Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.
[Wer es unternimmt, auf dem Gebiet der Wahrheit und der Erkenntnis als Autoritat aufzutreten, scheitert am Gelachter der Gotter.]
Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-American physicist
Essay (1953-05-23), “Aphorisms for Leo Baeck [Neun Aphorismen], No. 8, Essays Presented to Leo Baeck on the Occasion of His Eightieth Birthday (1954) [Einstein Archives 28-962]
(Source)
Leo Baeck (1873-1956) was a noted a German rabbi, scholar, and theologian.
(Source (German)). Another translation:He who endeavors to present himself as an authority in matters of truth and cognition, will be wrecked by the laughter of the gods.
[Source]
Quotations about:
judgment
Note not all quotations have been tagged, so Search may find additional quotes on this topic.
Men are disturbed, not by things, but by the principles and notions which they form concerning things.
Epictetus (c. 55-c. 135 AD) Greek (Phrygian) Stoic philosopher [Ἐπίκτητος, Epíktētos]
The Enchiridion (c. 135)
Other translations: "We suffer not from the events in our lives, but from our judgment about them."
One man’s perfectly rational and objective decision making may be another man’s utter insanity.
(Other Authors and Sources)
Ron Ward
Everyone complains of his memory, but no one complains of his judgment.
[Tout le monde se plaint de sa mémoire, et personne ne se plaint de son jugement.]
François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶89 (1665-1678)
First appeared in the 2nd (1666) edition. The written manuscript adds "because everyone believes they have a lot of it."
See also Montaigne (1578), Franklin (1745).
(Source (French)). Other translations:Every body complains for want of Memory; but you never find any body complain of the Weakness of his Judgment.
[tr. Stanhope (1694), ¶90]Every one complains of the badness of his memory, but nobody of his judgment.
[pub. Donaldson (1783), ¶263; ed. Lepoittevin-Lacroix (1797), ¶86]Of the want of memory every one complains;, but nobody of the want of judgment.
[ed. Carvill (1835), ¶263]Every one complains of his memory, and no one complains of his judgment.
[ed. Gowens (1851), ¶92]Everyone blames his memory, no one blames his judgment.
[tr. Bund/Friswell (1871), ¶89]Everyone blames his memory, no one his judgment.
[tr. Heard (1917), ¶89]Everyone finds fault with his memory, but none with his judgement.
[tr. Stevens (1939), ¶89]Everyone complains of his memory, none of his judgment.
[tr. FitzGibbon (1957), ¶89]Everyone complains of his memory and no one complains of his judgment.
[tr. Kronenberger (1959), ¶89]Everybody complains of his memory, but nobody of his judgment.
[tr. Tancock (1959), ¶89]Everybody complains of his memory; but when did you ever hear anybody complain about his judgement?
[tr. Whichello (2016), ¶89]
My friend Sir Roger heard them both upon a round trot; and after having paused some time, told them with an air of a man who would not give his judgment rashly, that “much might be said on both sides.”
Joseph Addison (1672–1719) English essayist, poet, statesman
Essay (1711-07-20), The Spectator, No. 122
(Source)
Each man must use his own judgement.
[Suo cuique iudicio est utendum.]
Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 BC) Roman orator, statesman, philosopher
De Natura Deorum, Book 3, ch. 1 [tr. Rackham (1933)]
(Source)
