Ernest Gaines Quotes

We shouldn't accept things just because somebody says so.

My dad instilled in me to naturally question all authority. I don't follow anything blindly. That's religion, cops, doctors, schools, you name it.

If you judge, investigate.

Skepticism is a virtue in history as well as in philosophy.

Oxford also taught me something else - it taught me scepticism.

Blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed.

No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority.

I'd rather see folks doubt what's true than accept what isn't.

Question everything!

A healthy skepticism, regularly exercised…

Don’t believe everything the professors tell you. Get your own information on your own terms.

I respect and believe skeptics.

Now that I can see it's the queen's new clothes Now that I can hear all your poison prose Now that I can talk with my tongue unfroze I'm not so sure of Santa or the buck tooth fairy There are no words for me inside your dictionary

When an old and distinguished person speaks to you, listen to him carefully and with respect — but do not believe him. Never put your trust into anything but your own intellect. Your elder, no matter whether he has gray hair or has lost his hair, no matter whether he is a Nobel laureate — may be wrong. The world progresses, year by year, century by century, as the members of the younger generation find out what was wrong among the things that their elders said. So you must always be skeptical — always think for yourself.

Think for yourself. Know what you're doing. Question authority.

If I were to give one piece of advice, I would say to never accept anything that you hear or see at face value. As a general rule of thumb, then the more you question, the better.

I don't want them to believe me, I just want them to think.

I can believe things that are true and things that aren't true and I can believe things where nobody knows if they're true or not.

Question everything, even if it represents generations of conventional wisdom.

It is difficult to say what truth is, but sometimes it is so easy to recognize a falsehood.

I think that cynicism can often be mistaken for wisdom.

You shouldn’t blindly accept a leader’s advice. You’ve got to question leaders on occasion.

Disbelief is more resistant than faith because it is sustained by the senses.

I promise to question everything my leaders tell me. I promise to use my critical faculties. I promise to develop my independence of thought. I promise to educate myself so I can make my own judgments.

Don't blindly follow any leader.