Sarah Churchwell Quotes

The human understanding when it has once adopted an opinion (either as being the received opinion or as being agreeable to itself) draws all things else to support and agree with it. And though there be a greater number and weight of instances to be found on the other side, yet these it either neglects and despises, or else by some distinction sets aside and rejects, in order that by this great and pernicious predetermination the authority of its former conclusions may remain inviolate.

In the long run my observations have convinced me that some men, reasoning preposterously, first establish some conclusion in their minds which, either because of its being their own or because of their having received it from some person who has their entire confidence, impresses them so deeply that one finds it impossible ever to get it out of their heads.

The average man believes a thing first, and then searches for proof to bolster his opinion

The moment we want to believe something, we suddenly see all the arguments for it, and become blind to the arguments against it. The moment we want to disbelieve anything we have previously believed we suddenly discover not only that there is a mass of evidence against it but that this evidence was starting us in the face all the time.

All of us show bias when it comes to what information we take in. We typically focus on anything that agrees with the outcome we want.

We want the facts to fit the preconceptions. When they don't it is easier to ignore the facts than to change the preconceptions.

When people get their mind made up about something, then it's: 'Don't bother me with facts.' They've got their minds made up and dismiss you out of hand. Some people don't even give you a fair hearing.

The human understanding when it has once adopted an opinion (either as being the received opinion or as being agreeable to itself) draws all things else to support and agree with it.

What the human being is best at doing is interpreting all new information so that their prior conclusions remain intact.

No evidence against a firmly-held belief, no matter how good or abundant it may be, will sway the true believer.

[Those] who have an excessive faith in their theories or in their ideas are not only poorly disposed to make discoveries, but they also make very poor observations.

We all have a tendency to think that the world must conform to our prejudices. The opposite view involves some effort of thought, and most people would die sooner than think in fact they do so.

The fact is that people would rather cling when they're afraid of something to a priori beliefs than rather open their minds about it.

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.

It is our knowledge - the things we are sure of - that makes the world go wrong and keeps us from seeing and learning.

Men first make up their minds (and the smaller the mind the sooner made up), and then seek for the reasons; and if they chance to stumble upon a good reason, of course they do not reject it. But though they are right, they are only right by chance.

A man sees what he wants to see, And disregards the rest.

People believe what they want to believe.

We believe what we want to believe, what we like to believe, what suits our prejudices and fuels our passions.

Most of us employ the Internet not to seek the best information, but rather to select information that confirms our prejudices.

To hold an idea and convince ourselves we arrived at it rationally, we go in search of evidence to support our view.

Adults have pretty much made up their minds - they like you to the extent that you confirm what they already believe.

The more you think you know, the more closed-minded you'll be.

We hew and saw and plane facts to make them dovetail with our prejudices, so that they become mere ornaments with which to parade our objectivity.