Skepticism Quotes - Page 3

• The truth may be puzzling. It may take some work to grapple with. It may be counterintuitive. It may contradict deeply held prejudices. It may not be consonant with what we desperately want to be true. But our preferences do not determine what's true.

  Carl Sagan

  Science, Prejudice, Vastness

  "Wonder and Skepticism". The Skeptical Inquirer 19 (1), www.csicop.org. January/February 1995.

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• It is the tension between creativity and skepticism that has produced the stunning and unexpected findings of science.

  Carl Sagan

  Creativity, Science, Unexpected

  Carl Sagan (2011). “Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science”, p.73, Ballantine Books

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• Lord I disbelieve - help thou my unbelief.

  E. M. Forster

  Helping, Belief, Lord

  1951 Two Cheers for Democracy,'What I Believe'.

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• There is something pagan in me that I cannot shake off. In short, I deny nothing, but doubt everything.

  Lord Byron

  Inspirational, Life, Religion

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• Doubt is an element of criticism, and the tendency of criticism is necessarily skeptical.

  Benjamin Disraeli

  Doubt, Criticism, Elements

  Benjamin Disraeli (Earl of Beaconsfield) (1864). “Church policy: a speech delivered by the Right Hon. B. Disraeli, M.P. at a meeting of the Oxford Diocesan Society for the Augmentation of Small Livings, in the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford, Nov. 25, 1864, etc”, p.17

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• Where journalists have gotten themselves in trouble over the last few decades is that their skepticism often extends only to American officials, the U.S. military and Republican politicians.

  Linda Chavez

  Military, Lasts, Republican

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• My position now, especially in this town, adds an element of skepticism with people you meet - especially girls. I mean, it becomes a lot more difficult.

  Jason Biggs

  Girl, Mean, People

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• There is no natural phenomenon that is comparable with the sudden and apparently accidentally timed development of science, except perhaps the condensation of a super-saturated gas or the explosion of some unpredictable explosives.

  Eugene Wigner

  Development, Natural, Explosions

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• A man receives only what he is ready to receive... The phenomenon or fact that cannot in any wise be linked with the rest of what he has observed, he does not observe.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Wise, Science, Men

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• 'Type one' error is thinking that something special is happening when nothing special really is happening. 'Type two' error is thinking that nothing special is happening, when in fact something rare or infrequent is happening.'

  Marcello Truzzi

  Thinking, Two, Errors

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• He talks about the Scylla of Atheism and the Charybdis of Christianity - a state of mind which, by the way, is not conducive to bold navigation.

  Norman Douglas

  Mind, Atheism, Scylla

  Norman Douglas (2014). “South Wind”, p.166, Courier Corporation

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• Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?

  Epicurus

  God, Spiritual, Religious

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• In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.

  Carl Sagan

  Change, Learning, Humility

  Keynote address at CSICOP conference in 1987. "Do Science and the Bible Conflict?" Book by Judson Poling, p. 30, 2003.

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  The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.

  Bertrand Russell

  Education, Confidence, Wisdom

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• Great intellects are skeptical.

  Friedrich Nietzsche

  Intellect, Skeptical

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• I am ready to reject all belief and reasoning, and can look upon no opinion even as more probable or likely than another.

  David Hume

  Looks, Belief, Opinion

  David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.244, Delphi Classics

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• Truth, Sir, is a cow which will yield such people no more milk, and so they are gone to milk the bull.

  Samuel Johnson

  Truth, Yield, People

  1763 Of sceptics. Remark, 21 Jul. Quoted in James Boswell The Life of Samuel Johnson (1791), vol.1.

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• Skepticism, riddling the faith of yesterday, prepared the way for the faith of tomorrow.

  Romain Rolland

  Faith, Yesterday, Way

  Romain Rolland (1962). “John Christopher: Journey's end”

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• There is a very important distinction between a critical attitude of mind (or critical faculty) and a sceptical attitude.

  William Beveridge

  Attitude, Mind, Important

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• The soul is the perceiver and revealer of truth. We know truth when we see it, let skeptic and scoffer say what they choose. Foolish people ask you, when you have spoken what they do not wish to hear, 'How do you know it is truth, and not an error of your own?' We know truth when we see it, from opinion, as we know when we are awake that we are awake.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Truth, Mistake, Errors

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1983). “Essays and Lectures”, p.391, Library of America

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• Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist.

  George Carlin

  Funny, Disappointment, Humor

  "A Note on George Carlin about Steroids and Sports from a Practical Idealist" by Carol Smaldino, www.huffingtonpost.com. June 19, 2009.

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• In the past 10,000 years, humans have devised roughly 100,000 religions based on roughly 2,500 gods. So the only difference between myself and the believers is that I am skeptical of 2,500 gods whereas they are skeptical of 2,499 gods. We're only one God away from total agreement.

  Michael Shermer

  Funny, God, Atheist

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• Skepticism is a virtue in history as well as in philosophy.

  Napoleon Bonaparte

  Philosophy, Virtue, Skeptical

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• Skepticism, like chastity, should not be relinquished too readily.

  George Santayana

  Dignity, Internet, Free Speech

  "Quotations for Our Time" edited by Laurence J. Peter, 1977.

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• On the road from the City of Skepticism, I had to pass through the Valley of Ambiguity.

  Adam Smith

  Cities, Progress, Valleys

  Adam Smith (1978). “Powers of Mind”

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