John Fiske Quotes

Opinions founded on prejudice are always sustained with the greatest violence.

Bigotry is chronic dogmatism.

As in political so in literary action a man wins friends for himself mostly by the passion of his prejudices and the consistent narrowness of his outlook.

Self-righteousness has killed more people than smoking.

There is such a thing as fanaticism, it is always wrong, and if you disagree, you're wrong too.

The belief that there is only one truth, and that oneself is in possession of it, is the root of all evil in the world.

The spirit of sect and bigotry has planted its hoof amid the stars. You have only to discuss the problem, whether the stars are inhabited or not, in order to discover it.

A dogmatical spirit inclines a man to be censorious of his neighbors. Every one of his opinions appears to him written, as it were, with sunbeams, and he grows angry that his neighbors do not see it in the same light. He is tempted to disdain his correspondents as men of low and dark understandings because they do not believe what he does.

Nothing dies so hard, or rallies so often as intolerance.

It is not possible to unknow what you do know - the result of that is fanaticism.

Claiming that you have got the truth wrapped up does breed violence and intolerance.

A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.

When we believe ourselves in possession of the only truth, we are likely to be indifferent to common everyday truths.

Those who believe that they have absolute truth and the only moral system are destructive both to themselves and to those whom they try to convert.

The world is made up for the most part of morons and natural tyrants, sure of themselves, strong in their own opinions, never doubting anything.

The enemy of idealism is zealotry.

Bigotry is the sacred disease.

There is no bigotry like that of 'free thought' run to seed.

Bigot: One who is obstinately and zealously attached to an opinion that you do not entertain.

There is nothing more dangerous than the conscience of a bigot.

The sin of certainty leaves no room for the rest of us.

There is nothing that dies so hard and rallies so often as intolerance.

Ignorance and fanaticism are ever busy and need feeding.

Prejudice locks the mind. Nothing can enter. Nothing true can escape.

In reality, bias against ‘heretics’ is felt today just as it used to be. Many give way to it as much as their forefathers used to do. Only, they have turned it against political adversaries. Those are the only ones with whom they refuse to mix. Sectarianism has only changed its object and taken other forms, because the vital interest has shifted. Should we dare to say that this shifting is progress?