Quotes About Certainty

Doubt is not a very agreeable state, but certainty is a ridiculous one.

Intolerance is the natural concomitant of strong faith; tolerance grows only when faith loses certainty; certainty is murderous.

The further I go, the more I am confirmed in the idea that systems of metaphysics are for philosophers what novels are for women."59 "It is only charlatans who are certain. We know nothing of first principles. It is truly extravagant to define God, angels, and minds, and to know precisely why God formed the world, when we do not know why we move our arms at will. Doubt is not a very agreeable state, but certainty is a ridiculous one.

I know that I am not right about everything, and yet I am simultaneously convinced that I am. I believe these two things completely, and yet they are in catastrophic logical opposition to each other.

If the Sun and Moon should ever doubt, they'd immediately go out.

He who replies to words of doubt doth put the light of knowledge out.

I have teken refuge in the doctrine that advises one not to seek tranquility in certainty but in permanently suspended judgement.

When I think of my youth, he went in, what we took for granted, what we assumed was for ever certain, for ever permanent.

It's funny how, sometimes, one can be so convinced, so utterly certain, about something as entirely fickle as strong emotion

The reason you will not say it is, when you say it, even to yourself, you will know it is true.

The reason you will not say it is, when you say it, even to yourself, you will know it is true: is that it? But you know it is true now.

making of unreality a possibility, then a probability, then an incontrovertible fact

that adult trait of being convinced of anything by an assumption of silent superiority

It's just, sometimes it's just too God damned long to be able to keep believing something's real...

The shortcomings of the system are best understood as the result of taking this ocean of data, and the decision points produced by our algorithms, as a near enough substitute for perfect certainty. My own best results are often due to pretending I know relatively little, and acting accordingly, though it's easier said than done. Far easier.

Life's scientific, but we don't know, do we? Not certainly, I mean.

I am astonished at the ease with which uninformed persons come to a settled, a passionate opinion when they have no grounds for judgment.

We think we know . Know? That's worse than an atom bomb, and always was.

The trouble is: Are there ghosts, Piggy? Or beasts?" " 'Course there aren't." "Why not?" "'Cos things wouldn't make sense. Houses an' streets, an'—TV—they wouldn't work.

That was the voice of one who knew his own mind.

One thing you know when you're ten is that no matter what, there's gonna be a happy ending. They can sweat all they want, the authors, but back of it all you know, you just have no doubt, that in the long run justice is going to win out.

When this is over we will see who is right, and who is dead.

No one could be following us yet?" the Spaniard asked. "No one," the Sicilian assured him. "It would be inconceivable." "Absolutely inconceivable?" "Absolutely, totally, and, in all other ways, inconceivable," the Sicilian reassured him. "Why do you ask?

No one could be following us yet?" the Spaniard asked. "No one," the Sicilian assured him. "It would be inconceivable." "Absolutely inconceivable?" "Absolutely, totally, and, in all other ways, inconceivable," the Sicilian reassured him. "Why do you ask?" "No reason," the Spaniard replied. "It's only that I just happened to look back and something's there.