Quotes About Opinion

since persons, even of considerable mental endowment, often give themselves so little trouble to understand the bearings of any opinion against which they entertain a prejudice, and men are in general so little conscious of this voluntary ignorance as a defect that the vulgarest misunderstandings of ethical doctrines are continually met with in the deliberate writings of persons of the greatest pretensions both to high principle and to philosophy.

There is a limit to the legitimate interference of collective opinion with individual independence: and to find that limit, and maintain it against encroachment, is as indispensable to a good condition of human affairs, as protection against political despotism. But

La ventaja real que la verdad tiene consiste en esto: que cuando una opinión es verdadera, puede ser extinguida una, dos o muchas veces, pero en el curso de las edades, generalmente, se encontrarán personas que la vuelvan a descubrir, y una de estas reapariciones tendrá lugar en un tiempo en el que por circunstancias favorables escape a la persecución, hasta que consiga la fuerza necesaria para resistir todos los intentos ulteriores para suprimirla.

is the appropriate region of human liberty. It comprises, first, the inward domain of consciousness; demanding liberty of conscience, in the most comprehensive sense; liberty of thought and feeling; absolute freedom of opinion and sentiment on all subjects, practical or speculative, scientific, moral, or theological.

only through diversity of opinion is there, in the existing state of human intellect, a chance of fair play to all sides of the truth.

Se c'è qualcuno che contesta un'opinione comunemente accettata, o che lo farebbe se solo la legge o l'opinione pubblica glielo consentissero, non abbiamo che da ringraziarlo, spalancare la nostra mente per ascoltarlo, rallegrarci che ci sia qualcuno pronto a fare per noi quel che ci costerebbe ben più fatica fare da soli, sempre che almeno un po' ci importi della certezza o della vitalità delle nostre convinzioni.

the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.

Quem pode calcular o que se perde com a multidão de inteligências, a coexistirem com caracteres tímidos, que não se aventuram a incorporar-se em nenhuma corrente arrojada, vigorosa e independente de opinião, com o temor de que ela os leve a alguma coisa que possa ser taxada de irreligiosa ou imoral?

There is the greatest difference between assuming an opinion to be true, because, with every opportunity for contesting it, it has not been refuted, and assuming its truth for the purpose of not permitting its refutation. Complete liberty of contradicting and disproving our opinion, is the very condition which justifies us in assuming its truth for purposes of action; and on no other terms can a being with human faculties have any rational assurance of being right.

and to extinguish all books, all schools, all combinations of individuals for joint action upon society, which may be attempted for the purpose of keeping alive a spirit at variance with its own. Is it, we say, the proper condition of man, in all ages and nations, to be under the despotism of Public Opinion?

Only through diversity of opinion is there, in the existing state of the human intellect, a chance of fair play to all sides of the truth.

There is a limit to the legitimate interference of collective opinion with individual independence; and to find that limit, and maintain it against encroachment, is as indispensable to a good condition of human affairs, as protection against political despotism.

It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig is of a different opinion, it is because they only know their own side of the question.

S'il y a des gens pour contester une opinion reçue ou pour désirer le faire si la loi ou l'opinion publique le leur permet, il faut les en remercier, ouvrir nos esprits à leurs paroles et nous réjouir qu'il y en ait qui fassent pour nous ce que nous devrions prendre davantage la peine de faire, si tant est que la certitude ou la vitalité de nos convictions nous importe.

However unwillingly a person who has a strong opinion may admit the possibility that his opinion may be false, he ought to be moved by the consideration that, however true it may be, if it is not fully, frequently, and fearlessly discussed, it will be held as a dead dogma, not a living truth.

And I say to myself, please, John, don't throw up over Vladimir Putin.

That's one of my Goddam precious American rights, not to think about politics.

There's been no top authority saying what marijuana does to you. I tried it once but it didn't do anything to me.

Although every man necessarily believes that every particular opinion which he holds is true (for to believe any opinion is not true, is the same thing as not to hold it); yet can no man be assured that all his own opinions, taken together, are true. Nay, every thinking man is assured they are not, to be ignorant of many things, and to mistake in some, is the necessary condition of humanity.

In the mirror,' she thought, 'he sees something unreal - he sees the opinion of the world, is driven by fear of the world and judges me by the world's standards. But the world isn't real. It has no existence. Mr. Taylor is real - or was until this morning - and I am real, but what is Roddy? He is just a man looking into a mirror watching his own face growing angrier.

Find out who you are and figure out what you believe in. Even if it's different from what your neighbors believe in and different from what your parents believe in. Stay true to yourself. Have your own opinion. Don't worry about what people say about you or think about you. Let the naysayers nay. They will eventually grow tired of naying.

Applause, mingled with boos and hisses, is about all that the average voter is able or willing to contribute to public life.

Each opinion, each view is necessarily partial, truncated, inadequate. In philosophy and in anything, originality comes down to incomplete definitions.

If it is true that God dislikes taking sides, I should feel no awkwardness in His presence, so pleased would I be to imitate Him, to be like Him, in everything, "without opinion.