“Meditation on any theme, if positive and honest, inevitably separates him who does the meditating from the opinion prevailing around him, from that which can be called "public" or "popular" opinion.” IfsDoeOpinionMeditationHonestThemeMeditatingPrevailingPopular Opinion Author:Jose Ortega y Gasset
“The average, vague understanding of being can be permeated by traditional theories and opinions about being in such a way that these theories, as the sources of the prevailing understanding, remain hidden.” WayUnderstandingOpinionTheorySourceAverageTraditionalIdeologyVaguePrevailing Book:Being and Time Source: Being and Time
“All ideas having even the slightest redeeming social importance - unorthodox ideas, controversial ideas, even ideas hateful to the prevailing climate of opinion, have the full protection of the guarantees [of the First Amendment].” FirstsIdeasReligionIndividualSocialJusticeOpinionImportanceConstitutionClimateProtectionGuaranteesAmendmentsFirst AmendmentHatefulControversialPrevailingIndividual RightsRedeemingUnorthodox Author:William J. Brennan
“A well-functioning democracy has a culture of free speech, not simply legal protection of free speech. It encourages independence of mind. It imparts a willingness to challenge prevailing opinion through both words and deeds. Equally important, it encourages a certain set of attitudes in listeners, one that gives a respectful hearing to those who do not embrace the conventional wisdom. In a culture of free speech, the attitude of listeners is no less important than that of speakers.” GivingMindWellsImportantCertainCultureChallengesAttitudeOpinionDemocracySpeechIndependenceEmbraceDeedsHearingProtectionWillingnessSpeakersFree SpeechConventionalListenersRespectfulImpartPrevailingDemocracies HaveConventional Wisdom Author:Cass Sunstein