Quotes About Conviction

No, Stubb; you may pound that knot there as much as you please, but you will never pound into me what you were just now saying.

Nor is the history of fanatics half so striking in respect to the measureless self-deception of the fanatic himself, as his measureless power of deceiving and bedevilling so many others.

Non di rado accade che, quando un uomo si trova contrariato in modo inconsueto e violentemente assurdo, egli cominci a nutrir dubbi sulle sue più salde convinzioni. Egli comincia, per così dire, a dubitare vagamente che, per strana che la cosa possa sembrare, la ragione e la giustizia si trovino dall'altra parte.

The higher the intelligence, the more faith, and the less credulity; Gabriel rejects more than we, but out-believes us all.

Phil's a slow-thinking sort, so I usually tied him up. He's one of the few communists I've ever been able to stand. They're like the abolitionists. Their cause may be just, but their personalities are repulsive. I don't really know whether they're right or not, and I don't care.

Yo creo que el honor es un sentimiento muy vivo, pero también estoy convencido de que las formas ya superadas están llenas de apatía y de que hace falta un cansancio infinito para entregarse a un convencionalismo romántico y muerto del sentimiento. Se tiene que estar desesperado, perdido...

Scepticism is as much the result of knowledge, as knowledge is of scepticism. To be content with what we at present know, is, for the most part, to shut our ears against conviction; since, from the very gradual character of our education, we must continually forget, and emancipate ourselves from, knowledge previously acquired; we must set aside old notions and embrace fresh ones; and, as we learn, we must be daily unlearning something which it has cost us no small labour and anxiety to acquire.

Each new conviction flowing from abroad entered the marketplace of ideas, vied for buyers, and if it became a hit, gathered round it a fan club, its own minisociety.

There are moments in our lives when we summon the courage to make choices that go against reason, against common sense and the wise counsel of people we trust. But we lean forward nonetheless because, despite all risks and rational argument, we believe that the path we are choosing is right and best thing to do. We refuse to be bystanders, even if we do not know exactly where our actions will lead.

If a man is convinced that he is safe only as long as he uses his power to give others a sense of insecurity, then the measure of their security is in his hands. If security or insecurity is at the mercy of a single individual or group, then control of behavior becomes routine. All imperialism functions in this way.

To hell with your courts, I know what justice is.

I ain't gonna kill; it's against my will. . . .

and he would probably not agree with my conviction that a sense of humor is the main measure of sanity. But who can say for sure? Humor is a very private thing.

Most people who deal in words don't have much faith in them and I am no exception.

No one HAS to do something he doesn't want to do for the rest of his life. But then again, if that's what you wind up doing, by all means convince yourself that you HAD to do it. You'll have lots of company.

Emerson argued that "the whole secret of the teacher's force lies in the conviction that men are convertible, and they are. They want awakening, [and for that purpose they need teachers] to get the soul out of bed, out of her deep habitual sleep." That

No! ¿Cuántas veces te he dicho que no des tu brazo a torcer? Lo más importante para ganar una discusión es no vacilar, aunque tengas dudas y mucho menos si estás equivocada.

Naturally, also, both sides were convinced they had right on their side, not that either was remotely naive enough to think that had any possible bearing on the outcome whatsoever.

Atât timp cât un num?r suficient de oameni cred c? e autentic, chiar e.

O jeito de um garoto argumentar é encontrar uma posição defensiva e mantê-la, mesmo quando ela não é sincera.

It was the puritan in him that couldn't take it.

must say that I think we can accept

Especially difficult when the first and best unconscious move of a dedicated liar is to persuade himself he's sincere. And once he's sincere, all deception vanishes.

her conviction that love that did not find its expression in a letter was not perfect.