Elbert Hubbard Quotes

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.

Men, in general, seem to employ their reason to justify prejudices...rather than to root them out.

Most of our so-called reasoning consists in finding arguments for going on believing as we already do.

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

Opinions should not be allowed to become conclusions

Men can reason themselves into almost any sort of opinion if they are so inclined.

When we are accustomed to use bad reasons for proving natural effects, we are not willing to receive good reasons when they are discovered

If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance with his instincts, he will accept it even on the slenderest evidence. The origin of myths is explained in this way.

Some people have facts; these can be proven. Some people have theories; these can be disproven. But people with opinions are mindless and have their minds made up about it.

Opinion is something wherein I go about to give reasons why all the world should think as I think.

It is doubtless impossible to approach any human problems with a mind free from bias.

Finding bad reasons for what one believes for other bad reasons - that's philosophy.

I hope you become comfortable with the use of logic without being deceived into concluding that logic will inevitably lead you to the correct conclusion.

False conclusions which have been reasoned out are infinitely worse than blind impulse.

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.

To be clever in argument is not rationality but rationalization.

The same principles which at first view lead to skepticism, pursued to a certain point, bring men back to common sense.

I live in Realville, and my problem is that I'm governed by logic. And some of the claims that are made by people on the left just don't hold up.

When blithe to argument I come, Though armed with facts, and merry, May Providence protect me from The fool as adversary, Whose mind to him a kingdom is Where reason lacks dominion, Who calls conviction prejudice And prejudice opinion.

But the need for conflict to expose prejudice and unclear reasoning, which is deeply embedded in my philosophy of science, has its origin in these debates.

The moment a person forms a theory, his imagination sees in every object only the traits which favor that theory.

Science rests on reason and experiment, and can meet an opponent with calmness; but a belief is always sensitive.

The only exercise I excel at is jumping to conclusions.

The discovery of truth is prevented more effectively, not by the false appearance things present and which mislead into error, not directly by weakness of the reasoning powers, but by preconceived opinion, by prejudice.

How quick come the reasons for approving what we like!