Quote by Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essa

The demand for certainty is one which is natural to man, but is nevertheless an intellectual vice. ... But so long as men are not trained to withhold judgment in the absence of evidence, they will be led astray by cocksure prophets, and it is likely that their leaders will be either ignorant fanatics or dishonest charlatans. To endure uncertainty is difficult, but so are most of the other virtues.

The demand for certainty is one which is natural to man, but

Summary

This quote suggests that while it is natural for humans to desire certainty, this desire can be a harmful intellectual quality. When individuals are unable to withhold judgment without evidence, they are susceptible to being misled by confident yet unreliable figures. The quote further implies that fostering the ability to tolerate uncertainty is challenging but necessary, as it promotes other virtues and guards against ignorance and dishonesty in leadership.

Topics

Facts

By Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essa

Liked the quote? Share it with your friends.

Random Quotations

Let me read you some of my poetry. My poetry just takes me t

Let me read you some of my poetry. My poetry just takes me to another level.

Let me, O let me bathe my soul in colours; let me swallow th

Let me, O let me bathe my soul in colours; let me swallow the sunset and drink the rainbow.

Beauty Soul

Elphaba, where I'm from, we believe all sorts of things that

Elphaba, where I'm from, we believe all sorts of things that aren't true. We call it--- history.

Winnie Holzman, Wicked (the musi

History

It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living by its pu

It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living by its purely physical effect on the human temperament would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind.

Albert Einstein

You really have to work hard and apply yourself and by apply

You really have to work hard and apply yourself and by applying yourself and working hard and being diligent, you can achieve success.

Success

Otherwise I don't read much adult poetry at all, because I'm

Otherwise I don't read much adult poetry at all, because I'm not smart enough and mostly I don't get it.

Poetry

The devil has not vanished simply because people refuse to b

The devil has not vanished simply because people refuse to believe he exists, no more than God has...

E.A. Bucchianeri

Truth God Good Evil Devil Good And Evil Truths Hard Truths Tough Wisdom

Nothing is so commonplace has the wish to be remarkable.

Nothing is so commonplace has the wish to be remarkable.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Ordinary

My mother was passionate. She was stubborn, the dominant one

My mother was passionate. She was stubborn, the dominant one in the family. She dominated my father.

Let God take your hurt, your pain, and turn it into somethin

Let God take your hurt, your pain, and turn it into something miraculous!

Inspirational Christianity

Let us not forget that the European Community started as a p

Let us not forget that the European Community started as a project for peace after the terrible Second World War. And today people take for granted the freedom to travel, to study, to work abroad. And the citizens of one country have almost exactly the same rights as another country.

Jose Manuel Barroso

Travel

No man should desire to be happy who is not at the same time

No man should desire to be happy who is not at the same time holy. He should spend his efforts in seeking to know and do the will of God, leaving to Christ the matter of how happy he should be.

Happiness