Mary McCarthy Quotes

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

I have written too much history to have faith in it; and if anyone thinks I'm wrong, I am inclined to agree with him.

I don't consider myself to be that credulous.

Events in the past may be roughly divided into those which probably never happened and those which do not matter.

It would strike me as ridiculous to want to doubt the existence of Napoleon; but if someone doubted the existence of the earth 150years ago, perhaps I should be more willing to listen, for now he is doubting our whole system of evidence.

Our credulity is greatest concerning the things we know least about.

The city of truth cannot be built on the swampy ground of skepticism.

History is the great propagator of doubt.

Simple. Atlantis can't be found." He scoffed at her. " You're the second person to tell me that in less than an hour.

Excessive distrust is not less hurtfJul than its opposite. Most men become useless to him who is unwilling to risk being deceived.

To hear is to doubt, to see is to be deceived, but to feel is to believe.

Doubting charms me not less than knowledge.

The worst thing about cynicism is its truth.

If you're ever in doubt, throw a pepper in the air. If it fails to come down, you have gone mad, so don't trust in anything.

Say what you will about the sweet miracle of unquestioning faith, I consider a capacity for it terrifying and absolutely vile.

both doubt and certainty are as contagious as the common cold

"Belief in the truth commences with the doubting of all those "truths" we once believed."

As to the gods, I have no means of knowing either that they exist or do not exist.

In principle I'm an atheist, although in fact I have a lot of faith

All we have gained then by our unbelief Is a life of doubt diversified by faith, For one of faith diversified by doubt: We called the chess-board white-we call it black.

God have mercy on the man who doubts what he's sure of.

The alternative to doubt is authority, against which science had fought for centuries.

It sounds to me, young one," Haddek said, "that you are searching for something that cannot be found." "The truth?" Sazed said. "No," Haddek replied. "A religion that requires no faith of its believers.

Do you really think he untied you? .. He was just checking his kids handiwork.