Josh Billings Quotes

Most men … can seldom discern even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as obliges them to admit the falsity of conclusions they have formed, perhaps with much difficulty — conclusions of which they are proud, which they have taught to others, and on which they have built their lives

Men are nearly always willing to believe what they wish.

My point is that perceptual bias can affect nut jobs and scientists alike. If we hold too rigidly to what we think we know, we ignore or avoid evidence of anything that might change our mind.

Men willingly believe what they wish.

People are going to believe what they want to believe.

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

It is always easier to believe than to deny. Our minds are naturally affirmative.

Men freely believe that which they desire.

People will generally accept facts as truth only if the facts agree with what they already believe.

The first step to believing something is true is wanting to believe it is true... or being afraid it is.

Man associates ideas not according to logic or verifiable exactitude, but according to his pleasure and interests. It is for this reason that most truths are nothing but prejudices.

It's a disease of critics that once they've labeled someone, it's very hard to change their perspective. It's laziness.

Most men, when they think they are thinking, are merely rearranging their prejudices.

A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.

As a rule we disbelieve all the facts and theories for which we have no use.

Men in general are quick to believe that which they wish to be true.

Everyone believes very easily whatever they fear or desire

The habit of an opinion often leads to the complete conviction of its truth, it hides the weaker parts of it, and makes us incapable of accepting the proofs against it.

… people reject the validity of a scientific source because its conclusion contradicted their deeply held views.

We all have a tendency to think that the world must conform to our prejudices.

Man tends to treat all of his opinions as principles.

It's human nature to make the complex manageable and determine things that fit your conclusions. That's bias.

I realised that people respond to banal things. They don't accept their own history, not participating in acceptance within their own being.

I've always been intrigued by why people believe one thing over another.

But then books, as I'm sure you know, seldom prompt a course of action. Books generally just confirm you in what you have, perhaps unwittingly, decided to do already. You go to a book to have your convictions corroborated. A book, as it were, closes the book.