Karl Popper Quotes

The last refuge of intolerance is in not tolerating the intolerant.

Our showy celebration of, and absolute insistence upon, individual autonomy and unconstrained diversity pushes those by nature least equipped to live comfortably in a liberal democracy not to the limits of their tolerance, but to their intolerant extremes.

Democracy depends on the idea that we hold each others’ right to express ourselves and be heard above our own desire to always get the outcomes we want. You can’t impose tolerance top-down.

Liberalism must be intolerant of every sort of intolerance.

A state of society where men may not speak their minds cannot long endure.

In America the majority raises formidable barriers around the liberty of opinion; within these barriers an author may write what he pleases, but woe to him if he goes beyond them.

Fascist movements kill off their critics, literally or metaphorically, while democratic movements value, invite and even welcome criticism.

Any open society that tolerates intolerance, sees tolerance disappear and the tolerant along with it.

Today the only thing which is not tolerated is intolerance.

It is a choice between freedom of speech and violent intimidation. It is a choice between tolerance and intolerance. It is ultimately a choice between civil society and theocracy. Fear is the only argument for neutrality. But what can the average American do besides shake their head at this sadly absurd new chapter in the clash of civilizations? Vote with your wallet. Buy Danish.

A free society means that you might have to put up with a lot of things you despise.

There is no one orthodoxy which is the enemy of democracy. All of them are.

We have taken the idea of tolerance so far that we have to put up with intolerance.

Be alert that dictators have always played on the natural human tendency to blame others and to oversimplify. And don't regard yourself as a guardian of freedom unless you respect and preserve the rights of people you disagree with to free, public, unhampered Expression

That's the beauty of democracy — you believe what you believe, I believe what I believe, and as long as we're not hurting each other, that's fine. Placing a value judgment on a person's beliefs has no place in a democracy.

Politically, the surest way to ward off authoritarianism is to safeguard the public expression of diverse opinion and the democratic interactions that result.

The intolerant man will not rely on persuasion, or on the worth of the idea. He would deny to others the very freedom of opinion or of dissent which he so stridently demands for himself. He cannot trust democracy.

Islam is not a race...Islam is simply a set of beliefs, and it is not 'Islamophobic' to say Islam is incompatible with liberal democracy.

It is a good thing to demand liberty for ourselves and for those who agree with us, but it is a better thing and a rarer thing to give liberty to others who do not agree with us.

Don't get so tolerant that you tolerate intolerance.

The growing tide of anti-Semitism shocks the conscious of everyone who values freedom, and the ugly, hateful acts particularly stain the character of democracies where liberty and religious freedom are supposed to be respected.

The challenge is to lend conviction even to the voices which advocate views I find personally abhorrent, whether they are political Islamists or officers justifying a coup.

If every inhabitant of a liberal democracy believes in liberal democracy, then it doesn't matter what creed or colour they are.

We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it.

I chose America as my home because I value freedom and democracy, civil liberties and an open society.