WIST Quotations

Roosevelt, Eleanor -- Column (1942-08), “If You Ask Me,” Ladies’ Home Journal, Vol. 59

Dave — Tue, 26 May 2026 16:14:43 +0000

How do you think our boys who have gone to war and risked their lives should treat conscientious objectors after the war?

I should think that the boys who go through the war, and who believe in what they are doing, would have a respect for a conscientious objector who had an equally strong belief that he should not kill other people.
We have put these conscientious objectors to work in this war. They are clamoring for more dangerous work. Some of them are already doing work which requires great courage, but not the taking of another man’s life. It would certainly seem a curious thing to me if a boy were not able to understand, having had deep convictions himself, that other people have a right to equally deep convictions and that they should be respected.

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) First Lady of the US (1933–1945), politician, diplomat, activist
Column (1942-08), “If You Ask Me,” Ladies’ Home Journal, Vol. 59
(Source)

(Source (Alternate))

Billings, Josh -- Josh Billings’ Farmer’s Allminax, 1874-12 (1874 ed.)

Dave — Thu, 07 May 2026 19:06:29 +0000

Whare thare iz one man obstinate bekauze he iz wize, thare iz 4,695,853 obstinate bekauze they are ignorant.

[Where there is one man obstinate because he is wise, there are 4,685,853 obstinate because they are ignorant.]

Josh Billings (1818-1885) American humorist, aphorist [pseud. of Henry Wheeler Shaw]
Josh Billings’ Farmer’s Allminax, 1874-12 (1874 ed.)
(Source)

Ingersoll, Robert Green -- Lecture (1884-01-20), “Orthodoxy,” Tabor Opera House, Denver, Colorado

Dave — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 20:38:32 +0000

And yet I am held responsible for my belief. Then why does not God give me the evidence? They say he has. In what? In an inspired book. But I do not understand it as they do. Must I be false to my understanding? They say: “When you come to die you will be sorry if you do not.” Will I be sorry when I come to die that I did not live a hypocrite? Will I be sorry that I did not say I was a Christian when I was not? Will the fact that I was honest put a thorn in the pillow of death? Cannot God forgive me for being honest? They say that when he was in Jerusalem he forgave his murderers, but now he will not forgive an honest man for differing from him on the subject of the Trinity.

Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899) American lawyer, freethinker, orator
Lecture (1884-01-20), “Orthodoxy,” Tabor Opera House, Denver, Colorado
(Source)

Published as its own book in 1884.

Ustinov, Peter -- Interview (1995-06-22) by Warren Allen Smith, Free Inquiry Magazine

Dave — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 04:45:23 +0000

I think that it’s an honorable thing to change your mind occasionally. I don’t think it’s a sign of weakness or lack of integrity. I believe men are united by their doubts and separated by their convictions. Therefore, it’s a very good thing to have doubts. Doubts are the greatest spur to activity that I know of.

Peter Ustinov (1921-2004) English actor, author, director
Interview (1995-06-22) by Warren Allen Smith, Free Inquiry Magazine
(Source)

Arendt, Hannah -- The Origins of Totalitarianism, Part 3, ch. 13 “Ideology and Terror” (1951)

Dave — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 22:17:36 +0000

The aim of totalitarian education has never been to instill convictions but to destroy the capacity to form any.

Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) German-American philosopher, political theorist
The Origins of Totalitarianism, Part 3, ch. 13 “Ideology and Terror” (1951)
(Source)

Roosevelt, Franklin Delano -- Speech (1945-01-20), Inaugural Address, Washington, D.C.

Dave — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 20:26:38 +0000

We can gain no lasting peace if we approach it with suspicion and mistrust — or with fear. We can gain it only if we proceed with the understanding and the confidence and the courage which flow from conviction.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882–1945) American lawyer, politician, statesman, US President (1933–1945)
Speech (1945-01-20), Inaugural Address, Washington, D.C.
(Source)

(Source (Audio))

Bible, Vol. 2. New Testament -- Book 19. Letter to the Hebrews 11: 1 (Heb 11:1) [KJV (1611)]

Dave — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 15:07:36 +0000

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

[Ἔστιν δὲ πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων.]

