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Argument Quotes

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Argument Quotes

“The only thing worse than being on the wrong side of an argument is to be on the right side with no one listening.”

Sides Listening Argument No One Listening

Author:Evan Esar

“The worst, most insidious effect of censorship is that, in the end, it can deaden the imagination of the people. Where there is no debate, it is hard to go on remembering, every day, that there is a suppressed side to every argument.”

People Ends Hard Remember Death Sides Imagination Worst Effects Goes On Speech Argument Debate Censorship Insidious

Author:Salman Rushdie

“Good editorial writing has less to do with winning an argument, since the other side is mostly not listening, than with telling the guys on your side how they ought to sound when they’re arguing.”

Writing Guy Winning Sound Sides Listening Ought Argument Arguing Your Side Editorials Winning An Argument

Author:Adam Gopnik

“A new danger now beset him [Grotius], the danger of becoming simply a venal pleader, a creature who grinds out arguments on this or that side, for this or that client: a mere legal beast of prey. Fortunately for himself and for the world he took a higher view of his life-work: his determination clearly was to make himself a thoroughly equipped jurist, and then, as he rose more and more in his profession, to use his powers for the good of his country and of mankind.”

World Country Use Sides Views Mankind Danger Becoming Higher Creatures Determination Argument Rose Mere Profession Beast Clients Prey Grind Jurists

Author:Andrew Dickson White

“The inhabitants will always see both sides of an argument so long as it can result in a fight.”

Long Fighting Sides Results Argument Both Sides

Author:J. P. Donleavy

“There are three sides to every argument. Yours. The other guy's. And the right side.”

Guy Three Sides Argument Other Guys Three Sides

Book:Son of a smaller hero: a novel

Source: Son of a smaller hero: a novel

“There are two kinds of comprehensive doctrines, religious and secular. Those of religious faith will say I give a veiled argument for secularism, and the latter will say I give a veiled argument for religion. I deny both. Each side presumes the basic ideas of constitutional democracy, so my suggestion is that we can make our political arguments in terms of public reason. Then we stand on common ground. That's how we can understand each other and cooperate.”

“I have argued with him on almost every subject in the world, and we have always been on opposite sides, without affectation or animosity... It is necessary to disagree with him as much as I do, in order to admire him as I do; and I am proud of him as a foe even more than as a friend.”

World Order Sides Subjects Proud Argument Opposites Admire Disagree Foe Animosity Proud Of Him

Author:Gilbert K. Chesterton

“My argument has always been that this is not an anti-Bush film, it's a pro-democracy film. And if George W.Bush comes out on the wrong side of democracy, that's his problem.”

Ifs Problem Film Sides Democracy Argument

Author:John Sayles

“Don't take the wrong side of an argument just because your opponent has taken the right side.”

Sides Justice Taken Argument Opponents

Author:Baltasar Gracian

“When we would show any one that he is mistaken, our best course is to observe on what side he considers the subject,--for his view of if is generally right on this side,--and admit to him that he is right so far. He will be satisfied with this acknowledgment, that he was not wrong in his judgment, but only inadvertent in not looking at the whole case.”

Ifs Whole Shows Courses Sides Views Cases Subjects Judgment Argument Satisfied Mistaken Acknowledgment

Author:Blaise Pascal

“The argument culture urges us to approach the world - and the people in it - in an adversarial frame of mind. It rests on the assumption that opposition is the best way to get anything done: The best way to discuss an idea is to set up a debate; the best way to cover news is to find spokespeople who express the most extreme, polarized views and present them as 'both sides'; the best way to settle disputes is litigation that pits one party against the other; the best way to begin an essay is to attack someone; and the best way to show you're really thinking is to criticize.”

“The only person who listens to both sides of an argument is the fellow in the next apartment.”

Persons Next Sides Argument Fellows Apartment Both Sides

Author:Ruth Brown

“The mandate entails a generous synthesis of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. The title requires the expert to be truly independent, keep an open mind, conduct his/her research objectively and without ideological prejudices, listen to all sides of an argument and seek the opinion of all stakeholders. The essence of an independent expert is not merely his/her expertise - which must be considered a given - but the faculty of thinking outside the box, while rigorously respecting the terms of reference laid down in the resolution establishing the mandate, and observing the code of conduct of rapporteurs.”

