C. S. Lewis Quotes

Complete objectivity is not an option. We are all subjective about the way we respond to 'what is,' whether it's the people we encounter, the circumstances in our lives, or ourselves. What we can do is reduce our subjectivity - what I call 'I see, therefore it is.'

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

There is nothing that deceives us more than our own judgment when used to give an opinion on our own works. It is sound in judging the work of our enemies but not that of our friends, for hate and love are two of the most powerfully motivating factors found among living things.

There'll be differences of opinion in just about every intelligence analysis that you make.

Our thoughts and our feelings, of course, are not wholly objective, they're inherently subjective. And that's the danger, and I think as long as we're aware of it and can push back against it, I don't think that these two views are necessarily incompatible.

We often refuse to accept an idea merely because the tone of voice in which it has been expressed is unsympathetic to us.

Our analysis of truth and falsehood, or of the nature of judgment, is not very likely to be influenced by our hopes and fears.

I never read reviews of something I want to see.

Our judgments when we are pleased and friendly are not the same as when we are pained and hostile.

I don't judge a regime by the damning criticism of the opposition, but by the ingenuous praise of the partisan.

But when you're in something together, it's very hard to be objective and you're very subjective.

Humans naturally think more highly of themselves and their communities than their evidence can justify, but deny that they are biased in this way. This sincere confidence helps people to convince others to think highly of them, and to convince their group of their strong attachment to it. If you force yourself to face facts squarely you may gain better insight into yourself and human nature, and perhaps even signal a certain rare ability to achieve this result. But you may less convince others of your other abilities, and to convince your group of your loyalty

Men are not necessarily more zealous for truth than they are for error.

No two men see the world exactly alike, and different temperaments will apply in different ways a principle that they both acknowledge. The same man will, indeed, often see and judge the same things differently on different occasions.

It comes to pass that men do so magnify their own opinions, and are as censorious of any that differ from them in lesser things

It is necessary to judge accurately the things that rest on opinion

Nothing is so difficult as not deceiving oneself

We may try to see things as objectively as we please. None the less, we can never see them with any eyes except our own.

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.

Ignorance is less remote from the truth than prejudice.

Facts matter, especially when they conflict with dogma and preconceived notions. Pretending otherwise has consequences.

Being unbiased is a lot like being humble: as soon as you think you are, you aren’t. Neither are a finite state of being but a continuous struggle to not allow our perspectives poison our opinions.

There is something insane about a lack of doubt. Doubt - to me, anyway - is what makes you human, and without doubt, even the righteous lose their grip, not only on reality but also on their humanity.

We seldom find any person of good sense, except those who share our opinions.

We're all biased, right, in many different ways - politically, religiously, ideologically, the way our family raised us - and that's fine. Nobody wants to live in a world where everybody thinks exactly the same. The key, though, is to try to figure out where your biases are holding you back from solving problems.