Quotes About Skepticism

If you do magic, it's the quickest most fraudulent route to impressing people.

People will always want a free lunch.

Suddenly the thought struck MacVeagh: President (Mark) Hollenbach must not be allowed to go into the conference with Zuchek (Russian premier). My God, Mark might be capable of anything. Who knew what Zuchek, a patient, steel-nerved negotiator, utterly devoted to Russia's self-interest, vs Hollenbach, whose once brilliant mind now was obsessed with fancied tormentors and played like a child's with the toy blocks of destiny.

My consultants recommended several nihilists and existentialists but I rejected them all. A black turtleneck sweater does not a misanthrope make. Nihilists and existentialists tend to be bohemians, who invariably run in packs; despite their alienated stance, they have always struck me as a sociable lot who surround themselves with people because they are forever saying Nothing matters, and they need someone to say it to.

You see in such a world as this, an idealist -or perhaps it's only a sentimentalist-must be stoned to death. He makes the others so uncomfortable. He haunts them at their golf.

Now a man listening to gossip about another man whom he knows very well will go pretty far in the way of believing what a beautiful woman will tell him about that other man. Beauty and truth have a way of appearing to be akin; and it is true that no man knows what another man is doing when he is out of sight.

You see in such a world as this, an idealist — or perhaps it's only a sentimentalist — must be stoned to death.

PoczÄ…tkowo ludzie nie chcÄ… uwierzy?, ?e mo?na dokona? czegoÅ› nowego, pó?niej zaczynajÄ… ufa?, ?e mo?na tego dokona?, pó?niej widzÄ…, ?e siÄ™ ju? dokonuje, a gdy odkrycie jest dokonane, ludzko?? dziwi siÄ™, ?e nie zrobiono ju? tego przed wiekami.

He was increasingly doubtful of the existence of any God; but he hoped it was a vengeful one.

Leaving the group, he reclined on a couch, drank morosely, and watched people. He noticed the games they played with one another. They put on masks of civility, all while spewing their venom.

Brummel was a man somewhere in his thirties, single, a one-time hotshot city cop with a big buck lifestyle that belied his policeman's salary. He always came on like a likable guy, but Marshall never really trusted him. Come to think of it, he didn't like him that much either. Too much teeth showing for no reason.

The people I distrust most are those who want to improve our lives but have only one course of action.

All governments needed to remain under suspicion during their time of power including that of the Sisterhood itself. Trust no government! Not even mine!

We accept too damned many things on the explanations of people who could have good reasons for lying.

Cynicism! That, no doubt is a greater crime than heresy.

What we should have done was test the gift first. We should have probed for dangers. We were too bedazzled by it, though.

Never follow a leader without asking your own questions.

O ponto de vista dos céticos. E os soberanos são sabidamente céticos no que toca a religião. A religião também é uma arma. E que tipo de arma seria a religião quando elas se tornam o governo?

Frank Herbert warned young people not to trust government, telling them that the American founding fathers had understood this and had attempted to establish safeguards in the Constitution.

No ha existido jamás un rebelde verdaderamente desinteresado. Todos son unos hipócritas, conscientes de ello o inconscientes, que mas da.

Have they taught you about democracy?" "Yes, sir. That's where you vote for—" "That's where you distrust anyone with power over you!

I distrust the extremes. Scratch a conservative and you find someone who prefers the past over any future. Scratch a liberal and find a closet aristocrat

O ponto de vista dos céticos. E o soberanos são sabidamente céticos no que toca a religião. A religião também é uma arma. E que tipo de arma seria a religião quando elas se torna o governo?

Es lo que dice mi padre de los hombres que no beben –dice Eamon–, que no son de fiar.