“It is an easy thing to call names; any fool is equal to that ... and the weapon of vituperation is generally used by those who lack brains for argument or are upon the wrong side.”

Used Names Easy Sides Brain Fool Equal Weapons Argument Easy Things Name Calling

Book:Elsie's Motherhood

Source: Elsie's Motherhood

“Yet the most pervasive error one encounters in contemporary arguments about belief in God-especially, but not exclusively, on the atheist side-is the habit of conceiving of God simply as some very large object or agency within the universe, or perhaps alongside the universe, a being among other beings, who differs from all other beings in magnitude, power, and duration, but not ontologically, and who is related to the world more or less as a craftsman is related to an artifact.”

World Universe Belief Sides Objects Habit Argument Errors Atheist Contemporary Related Agency Encounters Magnitude Duration Belief In God Craftsman Artifacts Conceiving

Author:David Bentley Hart

“In my work, and in my psyche, there's some very sentimental, traditional, conventional side that's always in argument with a more radical, sarcastic side. Some of my stories are really sentimental, but they're layered over with weird, satirical stuff.”

Stories Stuff Sides Argument Traditional Radical Sarcastic Conventional Sentimental Satirical

Author:George Saunders

“He who knows only his own side of the case (argument) knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them. But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion”

Ifs Knows May Littles Doe Has Beens Reason Able Sides Opinion Cases Argument Opposites Be Good

Book:J. S. Mill: 'On Liberty' and Other Writings

Source: J. S. Mill: 'On Liberty' and Other Writings

“I never allow myself to have an opinion on anything that I don't know the other side's argument better than they do.”

Knows Sides Opinion Argument

Author:Charlie Munger

“The most important thing in an argument, next to being right, is to leave an escape hatch for your opponent, so that he can gracefully swing over to your side without too much apparent loss of face.”

Important Faces Next Sides Loss Too Much Argument Important Things Appreciation Opponents Swings Your Side

Author:Sydney J. Harris

“I love being married. It's great. But I hate arguing. I hate fighting. You know what I do now? When we get in an argument, I just take her side against me. It's just easier; it goes quicker. She's like, "What's wrong with you?" And I'm like, "I know! Damn it! Argh!"”

Knows Funny Hate Fighting Sides Love Is Comedy Easier Married Argument I Hate Arguing Damn Being Married

Author:Louis C. K.

“The argument on the other side of special rights is completely bogus. It's bogus because you could make exactly the same claim about racial or ethnic or religious minorities.”

Sides Religious Rights Special Argument Claims Minorities

Author:Tom Allen

“I don't want to involve myself in the various arguments about why Israel was created . . . . . I want to deal with the situation at hand which is the ongoing killing on both sides. . . . . . . It's true that there's also much oppression of Palestinians in Arab countries, where Palestinians aren't allowed to vote or own property and are treated as second class citizens and pawns in the fight against Israel. But I'm not going to spend my time on this since there is isn't a whole lot I can do about it.”

“If I'm in a political argument, I think I can, with reasonable accuracy and without boasting, put the other person's side of the case at least as well as they could. One has to be able to say that in any well-conducted argument.”

Ifs Thinking Wells Persons I Can Able Political Sides Cases Argument Reasonable Boast Accuracy Political Arguments

Author:Christopher Hitchens

“Also, as a rule of thumb, if you find yourself defending your inalienable right to make someone else feel like garbage, you're on the wrong side of the argument.”

Ifs Feels Sides Argument Finding Yourself Garbage Thumbs

Author:Rich Burlew

“Year after year in Washington, budget debates seem to come down to an old, tired argument: on one side, those who want more government, regardless of the cost; on the other, those who want less government, regardless of the need....Government has a role, and an important role. Yet, too much government crowds out initiative and hard work, private charity and the private economy....Government should be active, but limited; engaged, but not overbearing.”

