Quotes About Skepticism

Since one cannot defend a belief based on faith by persuading skeptics it is true, the faithful are apt to react to unbelief with rage, and may try to eliminate that affront to everything that makes their lives meaningful.

mitigate and credible and credulous. What this means

cuando las personas aumentan su curiosidad intelectual y su cultura científica, dejan de creer en milagros.

Deep explanations of the universe, the planet, life, the brain? Unless they use magic, we don't want to believe them!

Relativists have a point when they say that we don't just open our eyes and apprehend reality, as if perception were a window through which the soul gazes at the world. The idea that we just see things as they are is called naïve realism, and it was refuted by skeptical philosophers thousands of years ago with the help of a simple phenomenon: visual illusions.

We have already seen that better-educated countries have lower rates of belief, and across the world, atheism rides the Flynn effect: as countries get smarter, they turn away from God.85

The Enlightenment has worked—perhaps the greatest story seldom told. And because this triumph is so unsung, the underlying ideals of reason, science, and humanism are unappreciated as well. Far from being an insipid consensus, these ideals are treated by today's intellectuals with indifference, skepticism, and sometimes contempt. When properly appreciated, I will suggest, the ideals of the Enlightenment are in fact stirring, inspiring, noble—a reason to live.

It begins with skepticism.147 The history of human folly, and our own susceptibility to illusions and fallacies, tell us that men and women are fallible. One therefore ought to seek good reasons for believing something.

As an experimental psychologist I have been trained not to believe anything unless it can be demonstrated in the laboratory on rats or sophomores. To

As Thomas Macaulay reflected in 1830, "We cannot absolutely prove that those are in error who tell us that society has reached a turning point, that we have seen our best days. But so said all before us, and with just as much apparent reason. . . . On what principle is it, that when we see nothing but improvement behind us, we are to expect nothing but deterioration before us?"4

Nobody can prove that there is not between the Earth and Mars a china teapot revolving in an elliptic orbit.

Though I love my country, I do not love my countrymen.

I just don't believe in love at first sight any more, even though I've based my whole career on the concept.

People love conspiracy theories.

I don't trust or love anyone. Because people are so creepy. Creepy creepy creeps. Creeping around. Creeping here and creeping there. Creeping everywhere.

Distrust those who love you extremely upon a slight acquaintance, and without any visible reason.

In a post-Christian, skeptical age, love on display is the most convincing apologetic.

You don't believe in love, do you?" - "I think it exists. I just don't think it will ever exist for me.

Nothing is so embarrassing as watching someone do something that you said couldn't be done.

You doubt because you love truth.

Like all religions, love has more believers than practitioners.

Love is bullshit. Emotion is bullshit.

Always love your country - but never trust your government!

He who best knows the world will love it least.