Margot Asquith Quotes

The most part of men, though they have the use of reasoning a little way, as in numbering to some degree; yet it serves them to little use in common life; in which they govern themselves, some better, some worse, according to their differences of experience, quickness of memory, and inclinations to several ends; but specially according to good or evil fortune, and the errors of one another.

We know you have a great mind and all, Mother, but you don’t have much sense.

He has room for people with very little sense, but He wants everyone to use what sense they have.

Like all weak men he laid an exaggerated stress on not changing one's mind.

Give them your brains, girl, never your guts.

Ability to type on a computer terminal is no guarantee of sanity, intelligence, or common sense.

One of the hardest tasks as a human being is knowing when to keep an open mind, and when not to.

There is no man so blind as one who has made up his mind.

Everyone praises his heart, none dare praise their understanding.

He that has more Knowledge than Judgment, is made for another Man's use more than his own.

Reason is Life's sole arbiter, themagic Laby'rinth's single clue.

You can be dogmatic, like Donald Trump, and say don't tell me any of the facts, I have made up my mind, I don't want to hear anything, or you can say, look, trade can be good or it can be bad, depending on the rules.

Narrowness of mind is often the cause of obstinacy; we do not easily believe beyond what we see.

Intelligence is just a tool to be used toward a goal, and goals are not always chosen intelligently.

Firmness in decision is often merely a form of stupidity. It indicates an inability to think the same thing out twice.

The opinion prevailed among advanced minds that it was time that belief should be replaced increasingly by knowledge; belief that did not itself rest on knowledge was superstition, and as such had to be opposed.

Reason argues the case, but fact may determine the judgment.

If you have more than one reason to do something (choose a doctor or veterinarian, hire a gardener or an employee, marry a person, go on a trip), just don’t do it. It does not mean that one reason is better than two, just that by invoking more than one reason you are trying to convince yourself to do something. Obvious decisions (robust to error) require no more than a single reason.

The capacity to reason is a special sort of capacity because it can lead us to places that we did not expect to go.

Smallness of mind is the cause of stubbornness, and we do not credit readily what is beyond our view.

What if she figures out you're not very smart?

One of the main faults of a fool is that he never changes his mind.

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.

It is impossible to live without brains, either one's own or borrowed.

The choicest gift of God to man, the gift of reason; and having endeavoured to force upon himself the belief of a system against which reason revolts, he ungratefully calls it human reason; as if man could give reason to himself.