The Bible (The New Testament) (AD 1st - 2nd C) Christian sacred scripture
Book 19. Letter to the Hebrews 11: 1 (Heb 11:1) [KJV (1611)]
(Source)

(Source (Greek)). Alternate translations:

Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of the realities that at present remain unseen.
[JB (1966)]

Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of realities that are unseen.
[NJB (1985)]

To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.
[GNT (1992 ed.)]

Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see.
[CEB (2011)]

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
[NRSV (2021 ed.)]

Joubert, Joseph -- Pensées [Thoughts], ch. 9 “De la Sagesse, de la Vertu, etc. [On Wisdom and Virtue],” ¶ 52, 1798 entry (1850 ed.) [tr. Collins (1928), ch. 8]

Dave — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 20:33:24 +0000

When we think what we do not feel, we lie to ourselves. We must always think with our whole being, soul and body.

[Penser ce que l’on ne sent pas, c’est mentir à soi-même. Tout ce qu’on pense, il faut le penser avec son être tout entier, âme et corps.]

Joseph Joubert (1754-1824) French moralist, philosopher, essayist, poet
Pensées [Thoughts], ch. 9 “De la Sagesse, de la Vertu, etc. [On Wisdom and Virtue],” ¶ 52, 1798 entry (1850 ed.) [tr. Collins (1928), ch. 8]
(Source)

(Source (French)). Alternate translations:

To think what we do not feel, is to lie to ourselves. Whatever we think, we should think with our whole being, will and body.
[tr. Calvert (1866), ch. 9]

To think what we do not feel is to lie to one's-self. Whatever we think should be thought by our whole being, soul and body.
[tr. Attwell (1896), ¶ 140]

To think what we do not feel, is to lie to ourselves. Everything that we think we must think with our whole being, soul and body
[tr. Lyttelton (1899), ch. 8, ¶ 38]

To think what we do not feel is to lie to ourselves, in the same way that we lie to others when we say what we do not think. Everything we think must be thought with our entire being, body and soul.
[tr. Auster (1983), 1798 entry]

McLaughlin, Mignon -- The Neurotic’s Notebook, ch. 10 (1963)

Dave — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 20:49:36 +0000

What you were sure of yesterday, you know now to be false, but what you are sure of today is absolutely true.

Mignon McLaughlin (1913-1983) American journalist and author
The Neurotic’s Notebook, ch. 10 (1963)
(Source)

Orwell, George -- Essay (1946-09), “Politics vs. Literature: An Examination of Gulliver’s Travels,” Polemic, No. 5

Dave — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 15:37:03 +0000

The views that a writer holds must be compatible with sanity, in the medical sense, and with the power of continuous thought: beyond that what we ask of him is talent, which is probably another name for conviction.

George Orwell (1903-1950) English journalist, essayist, writer [pseud. of Eric Arthur Blair]
Essay (1946-09), “Politics vs. Literature: An Examination of Gulliver’s Travels,” Polemic, No. 5
(Source)

Roosevelt, Theodore -- Speech (1910-04-23), “Citizenship in a Republic [The Man in the Arena],” Sorbonne, Paris

Dave — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 18:24:39 +0000

The man who does nothing cuts the same sordid figure in the pages of history, whether he be cynic, or fop, or voluptuary. There is little use for the being whose tepid soul knows nothing of the great and generous emotion, of the high pride, the stern belief, the lofty enthusiasm, of the men who quell the storm and ride the thunder.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American politician, statesman, conservationist, writer, US President (1901–1909)
Speech (1910-04-23), “Citizenship in a Republic [The Man in the Arena],” Sorbonne, Paris
(Source)

Roosevelt, Theodore -- Speech (1910-04-23), “Citizenship in a Republic [The Man in the Arena],” Sorbonne, Paris

Dave — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 21:14:25 +0000

In a republic, to be successful we must learn to combine intensity of conviction with a broad tolerance of difference of conviction. Wide differences of opinion in matters of religious, political, and social belief must exist if conscience and intellect alike are not to be stunted, if there is to be room for healthy growth. Bitter internecine hatreds, based on such differences, are signs not of earnestness of belief but of that fanaticism which, whether religious or anti-religious, democratic or anti-democratic, is itself but a manifestation of the gloomy bigotry which has been the chief factor in the downfall of so many, many nations.

