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Doubt Quotes

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Doubt Quotes

“The Holy Spirit is no skeptic. He has written neither doubt nor mere opinion into our hearts, but rather solid assurances, which are more sure and solid than all experience and even life itself.”

Heart Spirit Spirituality Opinion Doubt Written Holy Mere Holy Spirit Assurance Skeptic

Author:Martin Luther

“The Old Testament contains fabulous elements. The New Testament consists mostly of teaching, not of narrative at all: but where it is narrative, it is, in my opinion, historical. As to the fabulous element in the Old Testament, I very much doubt if you would be wise to chuck it out.”

Ifs Would Be Opinion Doubt Wise Teaching Elements Historical Narrative Testament Fabulous New Testament Being Wise Old Testament Chuck

Author:C. S. Lewis

“Nothing was or is farther from my intentions, than to enlist myself as the champion of a fixed opinion, where I have only expressed doubt.”

Opinion Doubt Intention Fixed Champion

Book:The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence

Source: The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence

“It has long been observed, that an atheist has no just reason for endeavouring conversions; and yet none harass those minds which they can influence, with more importunity of solicitation to adopt their opinions. In proportion as they doubt the truth of their own doctrines, they are desirous to gain the attestation of another understanding: and industriously labour to win a proselyte, and eagerly catch at the slightest pretense to dignify their sect with a distinguished name.”

Source: The Beauties of Samuel Johnson: Consisting of Maxims and Observations, Moral, Critical, and Miscellaneous

“Persecution always says, 'I know the consequences of your opinion better than you know them yourselves.' But the language of toleration was always amicable, liberal, and just: it confessed its doubts, and acknowledged its ignorance ... Persecution had always reasoned from cause to effect, from opinion to action, [that such an opinion would invariably lead to but one action], which proved generally erroneous; while toleration led us invariably to form just conclusions, by judging from actions and not from opinions.”

Knows Action Form Language Causes Opinion Doubt Effects Ignorance Judging Consequence Conclusion Persecution Better Than You Toleration

Author:Charles James Fox

“The strange and wonderful Book of Job treats of the same subject as we are discussing; its contents are a fiction, conceived for the purpose of explaining the different opinions which people hold on Divine Providence. ...This fiction, however, is in so far different from other fictions that it includes profound ideas and great mysteries, removes great doubts, and reveals the most important truths. I will discuss it as fully as possible; and I will also tell you the words of our Sages that suggested to me the explanation of this great poem.”

“The task of the political philosopher can only be to influence public opinion, not to organize people for action. He will do so effectively only if he is not concerned with what is now politically possible but consistently defends the "general principles which are always the same." In this sense I doubt whether there can be such a thing as a conservative political philosophy. Conservatism may often be a useful practical maxim, but it does not give us any guiding principles which can influence long-range developments.”

“If you must tell me your opinions, tell me what you believe in. I have plenty of doubts of my own.”

Ifs Believe Belief My Own Opinion Doubt Plenty

Author:Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“It must be a very dour and pessimistic astronomer indeed who seriously doubts that there must be countless numbers of intelligent civilizations scattered throughout the universe on other planets which are orbiting around other stars. An attitude which asserts that man is the only intelligent life form in the universe is intolerably arrogant today ... anyone who holds such an opinion today is, fortunately for those who like to see some progress in human conceptions, something of an intellectual freak equivalent to a believer in the Flat Earth Theory.”

“By late accounts from Rotterdam, that city seems to be in a high state of philosophical excitement. Indeed, phenomena have there occurred of a nature so completely unexpected--so entirely novel--so utterly at variance with preconceived opinions--as to leave no doubt on my mind that long ere this all Europe is in an uproar, all physics in a ferment, all reason and astronomy together by the ears.”

