It is not the facts which guide the conduct of men, but their opinions about facts; which may be entirely wrong. We can only make them right by discussion.
Interpretation
People are driven by their perceptions of facts rather than by facts themselves, and discussion is key to correcting misunderstandings.
In this quote, Norman Angell highlights the importance of subjective perceptions over objective reality in shaping human behavior. He emphasizes that individuals act based on their opinions about facts, which can often be incorrect; thus, engaging in open discussions is essential to rectify these misunderstandings and align opinions with reality.
In practice
In a debate on social media, one might use this quote to emphasize the need for dialogue to correct misconceptions.
Let us face squarely the paradox that the world which goes to war is a world, usually genuinely desiring peace. War is the outcome, not mainly of evil intentions, but on the whole of good intentions which miscarry or are frustrated. It is made not usually by evil men knowing themselves to be wrong, but is the outcome of policies pursued by good men usually passionately convinced that they are right.
We know that no algorithm can solve global poverty; no pill can cure a chronic illness; no box of chocolates can mend a broken relationship; no educational DVD can transform a child into a baby Einstein; no drone strike can end a terrorist conflict. Sadly, there is no such thing as 'One Tip to a Flat Stomach.'
I'm afraid we live at the mercy of a power, maybe a God, without mercy. And yet we find it, as I have, from others.
Ask yourself whether you are happy', observed the philosopher John Stuart Mill, 'and you cease to be so.' At best, it would appear, happiness can only be glimpsed out of the corner of an eye, not stared at directly.
If everyone was satisfied with himself, there would be no heroes.
We Greeks believe that a man who takes no part in public affairs is not merely lazy, but good for nothing
And now I was lonelier, I supposed, than anyone else in the world. Even Defoe's creation, Robinson Crusoe, the prototype of the ideal solitary, could hope to meet another human being. Crusoe cheered himself by thinking that such a thing could happen any day, and it kept him going. But if any of the people now around me came near I would need to run for it and hide in mortal terror. I had to be alone, entirely alone, if I wanted to live.
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