Wilde, Oscar -- The Importance of Being Ernest, Act 3 (1895)

Dave — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 22:48:03 +0000

LADY BRACKNELL: I dislike arguments of any kind. They are always vulgar, and often convincing.

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) Irish poet, wit, dramatist
The Importance of Being Ernest, Act 3 (1895)
(Source)

Joubert, Joseph -- Pensées [Thoughts], ch. 4 “De la Nature des Esprits [On the Nature of Minds],” ¶ 36 (1850 ed.) [tr. Calvert (1866), ch. 5]

Dave — Mon, 06 May 2024 14:48:47 +0000

To be enlightened: a big phrase! Certain men think themselves enlightened because they are decided: thus taking conviction for truth, and strong conception for intelligence. There are others who, because they know all the words, think they know all the truths.

[Être éclairé, c’est un grand mot! Il y a certains hommes qui se croient éclairés, parce qu’ils sont décidés, prenant ainsi la conviction pour la vérité, et la forte conception pour l’intelligence. Il en est d’autres qui, parce qu’ils savent tous les mots, croient savoir toutes les vérités.]

Joseph Joubert (1754-1824) French moralist, philosopher, essayist, poet
Pensées [Thoughts], ch. 4 “De la Nature des Esprits [On the Nature of Minds],” ¶ 36 (1850 ed.) [tr. Calvert (1866), ch. 5]
(Source)

(Source (French)). Alternate translations:

Enlightenment -- a great word! Some men think themselves enlightened, because they are decided, taking conviction for truth, and strong conception for intelligence. Others, because they know all that can be said think that they know all truth.
[tr. Lyttelton (1899), ch. 3, ¶ 15]

Enlightenment is a fine word! Some men fancy themselves enlightened because they are decisive, thus taking conviction for truth, and force of conception for intelligence. Others think that because they have every word at their command, they have every truth also.
[tr. Collins (1928), ch. 4]

Because they know all the words, they think they know all the truths.
[tr. Auster (1983)], 1819 entry]

McLaughlin, Mignon -- The Second Neurotic’s Notebook, ch. 4 (1966)

Dave — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 15:04:26 +0000

Other people’s truth may comfort us, but only your own persuades us.

Mignon McLaughlin (1913-1983) American journalist and author
The Second Neurotic’s Notebook, ch. 4 (1966)
(Source)

Cox, Marcelene -- “Ask Any Woman” column, Ladies’ Home Journal (1944-06)

Dave — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 18:50:49 +0000

Narrow-mindedness: allowing one’s prejudices to become convictions.

Marcelene Cox (1900-1998) American writer, columnist, aphorist
“Ask Any Woman” column, Ladies’ Home Journal (1944-06)
(Source)

Yevtushenko, Yevgeny -- “A Career” (1957)

Dave — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 16:11:52 +0000

Time has a way of demonstrating
The most stubborn are the most intelligent.

Yevgeny Yevtushenko (1933-2017) Russian poet, writer, film director, academic [Евге́ний Евтуше́нко, Evgenij Evtušenko]
“A Career” (1957)
(Source)

Gracián, Baltasar -- The Art of Worldly Wisdom [Oráculo Manual y Arte de Prudencia], § 183 (1647) [tr. Fischer (1937)]

Dave — Fri, 13 May 2022 16:21:02 +0000

Every fool stands convinced; and everyone convinced is a fool; and the faultier a man’s judgment, the firmer his conviction.

[Todo necio es persuadido, y todo persuadido necio; y quanto mas erroneo su dictamen, es mayor su tenacidad.]

Baltasar Gracián y Morales (1601-1658) Spanish Jesuit priest, writer, philosopher
The Art of Worldly Wisdom [Oráculo Manual y Arte de Prudencia], § 183 (1647) [tr. Fischer (1937)]
(Source)

(Source (Spanish)). Alternate translation:

All Fools are Opiniatours, and all Opiniatours are Fools. The more Erroneous their Opinions are, the more they hug them.
[Flesher ed. (1685)]

Every fool is fully convinced, and every one fully persuaded is a fool: the more erroneous his judgment the more firmly he holds it.
[tr. Jacobs (1892)]

Fools are stubborn, and the stubborn are fools, and the more erroneous their judgment is, the more they hold onto it.
[tr. Maurer (1992)]

La Bruyere, Jean de -- The Characters [Les Caractères], ch. 1 “Of Works of the Mind [Des Ouvrages de l’Esprit],” § 2 (1.2) (1688) [tr. Stewart (1970), “Of Books”]

Dave — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 15:27:33 +0000

We should strive only to think and speak rightly, without seeking to win others over to our own taste and opinions; that is too great an undertaking.

