Quotes About Skepticism

La cultura no garantiza el buen juicio, el escepticismo ni la sabiduría.

To read attentively—not to be satisfied with "just getting the gist of it." And not to fall for every smooth talker.

Of Diognetus, not to busy myself about vain things, and not easily to believe those things, which are commonly spoken, by such as take upon them to work wonders, and by sorcerers, or prestidigitators, and impostors; concerning the power of charms, and their driving out of demons, or evil spirits; and the like.

Socrates used to call popular beliefs "the monsters under the bed"—only useful for frightening children with.

not to busy myself about vain things, and not easily to believe those things, which are commonly spoken

If you are innately skeptical of other people's motives, then no amount of good behavior in the past will ever truly convince you that they are not just about to disappoint you. Suspicion is a permanent condition.

Trust no one unless you have eaten much salt with him.

We should not be too confident in our belief of anything. (Cicero, Tusculan Disputations I.32)

There is nothing so absurd that some philosopher has not already said it.

En política sólo puedes estar seguro de una cosa, de que jamás puedes estar seguro de nada

See, says he, you who deny a providence, how many have been saved by their prayers to the Gods. Ay, says Diagoras, I see those who were saved, but where are those painted who were shipwrecked

People cry at weddings for the same reason they cry at happy endings: because they so desperately want to believe in something they know is not credible.

Once a story you've regarded as true has turned false, you begin suspecting all stories.

She knows the rituals, she knows how we're supposed to be behaving...But I think these things are impenetrable and fraudulent, and I can't do them without feeling I'm acting.

And the Internet was such a jumble of false and true factoids that no one believed what was on it any more, or else they believed all of it, which amounted to the same thing.

On the way home from school we go to the record store... [Cordelia] expects me to roll my eyes in ecstasy, the way she does; she expects me to groan. She knows the rituals, she knows how we're supposed to be behaving, now that we're in high school. But I think these things are impenetrable and fraudulent, and I can't do them without feeling I'm acting.

A woman like me is always a temptation, if possible to arrange it unobserved; as whatever we may say about it later, we will not be believed.

He can't shake the feeling that this place is some sort of pyramid scheme, and that those who fail to understand that will be left empty-handed. But there's no obvious reason for this feeling of his. Maybe he's ungrateful by nature.

Too good to be true, I will think. Too good for this earth. Good, be thou my evil.

Never trust a man with new clothes.

For a time I almost believed what I understood I was supposed to believe. I numbered myself among the faithful for the same reason that many in Gilead did: because it was less dangerous.

I had no faith in the wise choices of the Aunts: I feared that I would end up married to a goat on fire.

She would rather see for herself; she doesn't trust Tobias to interpret; she suspects him of holding things back.

He was always so plausible. Many people have believed that his version of events was the true one, give or take a few murders, a few beautiful seduct­resses, a few one-eyed monsters. Even I believed him, from time to time. I knew he was tricky and a liar, I just didn't think he would play his tricks and try out his lies on me.