WIST Quotations

Card, Orson Scott -- Speaker for the Dead (1986)

Dave — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 15:21:40 +0000

This is how humans are: We question all our beliefs, except for the ones we really believe, and those we never think to question.

Orson Scott Card (b. 1951) American author
Speaker for the Dead (1986)

Keynes, John Maynard -- (Attributed)

Dave — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 21:59:03 +0000

When my information changes, I alter my conclusions. What do you do, sir?

John Maynard Keynes (1883–1946) English economist
(Attributed)

Reply to a criticism of having changed his position on monetary policy. Quoted in Paul Samuelson, "The Keynes Centenary" The Economist, Vol. 287 (1983), but possibly apocryphal (see here).

Variants:

"When events change, I change my mind. What do you do?"
"When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?"
"When someone persuades me that I am wrong, I change my mind. What do you do?"

Bruno, Giordano -- (Attributed)

Dave — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 13:30:44 +0000

If the first button of one’s coat is wrongly buttoned, all the rest will be crooked.

Giordano Bruno (1548–1600) Italian philosopher
(Attributed)

Attributed in John Emerich & Edward Dalberg, The Cambridge Modern History (1904).

Alda, Alan -- Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself, ch. 2 “Lingering at the Door” (2007)

Dave — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 16:59:05 +0000

Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in. If you challenge your own, you won’t be so quick to accept the unchallenged assumptions of others. You’ll be a lot less likely to be caught up in bias or prejudice or be influenced by people who ask you to hand over your brains, your soul, or your money because they have everything all figured out for you.

Alan Alda (b. 1936) American actor [b. Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo]
Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself, ch. 2 “Lingering at the Door” (2007)

Originally given at the commencement speech at Connecticut College in May, 1980, where his daughter Eve was graduating.

Hoffer, Eric -- Passionate State of Mind, Aphorism 220 (1955)

Dave — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:49:20 +0000

To spell out the obvious is often to call it into question.

Eric Hoffer (1902–1983) American writer, philosopher, longshoreman
Passionate State of Mind, Aphorism 220 (1955)

Kettering, Charles F. -- “Kettering’s Law,” from address before American Society of Mechanical Engineers (c. 1944)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Logic is an organized way of going wrong with confidence.

Charles F. Kettering (1876–1958) American inventor, engineer, researcher, businessman
“Kettering’s Law,” from address before American Society of Mechanical Engineers (c. 1944)

Quoted in Heinlein, The Number of the Beast (1980). Alternately quoted:

"Beware logic. Logic is an organized way to go wrong -- with confidence."
Logic is an organized way to go wrong with confidence. We should all know by now that a logical course is not always the right one."

Sometimes referred to "Kettering's Observation."

Cited in Food Industries magazine, vol. 16 (1944), referring to the speech being "recent" (the magazine is also referred to as Food Engineering).

This site previously incorrectly attributed the quote to Iris Murdoch. That attribution seems to have been duplicated at some other sites, but was an error. I have also found citations to L. Walter Lundell and Karl Popper.

Another "Kettering's Law" that is referenced is: "Parts left out cost nothing, require no maintenance, and do not fail."

Russell, Bertrand -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

In all affairs — love, religion, politics or business — it’s a healthy idea, now and then, to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.

Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) English mathematician and philosopher
(Attributed)

Widely attributed to Russell, but not found in any of his online published works or cited to any source.

There are numerous variations on this quote, e.g.,

In all affairs it's a healthy idea now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have taken for granted.

And mixes and matches between those two.

Earliest references of long-form quotation I could find:

I also found in Alexander Chittick, Social Evolution, "The Evolution of Capital and Labor" (1919), regarding the plight of laborers:

They should be taught [...] to take nothing for granted in love, religion, politics, or business.

The combination of taking for granted and the same list of four affair topics seems more than coincidence. Was Chittick riffing off of an unfound Russell comment? Did someone attribute a variation of Chittick's passage to Russell? The answer is unclear.

Bierce, Ambrose -- “Self-Evident,” The Devil’s Dictionary (1911)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 18:00:00 +0000

SELF-EVIDENT, adj. Evident to one’s self and to nobody else.

Ambrose Bierce (1842–1914?) American writer and journalist
“Self-Evident,” The Devil’s Dictionary (1911)

Originally published in The Devil's Dictionary [A-Z] as Vol. 7 of his Collected Works.