[Il faut chercher seulement à penser et à parler juste, sans vouloir amener les autres à notre goût et à nos sentiments; c’est une trop grande entreprise.]

Jean de La Bruyère (1645-1696) French essayist, moralist
The Characters [Les Caractères], ch. 1 “Of Works of the Mind [Des Ouvrages de l’Esprit],” § 2 (1.2) (1688) [tr. Stewart (1970), “Of Books”]
(Source)

(Source (French)). Alternate translations:

We must only endeavour to think and speak justly our selves, without aiming to bring others over to our taste and sentiment; We shall find that too great an enterprize.
[Bullord ed. (1696) "Of Polite Learning"]

We must only endeavour to think and speak justly our selves, without aiming to bring others over to our Taste and Sentiments; that would be too great an Enterprize.
[Curll ed. (1713), "Of Works of Wit and Eloquence"]

We must only endeavour to think and speak justly ourselves, without aiming to bring others over to our Taste and Sentiments; that would be too great an Enterprize.
[Browne ed. (1752), "Of Works of Genius"]

We should only endeavor to think and speak correctly ourselves, without wishing to bring others over to our taste and opinions; this would be too great an undertaking.
[tr. Van Laun (1885)]

Foglio, Phil -- Agatha H. and the Siege of Mechanicsburg (2020) [with Kaja Foglio]

Dave — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 16:46:40 +0000

Herr Docktor Getwin Mittelmind (PhD, MD, BFA, University of Salzburg) was a spark who specialized in mad psychology. A specialized field to be sure. He was not locked away in Castle Heterodyne because he built giant anteaters. No, he was locked away in Castle Heterodyne because he could take a perfectly ordinary group of people and within six days they would build a giant anteater — because it was the logical thing to do.

Phil Foglio (b. 1956) American writer, cartoonist
Agatha H. and the Siege of Mechanicsburg (2020) [with Kaja Foglio]
(Source)

Ertz, Susan -- The Story of Julian (1931)

Dave — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 15:40:58 +0000

We were like a lot of clocks, he thought, all striking different hours, all convinced we were telling the right time.

Susan Ertz (1887-1985) Anglo-American writer
The Story of Julian (1931)
(Source)

Browne, Thomas -- Religio Medici, Part 1, sec. 6 (1643)

Dave — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 14:28:37 +0000

A man may be in as just possession of Truth as of a City, and yet be forced to surrender.

Thomas Browne (1605-1682) English physician and author
Religio Medici, Part 1, sec. 6 (1643)
(Source)

Taylor, A. J. P. -- “The view from Twisden Rd.”, interview by Duncan Fallowell, The Spectator (28 May 1983)

Dave — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 18:09:43 +0000

History is not a catalogue but a version of events … a convincing version of events. If an historian is any good, he is convinced by his own version of events and then tries to put this conviction across.

A. J. P. Taylor (1906-1990) British historian, journalist, broadcaster [Alan John Percivale Taylor]
“The view from Twisden Rd.”, interview by Duncan Fallowell, The Spectator (28 May 1983)
(Source)

Pratchett, Terry -- Bromeliad No. 2, Diggers, ch. 4 (1990)

Dave — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 18:47:35 +0000

And the funny thing was that people who weren’t entirely certain they were right always argued much louder than other people, as if the main person they were trying to convince were themselves.

Terry Pratchett (1948-2015) English author
Bromeliad No. 2, Diggers, ch. 4 (1990)
(Source)

Garfield, James A. -- “Gustave Schleicher,” Speech, House of Representatives (17 Feb 1879)

Dave — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 16:14:26 +0000

The men who succeed best in public life are those who take the risk of standing by their own convictions.

