Just as our brains fill in the details of an image our eyes record only roughly, so, too, do our brains employ tricks we are unaware of to fill in details about people we don't know intimately.
Leonard MlodinowRead
We should keep in mind that it is easy to concoct stories explaining the past or to become confident about dubious scenarios of the future. We should view both explanations and prophecies with skepticism.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of skepticism towards narratives about the past and predictions about the future.
Leonard Mlodinow highlights the human tendency to fabricate stories that justify past events or to have confidence in uncertain predictions about the future. He suggests that we should maintain a skeptical perspective and not take explanations and prophecies at face value, as they may often be misleading or unfounded.
Themes
SkepticismPastFutureStoriesTruth
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about the reliability of historical accounts.
More from Leonard Mlodinow
All quotes →Every aspect of our lives plays out in two versions: one conscious, which we are constantly aware of, and the other unconscious, which remains hidden from us.
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When we are in the grasp of illusion - or, for that matter, whenever we have a new idea - instead of searching for ways to prove our ideas wrong, we usually attempt to prove them correct. Psychologists call this the confirmation bias, and it presents a major impediment of our ability to break free from the misinterpretation of randomness.
Leonard MlodinowRead
We believe that when we choose anything, judge a stranger and even fall in love, we understand the principal factors that influenced us. Very often nothing could be further from the truth. As a result, many of our most basic assumptions about ourselves, and society, are false.
Leonard MlodinowRead
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