Home / Authors / Michael Shermer

Michael Shermer

Michael Shermer Quotes

Writer

Michael Shermer is an American writer, historian, and science writer. Born on September 8, 1954, he is known for his research on science, pseudoscience, and rational behavior. Shermer is a contributing writer for 'Scientific American' magazine and the founder and publisher of 'Skeptic' magazine. His writings cover a wide range of topics from history to scientific philosophy.

Filter quotes by topic

All Thinking Believe Evolution Humans World Doe Science Skepticism Atheism Belief Moral Brain Design Ifs Myth Patterns People Religion Religious Skeptic

Famous Michael Shermer Quotes

“There is a significant difference between having no belief in a God and believing there is no God.”

Believe Belief Differences Significant There Is No God

Book:How We Believe: Science, Skepticism, and the Search for God

Source: How We Believe: Science, Skepticism, and the Search for God

“People who espouse Intelligent Design believe nature is so complex as to require an intelligent designer-God. Similarly, liberals believe the economy is so complex as to require an intelligent designer-government.”

People Believe Government Economy Design Intelligent Complexes Designer Intelligent Design

Author:Michael Shermer

“I am an atheist. There, I said it. Are you happy, all you atheists out there who have remonstrated with me for adopting the agnostic moniker? If "atheist" means someone who does not believe in God, then an atheist is what I am. But I detest all such labels. Call me what you like - humanist, secular humanist, agnostic, nonbeliever, nontheist, freethinker, heretic, or even bright. I prefer skeptic.”

Ifs Believe Mean Doe Said Atheist Labels Call Me Humanist Believe In God Secular Agnostic Skeptic Freethinker Heretic Adopting Detest

Author:Michael Shermer

“We want to be special. We want our place in the cosmos to be central. We want evolution-even godless evolution-to have been directed toward us so that we stand at the pinnacle of nature's ladder of progress. Rewind the tape of life and we want to believe that we (Homo Sapiens) would appear again and again. Would we? Probably not.”

Want Believe Has Beens Progress Special Evolution Cosmos Tape Again And Again Ladders Homo Sapiens Pinnacle Rewind

Author:Michael Shermer

“Being a skeptic just means being rational and empirical: thinking and seeing before believing.”

Thinking Believe Mean Seeing Rational Skeptic

Author:Michael Shermer

“...evolution is not a religious tenet, to which one swears allegiance or belief as a matter of faith.. It is a factual reality of the empirical world. Just as one would not say 'I believe in gravity," one should not proclaim 'I believe in evolution.”

World Should Believe Matter Reality Belief I Believe Religious Evolution I Believe In Gravity Swear Allegiance Factual

Book:Why Darwin Matters: The Case Against Intelligent Design

Source: Why Darwin Matters: The Case Against Intelligent Design

“Smart people believe weird things because they are skilled at defending beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons.”

People Believe Reason Religion Belief Smart Openness Smart People Weird Things

Book:Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time

Source: Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time

“The whole point of faith, in fact, is to believe regardless of the evidence, which is the very antithesis of science.”

Believe Whole Facts Evidence Atheist Antithesis

Book:How We Believe: Science, Skepticism, and the Search for God

Source: How We Believe: Science, Skepticism, and the Search for God

“People believe in God because we are pattern-seeking, storytelling, mythmaking, religious, moral animals.”

People Believe Religious Animal Moral Atheist Patterns Seeking Storytelling Believe In God

Book:The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule

Source: The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule

“Believing that the rustle in the grass is a dangerous predator when it is only the wind does not cost much, but believing that a dangerous predator is the wind may cost an animal its life.”

Believe May Doe Animal Dangerous Wind Cost Climate Change Grass Predator

Author:Michael Shermer

“I’m a skeptic not because I do not want to believe, but because I want to know.”

Knows Want Believe Skeptic

Book:The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths

Source: The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths

“I’m a skeptic not because I do not want to believe, but because I want to know. How can we tell the difference between what we would like to be true and what is actually true? The answer is science.”

Knows Want Believe Differences Answers Know How Being True Skeptic

Book:The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths

Source: The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths

“Belief is the natural state of things. It is the default option. We just believe. We believe all sorts of things. Belief is natural; disbelief, skepticism, science, is not natural.”

Believe States Inspiration Motivation Belief Natural Skepticism Disbelief Default Just Believe

Author:Michael Shermer