“It is the considered opinion of most members of our rational élites that, in any given difference of opinion with reality, reality is wrong.” RealityGivenDifferencesOpinionMembersRationalDifferences Of Opinion Book:The Doubter's Companion: A Dictionary of Aggressive Common Sense Source: The Doubter's Companion: A Dictionary of Aggressive Common Sense
“There can be no complete and permanent reform of the civil service until public opinion emancipates congressmen from all control and influence over government patronage. Legislation is required to establish the reform. No proper legislation is to be expected as long as members of Congress are engaged in procuring offices for their constituents.” LongGovernmentOpinionInfluenceMembersOfficeCongressExpectedReformPermanentEngagedLegislationPublic OpinionConstituentsCongressmanPatronageCivil Service Author:Rutherford B. Hayes
“I hold no brief for Communists, but I believe in and will defend their right to act independently within the law. I question whether members of the committee are interested in defending our form of government or whether they are attempting to suppress political opinion at odds with their own.” BelieveGovernmentFormLawPoliticalI BelieveOpinionMembersI Believe InCommunistOddsCommitteesAttemptingForms Of GovernmentPolitical Opinions Author:Gregory Peck
“Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this should also present what they believe are public reasons for their argument. So their opinion is no longer just that of one particular party, but an opinion that all members of a society might reasonably agree to, not necessarily that they would agree to. What's important is that people give the kinds of reasons that can be understood and appraised apart from their particular comprehensive doctrines.” PeopleGivingShouldBelieveKindImportantReasonMightPoliticalReligiousPartyOpinionParticularMembersUnderstoodArgumentAgreeArguingDoctrineSecularComprehensiveWhat's ImportantPolitical Arguments Author:John Rawls
“You're either a rationalist, or you're not. And the good news is a recent poll found 20% of adults under 30 say they are rationalists, and have figured out that Santa Claus and Jesus are really the same guy. Now, 20% is hardly a majority. But it's a bigger minority than blacks, jews, homosexuals, NRA members, teachers, or seniors... and it's certainly enough to stop being shy about expressing the opinion that we're not the crazy ones!” EnoughGuyFoundJesusOpinionTeacherCrazyMembersNewsAdultsBiggerMajorityJewMinoritiesShySeniorHomosexualGood NewsPollsSantaSanta ClausNraBeing Shy Author:Bill Maher
“being a member of the court is a lot like walking through fresh concrete. Do you remember doing that as a child and leaving a footprint and it hardens after you? I'm afraid that's what we do and we look back and we see those opinions we've written and they've sort of hardened after us.” LooksChildrenRememberLawOpinionWrittenWalkingMembersCourtLeavingConcreteFootprintHardened Author:Sandra Day O'Connor
“I was brought up in a very naval, military, and conservative background. My father and his friends had very typical opinions of the British middle class - lower-middle class actually - after the war. My father broke into the middle class by joining the navy. I was the first member of my family ever to go to private school or even to university. So, the armed forces had been upward mobility for him.” FirstsWarSchoolFatherForceOpinionClassMiddleMilitaryMembersMy FamilyUniversityConservativeBritishBackgroundsBrokeMiddle ClassTypicalNavyJoiningArmed ForcesMobilityNavalPrivate SchoolUpward Mobility Author:Christopher Hitchens
“I have no respect for the right-to-life position. But when you legislate personal belief, you're in violation of freedom of religion. The Catholic Church may espouse its opinion on abortion to the members of its congregation. But they are in violation of separation of church and state when they try to proselytize their abortion politics on people who are not Catholics.” PeopleTryingMayStatesBeliefChurchOpinionPositionMembersCatholicSeparationAbortionViolationChurch And StateCatholic ChurchSeparation Of Church And StateCongregationNo RespectFreedom Of ReligionRight To LifePersonal Beliefs Author:John Irving
“Here we are to remember that in consequence of our opinion that labor is the Father and active principle of wealth, as lands are the Mother, that the state by killing, mutilating, or imprisoning their members do withal punish themselves.” StatesRememberMotherFatherWealthOpinionPrinciplesLandMembersConsequenceLaborKillingActive Author:William Petty
“Democracy, finally, rests on a higher power than Parliament. It rests on an informed and cultivated and alert public opinion. The Members of Parliament are only representatives of the citizens. They cannot represent apathy and indifference. They can play the part allotted to them only if they represent intelligence and public spiritness.” IfsPlayOpinionDemocracyHigherCitizensMembersIndifferenceApathyRepresentativesParliamentPublic OpinionHigher PowerMembers Of Parliament Author:Eric Williams
“I do like to keep abreast of what the hardcore vocal members of the comics-reading audience are talking about on Internet message boards, but there are so few of them, as a percentage of the buying audience, that I can't allow their opinions to dictate story direction.” I CanStoriesReadingTalkingOpinionAudienceInternetMembersMessagesBoardsBuyingVocalPercentagesHardcore Author:Grant Morrison
“Each week I am forced to revise my original opinion that Facebook is a great innovation for keeping people in touch, to believing that it is merely a canvas for members to act out strange, unresolved conflicts and desires.” PeopleBelieveDesireOpinionWeekStrangeConflictMembersInnovationOriginalsCanvas Author:Emily Yoffe