Source: The Complete Tales & Poems of Edgar Allan Poe (Illustrated Edition): Annabel Lee, Ligeia, The Sphinx, The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Tell-tale Heart, Berenice, Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Philosophy of Composition, The Poetic Principle, Eureka…

“There's one thing that always interests me about you good people, not your certainty that the rest of us are swine, - no doubt we are, - but your certainty that your opinions are pearls.”

People Interest Opinion Doubt One Thing Certainty Arrogance No Doubt Good People Pearls Swine

Author:Margaret Deland

“At length weariness succeeds to labor, and the mind lies at ease in the contemplation of her own attainments without any desire of new conquests or excursions. This is the age of recollection and narrative; the opinions are settled, and the avenues of apprehension shut against any new intelligence; the days that are to follow must pass in the inculcation of precepts already collected, and assertion of tenets already received; nothing is henceforward so odious as opposition, so insolent as doubt, or so dangerous as novelty.”

Source: Selected essays

“The whole is a riddle, an enigma, an inexplicable mystery. Doubt, uncertainty, suspence of judgment appear the only result of ourmost accurate scrutiny, concerning this subject. But such is the frailty of human reason, and such the irresistible contagion of opinion, that even this deliberate doubt could scarcely be upheld; did we not enlarge our view, and opposing one species of superstition to another, set them a quarrelling; while we ourselves, during their fury and contention, happily make our escape into the calm, though obscure, regions of philosophy.”

“When I turn my eye inward, I find nothing but doubt and ignorance. All the world conspires to oppose and contradict me; though such is my weakness, that I feel all my opinions loosen and fall of themselves, when unsupported by the approbation of others.”

World Feels Eye Turns Fall Opinion Doubt Ignorance Weakness Inward

Book:A Treatise of Human Nature: Top Philosophy Collections

Source: A Treatise of Human Nature: Top Philosophy Collections

“It is in numberless instances happier to have a false opinion which we believe true, than a true one of which we doubt.”

Believe Opinion Doubt Instance True Ones

Author:Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke

“In the minds of most men, the kingdom of opinion is divided into three territories,--the territory of yes, the territory of no, and a broad, unexplored middle ground of doubt.”

Men Mind Three Opinion Doubt Middle Kingdoms Broads Divided Territory Middle Ground Unexplored

Author:James A. Garfield

“I wish I were dumber so I could be more certain about my opinions. It looks fun.”

Looks Funny Certain Fun Wish Opinion Doubt Stupidity Dumb Critical Thinking Being Stupid Dumb People

Author:Scott Adams

“Truth may perhaps come to the price of a pearl, that showeth best by day; but it will not rise to the price of a diamond or carbuncle, that showeth best in varied lights. A mixture of a lie doth ever add pleasure. Doth any man doubt that, if there were taken out of men's minds vain opinions, flattering hopes, false valuations, imaginations as one would, and the like, but it would leave the minds of a number of men poor shrunken things, full of melancholy and indisposition, and unpleasing to themselves?”

Ifs Men Mind May Light Lying Imagination Pleasure Poor Numbers Opinion Taken Doubt Add Vain Melancholy Diamond Pearls Mixtures Flattering Valuation

Book:Bacon's Essays: Top Essays

Source: Bacon's Essays: Top Essays

“I confess to considerable doubts about the eventual stability of democracy, unless buttressed by constitutional safeguards and a general climate of opinion which thoroughly understands the case for liberty in general”

Liberty Opinion Cases Democracy Doubt Climate Stability

Author:Lionel Robbins, Baron Robbins

“For every gain in deep certitude there is a corresponding growth of superficial "doubt." This doubt is by no means opposed to genuine faith, but it mercilessly examines and questions the spurious "faith" of everyday life, the human faith which is nothing but the passive acceptance of conventional opinion.”

Humans Mean Growth Opinion Doubt Acceptance Gains Everyday Genuine Conventional Passive Superficial Everyday Life Corresponding Certitude

Book:New Seeds of Contemplation

Source: New Seeds of Contemplation

“The Holy Spirit is no Skeptic, & the things He has written in our hearts are not doubts or opinions, but assertions - surer & more certain than sense & life itself.”

