society, and wrapped myself in mystery, devoting my time to fasting and prayer"