Michael Shermer Quotes

I believe that through its rational evaluation of truth and indifference to personal belief, science transcends religious and political divisions and so does bind us into a greater, more resilient whole.

Hope is easy; knowledge is hard. Science is the one domain in which we human beings make a truly heroic effort to counter our innate biases and wishful thinking. Science is the one endeavor in which we have developed a refined methodology for separating what a person hopes is true from what he has good reason to believe.

Truth does not demand belief. Scientists do not join hands every Sunday, singing, 'Yes, gravity is real! I will have faith!'

God forbid that Truth should be confined to Mathematical Demonstration!

No amount of belief makes something a fact.

Science is the most reliable guide in life.

The interest I have to believe a thing is no proof that such a thing exists.

I believe science has a wonderful ability, in an unbiased way, to offer hope to many people who are confused, but it's not the only way to find hope.

Science is basically an inoculation against charlatans.

True science teaches, above all, to doubt

The typical person has no trouble believing without knowing. What people need to realize is simply that you do not need to believe to know.

I believe in things that have proof.

The beauty of science hugely outranks the charms of superstition.

We are not here concerned with hopes or fears, only with truth as far as our reason permits us to discover it.

Science teaches us, in effect, to submit our reason to the truth and to know and judge of things as they are-that is to say, as they themselves choose to be and not as we would have them to be.

What counts is not what sounds plausible, not what we would like to believe, not what one or two witnesses claim, but only what is supported by hard evidence rigorously and skeptically examined. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

I’m a skeptic not because I do not want to believe, but because I want to know.

Science provides a much more satisfactory way to seek answers than does any religion.

Science is about nothing but getting at the truth, and anything that gets in the way of that diminishes, in my experience, the science.

The work of science is to substitute facts for appearances, and demonstrations for impressions.

The virtues of science are skepticism and independence of thought.

Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself.

I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with senses, reason and intellect has intended us to forego their use and by some other means to give us knowledge which we can attain by them.

In my opinion, it helps enormously to know why something is true, rather than being told it is true, for why should you believe me? Never believe anything on the authority of a single person but seek confirmation — and reason is the best confirmation

Something my father dearly loved is the scientific method, and it's founded in this element of humility. The idea is that you pursue the truth wherever it goes; you need to evidence, and you can - you see if it's repeatable.