Katharine Viner Quotes

I think most people like a bit of freedom and hearing things that they might not agree with, rather than just having everybody shutting their mouths.

… if freedom of speech means anything, it means a willingness to stand and let people say things with which we disagree, and which do weary us considerably.

Instead of silencing speakers on campus, perhaps do what you're supposed to in college instead: listen to someone who thinks differently than you do.

I enjoy being around people who disagree with me; and I enjoy being in non-political contexts and activities.

Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.

We will not put a lid on opinions. On the contrary, it is more important than ever that political debates are open and free, even on the most difficult issues. Especially on the most difficult issues. The task is to encourage controversial debates in a form that strengthens democracy.

Well, first of all, no professor should be able to say, I refuse to defend my position. I refuse to debate my position.

I am not interested in telling you what to think. My job is to show you what I think. Period.

If a book be false in its facts, disprove them; if false in its reasoning, refute it. But for God's sake, let us freely hear both sides if we choose.

We don’t need to ban bad ideas. We just need to criticize bad ideas.

This is an increasingly diversifying society, and people are coming into much closer contact with each other than they ever did. I find that a problem for a university, because bumping up against people who disagree with you is fundamental to the creation of new knowledge. And so universities can't go silent. You can't have a place where it's not permitted to make a certain kind of argument. But you can have a place which forbids epithets to be thrown at people.

People who know me know that I'm always interested in an honest, civil exchange of views, and I'm not some Hollywood liberal know-nothing.

I think it's important to not just speak to like-minded people.

We can have our beliefs and still read and discuss things.

Sometimes, we feel like we don't want to offend people, but there are times that we need to express ourselves without fear that somebody is going to shut us down simply because we have differing opinions. That's how we grow.

My own experience is that the best outcomes are reached when opposing viewpoints are clearly and strongly presented before decisions are made.

When I bring people on my show, I'm not going to bring the right-wingers on that just reinforce what I have to say, and I'm not going to bring on the liberals so that I can talk over them or interrupt them because, to me, that doesn't educate anyone or inform anyone.

A society is healthy only when it allows its members to discuss their thoughts openly. This is also the only way that a society can gather consensus, let everyone express his or her wish, and foster creativity.

There is giant untapped potential in disagreement, especially if the disagreement is between two or more thoughtful people

Instead of yelling your opinion, or telling people to shut up, or engaging in this clickbait-internet culture, have a dialogue with someone and ask people questions and listen to what they have to say.

My father always used to say, "Don't raise your voice. Improve your argument." Good sense does not always lie with the loudest shouters, nor can we say that a large, unruly crowd is always the best arbiter of what is right.

I think if religion closes discussion or exchange of ideas or curiosity about other views, it's not true to its core.

I just mix and put things together the way the spirit moves me.

I don't believe anything I write or say. I regard belief as a form of brain damage, the death of intelligence, the fracture of creativity, the atrophy of imagination. I have opinions but no Belief System (B.S.)

At school, new ideas are thrust at you every day. Out in the world, you’ll have to find the inner motivation to search for new ideas on your own. With any luck at all, you’ll never need to take an idea and squeeze a punchline out of it, but as bright, creative people, you’ll be called upon to generate ideas and solutions all your lives. Letting your mind play is the best way to solve problems.