Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones.
Interpretation
Humans inherently seek beliefs, filling gaps with poor choices when better options are absent.
This quote by Bertrand Russell highlights the human tendency to seek out beliefs and explanations, even when they are based on insufficient or flawed reasoning. Russell suggests that in the absence of strong evidence or rational grounds, people are prone to accept questionable or unfounded beliefs, which reflects a fundamental aspect of human nature and our search for understanding in an uncertain world.
In practice
In a discussion about misinformation, this quote underscores the need for critical evaluation of beliefs.
St. Paul introduced an entirely novel view of marriage, that it existed primarily to prevent the sin of fornication. It is just as if one were to maintain that the sole reason for baking bread is to prevent people from stealing cake.
Freedom comes only to those who no longer ask of life that it shall yield them any of those personal goods that are subject to the mutations of time.
Of these austerer virtues the love of truth is the chief, and in mathematics, more than elsewhere, the love of truth may find encouragement for waning faith. Every great study is not only an end in itself, but also a means of creating and sustaining a lofty habit of mind; and this purpose should be kept always in view throughout the teaching and learning of mathematics.
At all times, except when a monarch could enforce his will, war has been facilitated by the fact that vigorous males, confident of victory, enjoyed it, while their females admired them for their prowess.
Moreover, the attitude that one ought to believe such and such a proposition, independently of the question whether there is evidence in its favor, is an attitude which produces hostility to evidence and causes us to close our minds to every fact that does not suit our prejudices.
Extreme hopes are born from extreme misery.
Abba Moses asked Abba Sylvanus, Can a person lay a new foundation every day? The old man replied, If you work hard, you can lay a new foundation every moment. Abba Pimen said, To throw yourself before God, not to measure your progress, to leave behind all self-will; these are the instruments for the work of the soul. The desire to rule is the mother of heresies.
It is because God is infinitely great and good that his glory is the end of all things; and his good pleasure the highest reason for whatever comes to pass. What is man that he should contend with God, or presume that his interests rather than God's glory should be made the final end?
Reason and Knowledge have always played a secondary, subordinate, auxiliary role in the life of peoples, and this will always be the case. A people is shaped and driven forward by an entirely different kind of force, one which commands and coerces them and the origin of which is obscure and inexplicable despite the reality of its presence.
Bismarck fought 'necessary' wars and killed thousands, the idealists of the twentieth century fight 'just' wars and kill millions.
Shape clay into a vessel; _x000D_ _x000D_ It is the space within that makes it useful. _x000D_ _x000D_ Cut doors and windows for a room; _x000D_ _x000D_ It is the holes which make it useful. _x000D_ _x000D_ Therefore benefit comes from what is there; _x000D_ _x000D_ Usefulness from what is not there.
Sin is the reason we are racist, prejudiced, and lie to cover for our own.
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