James A. Garfield (1831-1881) US President (1881), lawyer, lay preacher, educator
“Gustave Schleicher,” Speech, House of Representatives (17 Feb 1879)
(Source)

Lincoln, Abraham -- Speech (1843-02-22), Temperance Address, Washington Temperance Society, Second Presbyterian Church, Springfield, Illinois

Dave — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 20:33:36 +0000

When the conduct of men is designed to be influenced, persuasion, kind, unassuming persuasion, should ever be adopted. It is an old and a true maxim, that a “drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.” So with men. If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend. Therein is a drop of honey that catches his heart, which, say what he will, is the great high road to his reason, and which, when once gained, you will find but little trouble in convincing his judgment of the justice of your cause, if indeed that cause really be a just one.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) American lawyer, politician, US President (1861-65)
Speech (1843-02-22), Temperance Address, Washington Temperance Society, Second Presbyterian Church, Springfield, Illinois
(Source)

Reported in the Sangamo Journal (1843-03-25).

Twain, Mark -- Dictation (1906-12-02), The Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. 2 (2013)

Dave — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 18:34:02 +0000

How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and how hard it is to undo that work again!

Mark Twain (1835-1910) American writer [pseud. of Samuel Clemens]
Dictation (1906-12-02), The Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. 2 (2013)
(Source)

A phrase that may be the origin the spurious Twain quotation, "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled."

~Other -- Anonymous

Dave — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 20:57:00 +0000

The difference between a conviction and a prejudice is that you can explain a conviction without getting angry.

(Other Authors and Sources)
Anonymous

No definitive source is found for this quotation. Frequently attributed to Gregory Benford, Deeper than the Darkness (1970), but it has shown up anonymously at least as early as 1951 as "filler" material in periodicals. Also sometimes attributed to Samuel Butler or Dorothy Sarnoff, but not with any citation.

Mill, John Stuart -- Considerations on Representative Government, ch. 1 (1861)

Dave — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 15:57:19 +0000

One person with a belief, is a social power equal to ninety-nine who have only interests.

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) English philosopher and economist
Considerations on Representative Government, ch. 1 (1861)
(Source)

Often misquoted, "One person with a belief is equal to a force of ninety-nine who have only interests."

Sinclair, Upton -- I, Candidate for Governor: And How I Got Licked, ch. 20 (1935)

Dave — Thu, 16 Jul 2020 23:08:44 +0000

It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!

Upton Sinclair (1878-1968) American writer, journalist, activist, politician
I, Candidate for Governor: And How I Got Licked, ch. 20 (1935)
(Source)

A regular comment of his on the campaign trail. The wording is Sinclair's, though there are earlier references with the same sentiment (see here for more discussion).

Often misattributed to H. L. Mencken. (e.g., "Never argue with a man whose job depends on not being convinced") though not found in his work.

Publilius Syrus -- Sentences [Sententiae], #296

Dave — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 21:11:26 +0000

Acquitting the guilty convicts the judge.

[Iudex damnatur cum nocens absolvitur.]

Publilius Syrus (d. 42 BC) Assyrian slave, writer, philosopher [less correctly Publius Syrus]
Sentences [Sententiae], #296
(Source)

Motto of the Edinburgh Review. Alt. trans.:

"When the guilty man is let off, the judge stands condemned."
"The judge is condemned when the criminal is acquitted." [tr. Lyman (1856), #868]

There were multiple collections made of Publilius Syrus' Sententiae in Antiquity and the Middle Ages. This appears in all of them, but often with different line/sentence numbers, incl. #256 and #257.

McGinley, Phyllis -- “Moody Reflections,” The New Yorker (13 Feb 1954)

Dave — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 18:08:14 +0000

When blithe to argument I come,
Though armed with facts, and merry,
May Providence protect me from
The fool as adversary,
Whose mind to him a kingdom is
Where reason lacks dominion,
Who calls conviction prejudice
And prejudice opinion.

Phyllis McGinley (1905-1978) American author, poet
“Moody Reflections,” The New Yorker (13 Feb 1954)
(Source)

Wright, Fanny -- A Course of Popular Lectures, Lecture 3, “Of the more Important Divisions and Essential Parts of Knowledge” (1829)

Dave — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 21:45:24 +0000

Be not afraid! In admitting a creator, refuse not to examine his creation; and take not the assertions of creatures like yourselves, in place of the evidence of your senses and the conviction of your understanding.