Want Needs Should Years Important Hard Seems Government Sides Roles Economy Too Much Hard Work Cost Argument Tired Charity Crowds Active Debate Budgets Engaged Initiative Overbearing

Author:George W. Bush

“[Milton's] argument is (a) St. Augustine was wrong in thinking God's only purpose in giving Adam a female, instead of a male, companion, was copulation. For (b) there is a "peculiar comfort" in the society of man and woman "beside, (i.e. in addition to, apart from) the genial bed"; and (c) we know from Scripture that something analogous to "play" or "slackening the cords" occurs even in God. That is why the Song of Songs describes a thousand raptures...far on the hither side of carnal enjoyment.”

Thinking Knows Men Giving Play Purpose Song Sides Comfort Thousand Bed Men And Women Female Argument Males Scripture Enjoyment Companion Peculiar Adam Rapture Cords Milton Augustine Thinking God

Author:C. S. Lewis

“Intelligence is measured by a person's ability to see validity within both sides of contradicting arguments.”

Persons Sides Ability Argument Both Sides Validity Ability To See Contradicting

Author:F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Even in the Senate, I'd put up any of the stories we did against any pablum Time or Newsweek has put out on global warming. We'd link to the other side; we'd present their arguments. They do one-sided screeds.”

Stories Sides Argument Global Warming Links Senate One Sided

Author:Marc Morano

“Nothing works on the campaign trail like attacks on candidates for bad attendance. It alienates people on both sides of every issue and reflects a callous disregard of the work of the people. The feeble argument that "I'm running for president" isn't much of a rebuttal: George W. Bush finds time to be president, and he's running too.”

People Running Sides President Issues Argument Campaigns Candidates Both Sides Trails Disregard Callous Attendance Rebuttal

Author:Dick Morris

“Does the human being reason? No; he thinks, muses, reflects, but does not reason...that is, in the two things which are the peculiar domain of the heart, not the mind, politics and religion. He doesn't want to know the other side. He wants arguments and statistics for his own side, and nothing more.”

Thinking Knows Want Mind Humans Heart Doe Two Reason Sides Human Beings Argument Reasoning Two Things Statistics Peculiar Muse Domain Reflecting Religion And Politics

Author:Mark Twain

“It is true that there`s an economic argument and an economic feeling that something different needs to happen and politicians talking out of both sides of their mouth and all that kind of stuff.”

Needs Kind Different Feelings Happens Stuff Sides Talking Economic Politician Mouths Argument Both Sides

Author:Howard Dean

“Listen- my relationship with radio on a personal level is nothing but a one way love-a-thon... I love radio, I grew up on radio. That's where I heard Buddy Holly, that's where I heard Chuck Berry. I couldn't believe it the first time I heard one of my records on the radio, and I STILL love hearing anything I'm involved with on radio, and some of my best friends were from radio. But we were on different sides of that argument, there's no question about that.”

“[Louis Brandeis] insisted on the necessity of public reason, which he thought could only be achieved if all of us just take the time to inform ourselves about the best arguments on all sides of questions so that we can make up our own minds.”

Ifs Mind Reason Sides Argument Louis Brandeis

Author:Jeffrey Rosen

“I'm afraid, is that there are a number of groups who really don't want a fair-minded judge who has an openness to both sides of the argument. Rather, they want judges who will impose their liberal agenda on the American people; views so liberal that they cannot prevail at the ballot box.”

People Want Sides Views Numbers Groups Judging Fairs Argument Boxes Agendas Openness Both Sides Ballots

Author:John Cornyn

“I am also full of admiration for Chelsea Manning [formerly PFC Bradley Manning]. Regardless of which side of the argument you're on, he stood up for something he felt wasn't right. That was an extraordinarily brave thing to do, and I think he was unfairly punished for it. It's a really big deal what he did, and he did it for the betterment of all us, including the soldiers on the ground, as well as the civilians caught up in those conflicts.”

“I would sort out all the arguments and see which belonged to fear and which to creativeness. Other things being equal, I would make the decision which had the larger number of creative reasons on its side.”

Reason Fear Sides Decision Numbers Creative Equal Argument Creativeness Being Equal

Book:The Little Locksmith: A Memoir

Source: The Little Locksmith: A Memoir

“As a Democrat, one of the things that frustrates me the most is there are a lot of times we just don't get in the fight. We ask pretty please if we can have things or we make the argument for why it is the best thing to do, and then wait patiently for the other side to agree to come along. We negotiate. We start our opening position by negotiating.”

