The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd. Bertrand Russell More Quotes by Bertrand Russell More Quotes From Bertrand Russell It is a waste of energy to be angry with a man who behaves badly, just as it is to be angry with a car that won't go. Bertrand Russell anger justice men Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric. Bertrand Russell being-yourself confidence fear Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth - more than ruin, more even than death. Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habits; thought is anarchic and lawless, indifferent to authority, careless of the well-tried wisdom of the ages. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid ... Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man. Bertrand Russell light courage men All human activity is prompted by desire. Bertrand Russell human-activity humans desire Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd. Bertrand Russell xenophobia racism fear People seem good while they are oppressed, but they only wish to become oppressors in their turn: life is nothing but a competition to be the criminal rather than the victim. Bertrand Russell competition wish people Love should be a tree whose roots are deep in the earth, but whose branches extend into heaven. Bertrand Russell roots tree love Next to worry probably one of the most potent causes of unhappiness is envy. Bertrand Russell envy unhappiness causes Remember your humanity, and forget the rest. Bertrand Russell humanity philosophy peace We must be skeptical even of our skepticism. Bertrand Russell skeptical skepticism If the ordinary wage-earner worked four hours a day, there would be enough for everybody, and no unemployment — assuming a certain very moderate amount of sensible organization. This idea shocks the well-to-do, because they are convinced that the poor would not know how to use so much leisure. Bertrand Russell men philosophy son I think we ought always to entertain our opinions with some measure of doubt. I shouldn't wish people dogmatically to believe any philosophy, not even mine. Bertrand Russell inspirational philosophy believe The most valuable things in life are not measured in monetary terms. The really important things are not houses and lands, stocks and bonds, automobiles and real state, but friendships, trust, confidence, empathy, mercy, love and faith. Bertrand Russell things-in-life real love Gradually, by selective breeding, the congenital differences between rulers Bertrand Russell differences practice sheep One of the most interesting and harmful delusions to which men and nations can be subjected is that of imagining themselves special instruments of the Divine Will. Bertrand Russell ego men interesting An atheist, like a Christian, holds that we can know whether or not there is a God. The Christian holds that we can know there is a God; the atheist, that we can know there is not. The Agnostic suspends judgment, saying that there are not sufficient grounds either for affirmation or for denial. At the same time, an Agnostic may hold that the existence of God, though not impossible, is very improbable; he may even hold it so improbable that it is not worth considering in practice. In that case, he is not far removed from atheism. Bertrand Russell atheist practice christian Extreme hopes are born of extreme misery, and in such a world hopes could only be irrational. Bertrand Russell misery born hope What makes a free thinker is not his beliefs, but the way in which he holds them. If he holds them because his elders told him they were true when he was young, or if he holds them because if he did not he would be unhappy, his thought is not free; but if he holds them because, after careful thought, he finds a balance in their favor, then his thought is free, however odd his conclusions may seem. Bertrand Russell atheism balance unhappy Much that passes as idealism is disguised hatred or disguised love of power. Bertrand Russell idealism-and-realism hatred power Science tells us what we can know but what we can know is little and if we forget how much we cannot know we become insensitive of many things of very great importance. Theology, on the other hand induces a dogmatic belief that we have knowledge where in fact we have ignorance and by doing so generates a kind of impertinent insolence towards the universe. Uncertainty in the presence of vivid hopes and fears is painful, but must be endured if we wish to live without the support of comforting fairy tales. Bertrand Russell support ignorance hands