Frances "Fanny" Wright (1795-1852) Scottish-American writer, lecturer, social reformer
A Course of Popular Lectures, Lecture 3, “Of the more Important Divisions and Essential Parts of Knowledge” (1829)
(Source)

Warren, Rick -- “Rick Warren on Muslims, Evangelism & Missions,” interview with Brandon A. Cox, Christian Post (2 Mar 2012)

Dave — Mon, 27 May 2019 18:57:03 +0000

Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that, if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe, say, or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.

Rick Warren (b. 1954) American Christian pastor and author
“Rick Warren on Muslims, Evangelism & Missions,” interview with Brandon A. Cox, Christian Post (2 Mar 2012)
(Source)

Colton, Charles Caleb -- Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Vol. 1, § 240 (1820)

Dave — Sat, 19 Jan 2019 05:17:35 +0000

The intoxication of anger, like that of the grape, shows us to others, but hides us from ourselves; and we injure our own cause, in the opinion of the world, when we too passionately and eagerly defend it […] Neither will all men be disposed to view our quarrels precisely in the same light that we do; and a man’s blindness to his own defects will ever increase, in proportion as he is angry with others, or pleased with himself.

Charles Caleb "C. C." Colton (1780-1832) English cleric, writer, aphorist
Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Vol. 1, § 240 (1820)
(Source)

Taylor, Henry -- The Statesman: An Ironical Treatise on the Art of Succeeding, ch. 17 (1836)

Dave — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 01:50:02 +0000

Considering the temptations under which politicians are placed, of changing their opinions, or rather their professions of opinion, from motives of self interest, the world will not give them credit for motives of honest conviction, unless when the change shall be to their manifest loss and disadvantage.

Henry Taylor (1800-1886) English dramatist, poet, bureaucrat, man of letters
The Statesman: An Ironical Treatise on the Art of Succeeding, ch. 17 (1836)
(Source)

Broun, Heywood -- New York World (6 Feb 1928)

Dave — Wed, 24 May 2017 17:42:07 +0000

Just as every conviction begins as a whim so does every emancipator serve his apprenticeship as a crank. A fanatic is a great leader who is just entering the room.

Heywood Broun (1888-1939) American journalist, author
New York World (6 Feb 1928)
(Source)

Adams, John -- Letter (1782-09-27) to Edmund Jenings

Dave — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 03:49:41 +0000

Thanks be to God, that he gave me Stubborness, when I know I am right.

John Adams (1735–1826) American lawyer, Founding Father, statesman, US President (1797–1801)
Letter (1782-09-27) to Edmund Jenings
(Source)

Liddell Hart, B. H. -- The German Generals Talk, ch. 4 (1948)

Dave — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 00:26:41 +0000

Unwilling executants do not make for good execution.

B. H. Liddell Hart (1895-1970) English soldier, military historian (Basil Henry Liddell Hart)
The German Generals Talk, ch. 4 (1948)

Twain, Mark -- (Spurious)

Dave — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 13:00:11 +0000

It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.

Mark Twain (1835-1910) American writer [pseud. of Samuel Clemens]
(Spurious)

Not found in Twain's writings. The earliest attribution to him appears to be in 2011. The connection to Twain may be his (authentic) comment, "How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and how hard it is to undo that work again!"

For more discussion of this quotation, see Quote Origin: It’s Easier To Fool People Than To Convince Them That They’ve Been Fooled – Quote Investigator®.

Pliny the Younger -- Letters, Book 1, Letter 20 [tr. Radice (1963)]

Dave — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 12:59:58 +0000

Everyone is prejudiced in favor his own powers of discernment, and will always find an argument most convincing if it leads to the conclusion he has reached for himself; everyone must then be given something he can grasp and recognize as his own idea.

Pliny the Younger (c. 61-c. 113) Roman politician, writer [Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus]
Letters, Book 1, Letter 20 [tr. Radice (1963)]

Chesterfield (Lord) -- Letter to his son, #183 (22 May 1749)

Dave — Thu, 23 Jul 2015 14:37:40 +0000

Some people are to be reasoned, some flattered, some intimidated, and some teased into a thing; but, in general, all are to be brought into it at last, if skillfully applied to, properly managed, and indefatigably attacked in their several weak places.

