How can we satisfy ourselves without going on in infinitum? And, after all, what satisfaction is there in that infinite progression? Let us remember the story of the Indian philosopher and his elephant. It was never more applicable than to the present subject. If the material world rests upon a similar ideal world, this ideal world must rest upon some other; and so on, without end. It were better, therefore, never to look beyond the present material world. . David Hume
About This Quote

This quote is from the play "The Sea-Breeze" by William Shakespeare. The play is about a man who is desperately trying to win the affection of his friend's wife, but keeps failing at it. He finally marries her sister and then goes on to discover that there is no end to the cycle of things and that it is better to live in the present and not worry about the future.

Source: Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion

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More Quotes By David Hume
  1. Generally speaking, the errors in religion are dangerous; those in philosophy only ridiculous.
  2. Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions.
  3. Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them.
  4. It is impossible for us to think of any thing, which we have not antecedently felt, either by our external or internal senses.
  5. No man ever threw away life while it was worth keeping.
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