Ifs Fighting Asks Waiting Sides Position Please Argument Agree Democrat Opening Best Things Things To Do Negotiating

Author:Elizabeth Warren

“It is much more difficult to get implemented politically what might be desirable economically. Even if you came out with an economic argument in favor of equalization - and I think there are arguments on both sides - I would still come down in favour of some sort of a scheme on strict economic grounds.”

Ifs Thinking Stills Might Difficult Sides Economic Argument Favors Schemes Strict Both Sides Desirable Favour

Author:James M. Buchanan

“There's this notion that Republicans are the party of Jesus and the Democrats are the Godless party. Let's be clear for a minute. One party wants to give health insurance to the poor and the weak and the dispossessed, and one party wants to take away that health insurance and give tax breaks to rich people. You tell me: which side would Jesus fall on that argument?”

People Want Giving Fall Jesus Sides Poor Party Break Rich Clear Minutes Republican Taxes Argument Weak Democrat Notion Rich People Tax Breaks

Author:Reza Aslan

“I believe in what I believe, and I think after all these years I've heard a lot of arguments, and I'm convinced by the superiority of the arguments that are made on the conservative side. I think that's a better way to run a society.”

Thinking Way Years Believe Made Running I Believe Sides Heard Argument Conservative I Believe In Convinced Superiority Better Ways

Author:Charles Krauthammer

“Free speech gives us the ability to react vigorously with effective arguments and expose the weakness and misdirection of the other side's claims.”

Giving Sides Ability Speech Weakness Argument Claims Free Speech Misdirection

Author:Rush Limbaugh

“I think the biggest mistake I made was this wretched ability to see both sides of an argument.”

Thinking Made Sides Ability Mistake Argument Both Sides Wretched Ability To See Biggest Mistake

Author:John Major

“A man must be both stupid and uncharitable who believes there is no virtue or truth but on his own side.”

Men Believe War Sides Virtue Stupid Argument Stupidity Bigotry Antiwar Flirting Bigots

Author:Joseph Addison

“A poet's work is to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it going to sleep.”

World Poetry Names Sides Sleep Courage Poet Shapes Argument Poetry Is Fraud Going To Sleep Great Poetry Poetry By Poets Satanic Verses

Author:Salman Rushdie

“Argument is to me the air I breathe. Given any proposition, I cannot help believing the other side and defending it.”

Believe Helping Literature Given Sides Air Argument Breathe Propositions

Author:Gertrude Stein

“Weakness on both sides is, as we know, the motto of all quarrels.”

Knows Sides Weakness Argument Both Sides Motto Quarrels Nonviolent Communication

Book:Delphi Collected Works of Voltaire (Illustrated)

Source: Delphi Collected Works of Voltaire (Illustrated)

“She tried to be calm, and leave things to take their course; and tried to dwell much on this argument of rational dependence – “Surely, if there be constant attachment on each side, our hearts must understand each other ere long. We are not boy and girl, to be captiously irritable, misled by every moment’s inadvertence, and wantonly playing with our own happiness.” And yet, a few minutes afterwards, she felt as if their being in company with each other, under their present circumstances, could only be exposing them to inadvertencies and misconstructions of the most mischievous kind.”

Source: The Jane Austen Library: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Emma, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, Lady Susan, Watsons, Sanditon

“Katy was neither a Methodist nor a Masochist. She was a goddess and the silence of goddesses is genuinely golden. None of your superficial plating. A solid, twenty-two-carat silence all the way through. The Olympian's trap is kept shut, not by an act of willed discretion, but because there's really nothing to say. Goddesses are all of one piece. There's no internal conflict in them. Whereas the lives of people like you and me are one long argument. Desires on one side, woodpeckers on the other. Never a moment of real silence.”

“A fair result can be obtained only by fully stating and balancing the facts and arguments on both sides of each question." Charles Darwin”

Facts Sides Results Fairs Argument Both Sides Origin Of Species Creation And Evolution

Author:Charles Darwin