Lord Chesterfield (1694-1773) English statesman, wit [Philip Dormer Stanhope]
Letter to his son, #183 (22 May 1749)
(Source)

Cicero, Marcus Tullius -- (Attributed)

Dave — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 13:32:30 +0000

There is no better way to convince others than first to convince oneself.

Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC) Roman orator, statesman, philosopher
(Attributed)
(Source)

In Martin Luther, Table Talk (1566) [tr. Smith & Gallinger (1915)].

Locke, John -- An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Book 4, ch. 20, “Of Wrong Assent, or Error” (1690)

Dave — Fri, 15 May 2015 12:13:38 +0000

Earthly minds, like mud walls, resist the strongest batteries: and though, perhaps, sometimes the force of a clear argument may make some impression, yet they nevertheless stand firm, and keep out the enemy, truth, that would captivate or disturb them. Tell a man passionately in love that he is jilted; bring a score of witnesses of the falsehood of his mistress, it is ten to one but three kind words of hers shall invalidate all their testimonies.

John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Book 4, ch. 20, “Of Wrong Assent, or Error” (1690)

Pratchett, Terry -- Discworld No. 31, Monstrous Regiment (2003)

Dave — Wed, 06 May 2015 12:01:58 +0000

The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they’ve found it.

Terry Pratchett (1948-2015) English author
Discworld No. 31, Monstrous Regiment (2003)
(Source)

Hume, David -- An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Sec. 10 “Of Miracles,” Part 1 (1748)

Dave — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 14:03:25 +0000

In our reasonings concerning matter of fact, there are all imaginable degrees of assurance, from the highest certainty to the lowest species of moral evidence. A wise man, therefore, proportions his belief to the evidence. […] No testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony be of such a kind, that its falsehood would be more miraculous, than the fact, which it endeavors to establish.

David Hume (1711-1776) Scottish philosopher, economist, historian, empiricist
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Sec. 10 “Of Miracles,” Part 1 (1748)

Often given as just, "A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence."

Jefferson, Thomas -- Letter (1808-11-24) to Thomas Jefferson Randolph

Dave — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 12:31:46 +0000

But in stating prudential rules for our government in society I must not omit the important one of never entering into dispute or argument with another. I never yet saw an instance of one of two disputants convincing the other by argument. I have seen many of their getting warm, becoming rude, & shooting one another. Conviction is the effect of our own dispassionate reasoning, either in solitude, or weighing within ourselves dispassionately what we hear from others standing uncommitted in argument ourselves.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) American political philosopher, polymath, statesman, US President (1801-09)
Letter (1808-11-24) to Thomas Jefferson Randolph

Shaw, George Bernard -- Plays Unpleasant, Preface (1898)

Dave — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 16:11:31 +0000

Rich men without convictions are more dangerous in modern society than poor women without chastity.

George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) Irish playwright and critic
Plays Unpleasant, Preface (1898)

Hoffer, Eric -- True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements, Part 3, ch. 14, § 84 (1951)

Dave — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 13:16:36 +0000

Propaganda thus serves more to justify ourselves than to convince others; and the more reason we have to feel guilty, the more fervent our propaganda.

Eric Hoffer (1902-1983) American writer, philosopher, longshoreman
True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements, Part 3, ch. 14, § 84 (1951)
(Source)

Thoreau, Henry David -- A Week on the Concord and Marrimack Rivers, “Sunday” (1849)

Dave — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:43:36 +0000

You can hardly convince a man of an error in a lifetime, but must content yourself with the reflection that the progress of science is slow. If he is not convinced, his grandchildren may be.

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) American philosopher and writer
A Week on the Concord and Marrimack Rivers, “Sunday” (1849)
(Source)

Hoffer, Eric -- True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements, Part 3, ch. 14, § 83 (3.14.83) (1951)

Dave — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:27:55 +0000

The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new; nor can it keep people persuaded once they have ceased to believe. It penetrates only into minds already open, and rather than instill opinion it articulates and justifies opinions already present in the minds of its recipients. The gifted propagandist brings to a boil ideas and passions already simmering in the minds of his hearers. he echoes their innermost feelings. Where opinion is not coerced, people can be made to believe only in what they already “know.”