Heart Spirit Certain Opinion Doubt Written Holy Holy Spirit Assertion Skeptic

Author:Martin Luther

“The most curious social convention of the great age in which we live is the one to the effect that religious opinions should be respected. Its evil effects must be plain enough to everyone. All it accomplishes is (a) to throw a veil of sanctity about ideas that violate every intellectual decency, and (b) to make every theologian a sort of chartered libertine. No doubt it is mainly to blame for the appalling slowness with which really sound notions make their way in the world.”

Source: Mencken Chrestomathy

“Debating, doubting, or rejecting the basic scientific facts about climate change in the face of the overwhelming evidence and overwhelming scientific opinion will not change those facts.”

Facts Faces Opinion Doubt Evidence Climate Climate Change Overwhelming Rejecting Scientific Facts

Author:Bernie Sanders

“We judge people by their appearance so quickly, and we form opinions about people, compartmentalize people, and think we know who they are. But if you sit down and talk with someone for more than 10 minutes, you'll find something in common, no doubt whatsoever.”

People Ifs Thinking Knows Form Common Opinion Doubt Minutes Judging Down And Appearance No Doubt

Author:Paul Blackthorne

“Men have written in the most convincing manner to prove that death is no evil, and this opinion has been confirmed on a thousand celebrated occasions by the weakest of men as well as by heroes. Even so I doubt whether any sensible person has ever believed it, and the trouble men take to convince others as well as themselves that they do shows clearly that it is no easy undertaking.”

Men Wells Persons Has Beens Shows Evil Easy Opinion Doubt Written Trouble Hero Thousand Prove Occasions Convince Sensible Convincing Undertakings

Author:Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“We don't need to invest all of our faith in every concept, in every symbol, in every opinion that forms the totality of our knowledge. Faith means to believe in something 100% without a doubt, and to doubt our own knowledge can seem like the most frightening thing that can happen to us.”

Needs Believe Mean Seems Happens Form Opinion Doubt Concepts Symbols Frightening Totality

Author:Miguel Angel Ruiz

“I tried to eliminate the need for Israel to strike out, militarily, by removing its major threat and attacker, and that was Egypt. I've written a few books on the subject. There's no doubt that the best way to resolve Israel's problems is to negotiate peace between Israel and its immediate neighbors, particularly the Palestinians. And that's something that's not going to be achieved, in my opinion, without the strong involvement of the American president.”

Way Needs Book Problem Strong President Opinion Doubt Written Subjects Majors Threat Israel Strikes Neighbor Best Way No Doubt Resolve Palestinian Egypt Involvement American President

Author:Jimmy Carter

“It is certainly true that conservative Christians are much more likely to doubt the reality of climate change than mainline Christians or the unaffiliated. But when we control for political affiliation and for the important role of thought leaders in determining our opinions on social issues such as climate change, most of the faith-related bias disappears.”

Important Reality Christian Political Social Leader Opinion Roles Issues Doubt Climate Climate Change Conservative Disappear Related Bias Social Issues Affiliation

Author:Katharine Hayhoe

“Supreme Court nominees should know without any doubt that their job is not to impose their own personal opinions of what is right and wrong, but to say what the law is, rather than what they personally think the law ought to be.”

Thinking Knows Should Jobs Law Opinion Doubt Ought Court Supreme Supreme Court Personal Opinions

Author:Chuck Grassley

“In knowledge of human affairs, we should never allow our minds to be enslaved by others by subjecting ourselves to their whims. We must maintain freedom of thought, and never accept anything of purely human authority into our heads. When we are presented with a diversity of opinions, we must choose, if we can; if we cannot, we must remain in doubt.”

Ifs Should Mind Humans Accepting Opinion Doubt Authority Diversity Affair Freedom Of Thought Whim

Author:Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable