Francis Bacon
human understanding bias confirmation
“The human understanding when it has once adopted an opinion draws all things else to support and agree with it. And though there be a greater number and weight of instances to be found on the other side, yet these it either neglects and despises, or else by some distinction sets aside and rejects.”
— Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
books tasted devour digest
“Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly.”
― Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
certainty doubt learn knowledge
“If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.”
― Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
books contradict confute believe discourse
“Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.”
― Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
imagination compensate humor console
“Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is.”
― Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
man prefer believe true
“Man prefers to believe what he prefers to be true.”
― Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
do now eternity sparkling star melting snowflake
“Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand--and melting like a snowflake...”
― Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
fate man die well known unknown himself
“It is a sad fate for a man to die too well known to everybody else, and still unknown to himself.”
― Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
money servant master
“Money is a great servant but a bad master.”
― Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
age old wood burn wine drink friend trust author read
“Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read.”
― Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
read contradict refute believe weigh consider
“Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted ... but to weigh and consider.”
― Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
truth hard tell fiction plausible
“Truth is so hard to tell, it sometimes needs fiction to make it plausible.”
― Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
Reading full conference ready writing exact
“Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.”
—Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
remedy disease
“The remedy is worse than the disease.”
—Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
nature command obey
“Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed.”
— Francis Bacon (1561-1626)