Bertrand Russell
Die sooner than think
"We all have a tendency to think that the world must conform to our prejudices. The opposite view involves some effort of thought, and most people would die sooner than think – in fact they do so."
—Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
Eccentric in opinion
"Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric."
—Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
Healthy question
"In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted."
—Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
limits to knowledge - imagination
“Science may set limits to knowledge but should not set limits to imagination.”
—Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
war right left
“War does not determine who is right - only who is left.”
― Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
bridge to cross or burn
“The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn.”
― Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
intelligence gospel
“So far as I can remember there is not one word in the Gospels in praise of intelligence.”
― Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
patriots
“Patriots always talk of dying for their country but never of killing for their country.”
― Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
democracy stupid honest clever
"Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man."
—Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
vague realize precise
"Everything is vague to a degree you do not realize till you have tried to make it precise".
—Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
Bertrand russell stupid intelligent cocksure doubt
“The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.”
― Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
man rational animal evidence
“It has been said that man is a rational animal. All my life I have been searching for evidence which could support this.”
― Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
life criminal victim
"Life is a competition to be the criminal rather than the victim"
― Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
fact science instance
"A fact, in science, is not a mere fact, but an instance"
― Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
people die think
"most people would die sooner than think – in fact they do so."
—Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
expert agree mistaken
"Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken"
—Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
logical error important comfortable opinion
"Logical errors are, I think, of greater practical importance than many people believe; they enable their perpetrators to hold the comfortable opinion on every subject in turn."
—Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
science founded patience boldness hypotheses
"The men who founded modern science had two merits which are not necessarily found together: Immense patience in observation, and great boldness in framing hypotheses."
—Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
work kind position matter telling unpleasant ill paid second hig
”Work is of two kinds: first, altering the position of matter at or near the earth’s surface relatively to other such matter; second, telling other people to do so. The first one is unpleasant and ill paid; the second is pleasant and highly paid.”
—Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
respect liberty natural impulse
"Respect for the liberty of others is not a natural impulse in most men."
—Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
democracy merit stupidity
“Democracy has at least one merit, namely that a Member of Parliament cannot be stupider than his constituents, for the more stupid he is, the more stupid they were to elect him.”
—Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)