WIST Quotations

Orwell, George -- Essay (1942-08), “Looking Back on the Spanish War, ch. 3, New Road (1943-06)

Dave — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 16:32:43 +0000

One of the effects of safe and civilized life is an immense oversensitiveness which makes all the primary emotions seem somewhat disgusting. Generosity is as painful as meanness, gratitude as hateful as ingratitude.

George Orwell (1903–1950) English journalist, essayist, writer [pseud. of Eric Arthur Blair]
Essay (1942-08), “Looking Back on the Spanish War, ch. 3, New Road (1943-06)
(Source)

Austen, Jane -- Sense and Sensibility, ch. 1 (1811)

Dave — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 17:21:01 +0000

They gave themselves up wholly to their sorrow, seeking increase of wretchedness in every reflection that could afford it, and resolved against ever admitting consolation in future.

Jane Austen (1775–1817) English author
Sense and Sensibility, ch. 1 (1811)
(Source)

Inge, William Ralph -- Assessments and Anticipations, ch. 7 “Faith” (1929)

Dave — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 17:55:14 +0000

Protestant theology has restricted the meaning of Faith too much — explaining it as subjective assurance or trust. It has sometimes been assumed that this attitude of throwing oneself into the arms of Divine grace may dispense us from the duty of forming rational convictions, and of directing our lives in accordance with them. Faith and fact come to be divorced. Either they are supposed to be directed to different objects, or we are told that the same proposition may be true for faith and false for science — in which case we are on a quicksand, and are driven to play fast and loose with veracity.

William Ralph Inge (1860–1954) English prelate [Dean Inge]
Assessments and Anticipations, ch. 7 “Faith” (1929)
(Source)

Van Gogh, Vincent -- Letter to Theo Van Gogh (Jul 1889)

Dave — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 15:05:31 +0000

Let’s not forget that the little emotions are the great captains of our lives, and we obey them without realizing it.

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) Dutch painter
Letter to Theo Van Gogh (Jul 1889)
(Source)

Swift, Jonathan -- Essay (1720-01-09), “Letter to a Young Clergyman”

Dave — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 13:01:18 +0000

Reasoning will never make a Man correct an ill Opinion, which by Reasoning he never acquired.

Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) English writer and churchman
Essay (1720-01-09), “Letter to a Young Clergyman”
(Source)

Earliest version of this general sentiment, which has been attributed to (or at times borrowed by) figures such as Mark Twain, Sydney Smith, Fisher Ames, and Lyman Beecher.

Variants:

Reasoning will never make a man correct an opinion that they have not reasoned themselves into.
Men are not to be reasoned out of an opinion that they have not reasoned themselves into.
Reasoning will never make a man correct an opinion, which by reasoning he never acquired.
It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he never was reasoned into.
We may never reason a man out of an opinion which he was never reasoned into.
You cannot reason a man out of what he never reasoned himself into.
You can’t reason someone out of something they weren’t reasoned into.
He cannot be reasoned out of error, if he was not at first reasoned into it.
What has not been reasoned in, cannot be reasoned out.
Never try to reason the prejudice out of a man. It was never reasoned into him and it never can be reasoned out of him.
It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of anything he was never reasoned into.

For more information about this quotation: You Cannot Reason People Out of Something They Were Not Reasoned Into – Quote Investigator.