Never let yourself be diverted, either by what you wish to believe, or what you think could have beneficent social effects if it were believed; but look only and solely at what are the facts.
Interpretation
Stay focused on the facts rather than being swayed by beliefs or potential benefits.
This quote urges us to prioritize objective truths over subjective wishes or the lure of socially beneficial beliefs. Bertrand Russell encourages a fact-driven approach to understanding the world, emphasizing the importance of evidence and reality over our biases and hopes.
In practice
During a debate, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of using objective data.
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.
Sweet Mercy! to the gates of heaven This minstrel lead, his sins forgiven; The rueful conflict, the heart riven With vain endeavour, And memory of Earth's bitter leaven Effaced forever.
The basis of optimism is sheer terror.
It's useless to play lullabies for those who cannot sleep.
Those who think that it is easy to play chess are mistaken. During a game a player lives on his nerves, and at the same time he must be perfectly composed.
There is no dignity quite so impressive, and no one independence quite so important, as living within your means.
When you are mute, you become a good listener - it's all one-way. You appreciate the written word. You appreciate the sound.
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