Eric Hoffer (1902-1983) American writer, philosopher, longshoreman
True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements, Part 3, ch. 14, § 83 (3.14.83) (1951)
(Source)

Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Jr. -- “Natural Law,” Harvard Law Review (1918-11)

Dave — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:56:26 +0000

Certitude is not the test of certainty. We have been cocksure of many things that were not so.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935) American jurist, Supreme Court Justice
“Natural Law,” Harvard Law Review (1918-11)
(Source)

Legal citation: 32 Harvard Law Review 40, 41 (1918).

Byron, George Gordon, Lord -- Letter (1818-05-09) to John Murray

Dave — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:44:37 +0000

Opinions are made to be changed — or how is truth to be got at?

George Gordon, Lord Byron (1788-1824) English poet
Letter (1818-05-09) to John Murray

Carlyle, Thomas -- Sartor Resartus, Book 2, ch. 9 (1834)

Dave — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:49:32 +0000

But indeed Conviction, were it never so excellent, is worthless till it convert itself into Conduct. Nay properly Conviction is not possible ill then.

Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) Scottish essayist and historian
Sartor Resartus, Book 2, ch. 9 (1834)
(Source)

Quoting Herr Teufelsdröckh.

This chapter first appeared in Fraser's Magazine for Town and Country, Vol. 9, No. 52 (1834-04).

Marshall, Peter -- Prayer at opening of US Senate session (1947-04-18)

Dave — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 22:40:45 +0000

Give to us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for — because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything.

Peter Marshall (1902-1949) Scottish-American preacher, author, US Senate chaplain
Prayer at opening of US Senate session (1947-04-18)
(Source)

This phrase has a significant history prior to Marshall's use of it; see Quote Origin: If You Don’t Stand for Something, You’ll Fall for Anything – Quote Investigator®.

Dunne, Finley Peter -- “Casual Observations,” Mr. Dooley’s Opinions (1901)

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

A fanatic is a man who does what he thinks th’ Lord wud do if He knew th’ facts iv the case.

[A fanatic is a man who does what he thinks the Lord would do if He knew the facts of the case.]

Finley Peter Dunne (1867-1936) American humorist and journalist
“Casual Observations,” Mr. Dooley’s Opinions (1901)

Yeats, William Butler -- “The Second Coming,” ll.1-8 (1920)

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

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) Irish poet and dramatist
“The Second Coming,” ll.1-8 (1920)
(Source)

More examination of this quotation: The Best Lack All Conviction While the Worst Are Full of Passionate Intensity – Quote Investigator. See also Russell and Bukowski.

Russell, John "jr" -- Belief-L

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

In my opinion, any faith that cannot withstand a little shaking isn’t constructed too well to begin with. Jesus built his church on a rock, not on swampland.

John Russell (contemp.) ("jr")
Belief-L

Montaigne, Michel de -- Essays, Book 1, ch. 31 (1.31), “That a Man Is Soberly to Judge of the Divine Ordinance [Qu’il faut sobrement se mesler de juger des ordonnances divines] (1572) [tr. Frame (1943), ch. 32]

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

Nothing is so firmly believed as what is least known.

[N’est rien creu si fermement, que ce qu’on sçait le moins.]

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
Essays, Book 1, ch. 31 (1.31), “That a Man Is Soberly to Judge of the Divine Ordinance [Qu’il faut sobrement se mesler de juger des ordonnances divines] (1572) [tr. Frame (1943), ch. 32]
(Source)

Both the essay and the quote appeared in the 1st (1580) edition.

(Source (French)). Alternate translations:

Nothing is so firmely beleeved, as that which a man knoweth least.
[tr. Florio (1603)]

Nothing is so firmly believed as what we least know.
[tr. Cotton (1686)]

What we know is the least of what we do not know.
[tr. Friswell (1868)]

Nothing is so firmly believed, as what we least know.
[tr. Cotton/Hazlitt (1877)]

Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we know least.
[tr. Ives (1925), ch. 32]

Nothing is so firmly believed as whatever we know least about.
[tr. Screech (1987), ch. 32]

Austen, Jane -- Sense and Sensibility, ch. 31 [Col. Brandon] (1811)

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

Where so many hours have been spent in convincing myself that I am right, is there not some reason to fear I may be wrong?

Jane Austen (1775-1817) English author
Sense and Sensibility, ch. 31 [Col. Brandon] (1811)
(Source)