Among the many ‘proto-disruptors’ and thought leaders that have – often without applause – influenced and affected the contemporary consciousness of our world through their works, Manly P. Hall stands among the most prolific.
For over seven decades, Manly P. Hall wrote and spoke on a host of topics surrounding a central motif of a profound respect and awareness regarding the often-ignored wisdom and teachings of the ancient cultures and traditions. Concepts that, as modernity continues its pace towards practicality and functionality over meaning and symbolic living, become more and more relevant today.
It is no wonder that in 2022 there is an increased interest in the words of researchers like Manly P. Hall, Ken Wilber, Carl Jung, Hegel, and many others who seek to tackle the mystical and mysterious in coherent models.
Hall’s 1928 opus, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, constitutes a trove of research (it was routinely re-released with additional information through Hall’s Philosophical Research Society) on topics including the epistemological elements of philosophy, the role and concept of ‘mystery schools’ and traditions, and investigative comparative analysis into spirituality, religion and mythology.
In the theme of examining our perceptions, Manly P. Hall invites us to explore concepts and understandings through a new lens; whether you agree with him on any topic or not, Hall’s life-long dedication to information is reflected in his dialectic, through which he languages in his books and lectures.
Collected through his published books and lectures, below are fourteen quotes that act as unique perspectives to invoke thought and creative dialogue:
14 Manly P. Hall Quotes That Offer Perspectives On Meaning, Symbolism, & Wisdom
- “Knowledge in itself is a very good thing. We should know about everything, even things we do not agree with. Or even things we do not want to believe. We should know about them. We should never assume for a moment that ignorance is an asset.” – Manly P. Hall, Greatest Lectures Collection
- “What lies beyond the magnitudes and immensities of the physical existence? …The ancients believed that the star-strewn heavens was nothing but a beautiful jeweled robe concealing the true structure and nature of the infinite. That the infinite is not an infinitude of stars or suns or moons; it is not an infinity of microbes, either. The infinite is a tremendous reality beyond our conception.” – Manly P. Hall, On ‘Destiny’, Greatest Lectures Collection
- . “Symbolism is the language of the Mysteries. By symbols men have ever sought to communicate to each other those thoughts which transcend the limitations of language.” – Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of all Ages
- . “The microscope reveals to man his significance. The telescope, his insignificance” – Manly P Hall, Greatest Lectures Collection
- “Man’s status in the natural world is determined, therefore, by the quality of his thinking.” – Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of all Ages
- “The philosophic death and the philosophic resurrection are the Lesser and the Greater Mysteries.” – Manly P. Hall
- “If the infinite had not desired man to be wise, he would not have bestowed upon him the faculty of knowing.” – Manly P. Hall
- “They wander in darkness seeking light, failing to realize that the light is in the heart of the darkness.” – Manly P. Hall, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry
- “We are so willing and ready to protect our right to be wrong, and at the same time so slow to advance the cause of our right to be right.” – Manly P Hall, Greatest Lectures Collection
- “Nearly always life begins and unfolds through a series of negative reactions to circumstances.” – Manly P Hall, Greatest Lectures Collection
- “The myth of the dying god is the key to both universal and individual redemption and regeneration, and those who do not comprehend the true nature of this supreme allegory are not privileged to consider themselves either wise or truly religious.” – Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of all Ages
- “Wisdom is given to no man until he asks for it.” – Manly P. Hall
- “San Juan points out that the two great enemies of integration within man are his mind and his emotions.” – Manly P. Hall
- “It is difficult for many to realize that they are actual universes; that their physical bodies are a visible nature through the structure of which countless waves of evolving life are unfolding their latent potentialities.” – Manly P. Hall
Manly P. Hall Biography
Manly Palmer Hall, born March 18, 1901, was a Canadian author, philosopher, and lecturer whose 70-year career included thousands of lectures, over 150 published written works, and the establishment of the non-profit Philosophical Research Society in 1934.
Hall’s most popular work, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, which explored – among many things — the epistemological elements of philosophy, religion, and spirituality, was originally released in 1928 and expanded as numerous versions were re-released with additional research and information.
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