Contradictory Beliefs Quotes

Woe to the unlucky man who as a child is taught, even as a portion of his creed, what his grown reason must forswear.

The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise. This philosophy fitted on to my early adult life, when I saw the improbable, the implausible, often the "impossible," come true.

Have no respect for the authority of others, for there are always contrary authorities to be found.

When truth kills truth, O devilish holy fray!

Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.

The exact contrary of what is generally believed is often the truth.

To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulne­ss while telling carefully constructe­d lies, to hold simultaneo­usly two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradict­ory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy.

As far as consistency of thought goes, I prefer inconsistency.

The public is schizophrenic.

In principle, I am against principles.

In all matters of opinion, our adversaries are insane.

it's wrong to be right; it's right to be wrong.

Even though I believe we should promote Chinese medicine, I personally do not believe in it. I don't take Chinese medicine.

Man is so inconsistent a creature that it is impossible to reason from his beliefs to his conduct, or from one part of his belief to another.

Anti-theses.- The most senile thing ever thought about man is contained in the celebrated saying 'the ego is always hateful'; the most childish is the even more celebrated 'love thy neighbor as thyself'. - In the former, knowledge of human nature has ceased, in the latter it has not yet even begun.

One of the things I constantly think about as a writer is the way in which people are full of contradictions - there's all this contradictory information inside a human personality.

Your mind will believe comforting lies while also knowing the painful truths that make those lies necessary. And your mind will punish you for believing both.

A man can believe a considerable deal of rubbish, and yet go about his daily work in a rational and cheerful manner.

I fully embrace myself as a hypocrite.

We all live with contradictions.

We are, I know not how, double in ourselves, so that what we believe we disbelieve, and cannot rid ourselves of what we condemn.

We Americans claim to be a peace-loving people. We hate bloodshed; we are opposed to violence. Yet we go into spasms of joy over the possibility of projecting dynamite bombs from flying machines upon helpless citizens. We are ready to hang, electrocute, or lynch anyone, who, from economic necessity, will risk his own life in the attempt upon that of some industrial magnate. Yet our hearts swell with pride at the thought that America is becoming the most powerful nation on earth, and that she will eventually plant her iron foot on the necks of all other nations. Such is the logic of patriotism.

Humans have an amazing capacity to believe in contradictory things. For example, to believe in an omnipotent and benevolent God but somehow excuse Him from all the suffering in the world. Or our ability to believe from the standpoint of law that humans are equal and have free will and from biology that humans are just organic machines.

Anyone who can worship a trinity and insist that his religion is a monotheism can believe anything.

I wouldn't think I was successful if I didn't have just as many people hate me as support me.