Adam Ferguson Quotes

I think we are intrinsically prone to being irrational and superstitious. A lot of it comes from our fear of the unknown and the fear of a lack of control over our fate.

Superstition would seem to be simply cowardice in regard to the unknown.

Superstition, then, is engendered, preserved, and fostered by fear.

My work explores the frontier between rationalism and superstition and the wavering boundary between the two.

As a person, I do ascribe to a lot of magical thinking myself.

I don't really believe in palm readers and crystal balls and tarot cards, but I respond to the need for them.

You'll find superstition a contagious thing. Some people let it get the better of them.

I can't predict the future and I don't have respect for people who try to.

Astrology is interesting but not very accurate. It's a science I don't trust very much.

I'm not, like - what's the word when you believe in a lot of magic? Superstitious.

One of the functions of intelligence is to take account of the dangers that come from trusting solely to the intelligence.

I've had something sort of like angel cards where you pull out an angel card that turns out, like, grandmother was watching over me. And I believe, in some way, I haven't been brave enough to engage with tarot cards mostly because they always end on a bad note. I'm sure if I understood tarot cards more I wouldn't be as fearful.

I think you're not a human being unless you have doubts and fears.

Courage is often lack of insight, whereas cowardice in many cases is based on good information.

I've never had a supernatural experience. I've been tempted to maybe have a tarot-card reading, but I don't know if I'd necessarily want to know.

I'm not a fortune-teller.

My mother reads tarot cards, actually, but I won't let her read mine.

The natural inclination in all humans is to posit a force, a spirit, outside of us. That tendency toward superstitious magical thinking is just built into our nature.

I'm not in the business of reading tea leaves. I don't have a crystal ball.

Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.

I'm not one of those superstitious people.

Superstitions and belief in magic are perennial in just the same way as religion, and something near to being universal among mankind; and why this is so may be interesting, but in most cases the beliefs themselves are devoid of interesting content, at least to me.

Common sense is the most widely shared commodity in the world, for every man is convinced that he is well supplied with it.

The 18th century, which is usually held to be the most "materialistic" of epochs, was, in fact, a most "spiritualistic" one; in which ghosts, demons, quacks, philosophers' stones, enchanters' wands, mysteries and mummeries, were as fashionable—as they will probably be again some day.

Superstition is an enemy to civil liberty