"We do not believe in immortality because we can prove it, but we try to prove it because we cannot help believing it"
- Harriet Martineau
About this Quote
This quote by Harriet Martineau talks to the concept that belief in immortality is something that is deeply ingrained in us, even if we can not prove it. It recommends that we have a natural desire to believe in something greater than ourselves, and that this belief is so strong that we are driven to attempt and show it, even though we understand that it may not be possible. This quote talks to the power of faith and the power of belief, and how it can drive us to look for responses even when we understand that they might not exist. It likewise talks to the idea that faith can be a powerful force in our lives, and that it can assist us to discover meaning and purpose even in the face of unpredictability.
"Poets have said that the reason to have children is to give yourself immortality. Immortality? Now that I have five children, my only hope is that they are all out of the house before I die"
"If you were to destroy the belief in immortality in mankind, not only love but every living force on which the continuation of all life in the world depended, would dry up at once"
