Prejudices are what fools use for reason.
VoltaireRead
It is dangerous to be right in matters where established men are wrong.
Interpretation
Challenging the status quo can be risky, especially when it goes against influential figures.
Voltaire's quote highlights the risks associated with speaking truth to power. It suggests that, in a society where established authority figures hold strong beliefs or positions, being correct may lead to conflict or danger for those who challenge them. This reflects the complexities of intellectual freedom and the courage required to stand up for one's convictions, particularly in the face of opposition from those in power.
In practice
This quote can be used during a speech about the importance of standing up for what is right despite opposition.
Prejudices are what fools use for reason.
He was a great patriot, a humanitarian, a loyal friend; provided, of course, he really is dead.
It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it.
We are all full of weakness and errors; let us mutually pardon each other our follies - it is the first law of nature.
It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to condemn an innocent one.
If God did not exist, He would have to be invented. But all nature cries aloud that he does exist: that there is a supreme intelligence, an immense power, an admirable order, and everything teaches us our own dependence on it.
To know it is not as good as to love it, and to love it is not as good as to take delight in it.
The bulk of mankind is as well equipped for flying as thinking.
In each moment the fire rages, it will burn away a hundred veils. And carry you a thousand steps toward your goal.
Don't get bitter and twisted and nasty by life. You may have been wronged or cheated on; two wrongs never make a right. Instead learn your mistakes and learn your lessons. Remain strong with your head held high.
The ability to subordinate an impulse to a value is the essence of the proactive person.
We are often attracted to the wrong things, whether it be money, fame, or approval.
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