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Cognition Quotes

How thinkers describe the workings of the mind.

These quotes treat cognition as more than just thinking. One ties it to the vibrations that carry sensory information from the world around us, while another separates cognition entirely from emotion and consciousness across the boundaries of Mind and mental action.

But though cognition is not an element of mental action, nor even in any real sense of the word an aspect of it, the distinction of cognition and conation has if properly defined a definite value.

Quotes by Samuel Alexander

All things are in a state of vibration. Vibrations from objects in our surroundings are constantly impinging upon us and carry to our senses a cognition of the external world. The vibrations in the ether act upon our eyes so...

Quotes by Max Heindel

Human brains - in terms of cognition and emotion and consciousness - are essentially the same as they were at the time of Shakespeare or Jesus or Cleopatra or the Stone Age. They are not evolving with the pace of...

Quotes by Matt Haig

The first principle of cognitive therapy is that all your moods are created by your 'cognitions,' or thoughts. A cognition refers to the way you look at things - your perceptions, mental attitudes, and beliefs. It includes the way you...

Quotes by David D. Burns

Awareness Quotes

There can be no knowledge without emotion. We may be aware of a truth, yet until we have felt its force, it is not ours. To the cognition of the brain must be added the experience of the soul.

Quotes by Arnold Bennett

Frequently Asked Questions

How do these quotes define cognition differently from emotion?
One quote draws a sharp line, arguing cognition isn't even really an aspect of mental action the way conation, the drive to act, is, giving it a distinct and narrower definition. Another separates cognition from emotion and consciousness entirely when comparing brains across history.
What does the quote about vibration have to do with cognition?
It describes all things existing in a state of vibration, with those vibrations constantly reaching our senses and forming our cognition of the outside world. It's a more physical, almost scientific take on where perception comes from.
Has human cognition changed much throughout history?
According to one quote, human brains are essentially unchanged since the time of Shakespeare, Jesus, Cleopatra, or the Stone Age in terms of cognition, emotion, and consciousness. The claim is that biology hasn't caught up with modern life.
How is cognition used in cognitive therapy specifically?
The first principle mentioned is that your moods are created by your own cognitions, your thoughts, perceptions, and mental attitudes, rather than by outside events directly. That reframes emotional struggles as something rooted in Cognitive patterns you can examine.
Do any quotes connect cognition to self-awareness?
Indirectly, yes, describing cognition as the way you look at things ties it closely to self-awareness, since noticing your own perceptions is itself a cognitive act. For more on that overlap, see Awareness quotes.

Cognitive therapy gets its own mention too, framing a 'cognition' as simply the way you look at things: your perceptions and attitudes shaping your mood. For related ideas, see Awareness quotes or Cognizant quotes.