William Ruckelshaus Quotes

The best way I know of to win an argument is to start by being in the right.

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.

He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak.

I have found you an argument; I am not obliged to find you an understanding.

Persuasion is clearly a sort of demonstration, since we are most fully persuaded when we consider a thing to have been demonstrated.

It is said that an argument is what convinces reasonable men and a proof is what it takes to convince even an unreasonable man.

Convincing yourself doesn't win an argument.

The facts are on our side.

Good argument is intended to persuade another.

I'm not out to convince anybody of anything.

Right reason is stronger than force.

Rhetoric is cheap, evidence comes more dearly.

Nothing is as frustrating as arguing with someone who knows what he's talking about.

The voice of the intellect is a soft one, but it does not rest until it has gained a hearing.

Hear reason, or she'll make you feel her.

Logic and fact keep interfering with the easy flow of conversation.

Argument is conclusive … but … it does not remove doubt.

We may convince others by our argument; but we can only persuade them by their own.

To convince someone of the truth, it is not enough to state it, but rather one must find the path from error to truth.

Discussion is an exchange of knowledge; argument an exchange of ignorance.

Analogies prove nothing, that is quite true, but they can make one feel more at home.

Argument is to me the air I breathe.

I'll argue anyone into the dust when it comes to facts.

Sir, I have found you an argument; but I am not obliged to find you an understanding.

I never saw an instance of one or two disputants convincing the other by argument.