Words of Wisdom — March 27, 2015

Sir Richard Francis Burton: Man Worships Only Himself

Sir Richard Francis Burton, famed 19th century explorer, on world religions: “The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never worshipped anything but himself.”

bigthinkeditor

The most counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday.

Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890) was a famed British explorer, writer, translator, diplomat, and spy. Burton traveled extensively throughout Asia, Africa, and the Americas, often taking part in perilous adventures. Among Burton’s most well-known qualities was his extensive knowledge of languages and cultures. It is said that he was fluent in as many as 25 languages ranging from English, French, and Greek to Urdu, Icelandic, and Swahili.

“The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never worshipped anything but himself.”

Source: Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night (1885) Terminal Essay: Social Conditions, fn. 13. [Wikiquote]

The most counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday.

Illustration of Earth with digital connections and text "Generative vs. Predictive AI" on a dark background.

Hard Science

Test Video

Some copy goes here

Life

Test Internal Ceros

Collage of classical art suggesting a theme related to somatic markers.

Business

How “somatic markers” can transform your decision-making

Ditch the old brain vs. heart assumptions, and instead think about a heart-led brain.

A black and white image of a bunch of spheres, symbolizing the multiverse concept discussed by scientists.

Starts With A Bang

How logic and reasoning can fail as scientific tools

In logic, ‘reductio ad absurdum’ shows how flawed arguments fall apart. Our absurd Universe, however, often defies our intuitive reasoning.

A wooden sign indicating "assisted migration rep 2" in a pine forest under a clear blue sky.

Life

Moving trees north to save the forests

As the world warms, trees in forests such as those in Minnesota will no longer be adapted to their local climates. That’s where assisted migration comes in.

Up Next

Culture & Religion

The Estate Tax Is a Meritocratic Necessity

Eliminating the estate tax makes no sense in a meritocratic system, yet most Americans are against the so-called “death tax.” The reasons why range from the hypocritical to the woefully ignorant.