Quotes About Skepticism

Authors are sometimes like tomcats: They distrust all the other toms but they are kind to kittens.

I am not into marriage. You look at all the marriages breaking down and all the people cheating on their marriages, and you become cynical. Marriage is nothing but a label.

I lack trust in others.

Is anything going to kill me if I use your bathroom?" I finally asked. "Knowing you?" Pritkin's voice was muffled since he hadn't raised his head. I frowned. "Is that a yes?" A couple of fingers came up to massage his temple. "That is a no. Assuming you didn't bring anything deadly along with you.

Fran?uzoaicele sunt renumite pentru lipsa lor de interes pentru prietene. Ele iubesc b?rba?ii, iar femeile reprezint? concuren?a ?i, prin urmare, nu po?i avea încredere în ele.

Born in a generation that thinks cynical and disenchanted is cool, sometimes I'm a little off the beaten track.

we believe others are capable of the worst we ourselves are capable of

Why do they always ask for words? Why do they ever believe them?

I hate fate. I don't believe in her. Unfortunately, I think the bitch believes in me.

Die Abergläubigsten sind ja stets die in religiösen Dingen Glaubenslosen.

The point is that, whenever we propose a solution to a problem, we ought to try as hard as we can to overthrow our solution, rather than defend it. Few of us, unfortunately, practice this precept; but other people, fortunately, will supply the criticism for us if we fail to supply it ourselves.

We must not act like children reared with the narrow outlook "As it has been handed down to us".

Theology, I still think, is due to lack of faith.

There is an almost universal tendency, perhaps an inborn tendency, to suspect the good faith of a man who holds opinions that differ from our own opinions.

We should realize that, if [Socrates] demanded that the wisest men should rule, he clearly stressed that he did not mean the learned men; in fact, he was skeptical of all professional learnedness, whether it was that of the philosophers or of the learned men of his own generation, the Sophists. The wisdom he meant was of a different kind. It was simply the realization: how little do I know! Those who did not know this, he taught, knew nothing at all. This is the true scientific spirit.

We accept the proclamations of scientists in their lab coats with the same faith once reserved for priests.

You must never believe everything they say about a person. Generally speaking, most of it will be lies, half-truths at best.

when the English say 'Oh really? How interesting!' they might well mean 'I don't believe a word of it, you lying toad'. Or they might not. They might just mean 'I'm bored and not really listening but trying to be polite'. Or they might be genuinely surprised and truly interested. You'll never know.

Do not believe too quickly!

Because I couldn't trust anything, especially not myself. How could I be lying there next to him with these snakes of doubt worming around in my heart? It was not honest.

The pernicious effects of the self-interest theory have been most disturbing,' concludes Frank. 'By encouraging us to expect the worst in others, it brings out the worst in us: dreading the role of the chump, we are often loath to heed our nobler instincts.

Ben sighed, his mouth crammed with biscuit. "You don't trust us at all, do you? You think we're going to whip out our knobs between courses and show you up.

After all, to the truly skeptical mind, diabolic forces are just as reasonable building blocks for the cosmos as mindless electrons. No possibility, however seemingly fantastic, should revolt the truly skeptical mind.

if you assume a big enough conspiracy, you can explain anything, including the cosmos itself.