The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is that it is robbing the human race; posterity as read more

The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.

Truth is one forever absolute, but opinion is truth filtered through the moods, the blood, the disposition of the spectator.

Truth is one forever absolute, but opinion is truth filtered through the moods, the blood, the disposition of the spectator.

Opinion has caused more trouble on this little earth than plagues or earthquakes.

Opinion has caused more trouble on this little earth than plagues or earthquakes.

As a leader... I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to read more

As a leader... I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my own opinion. Oftentimes, my own opinion will simply represent a con-sensus of what I heard in the discussion. I always remember the axiom: a leader is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.

Some men are just as sure of the truth of their opinions as are others of what they know.

Some men are just as sure of the truth of their opinions as are others of what they know.

We should be eternally vigilant against attempts to check the expression of opinions that we loathe.

We should be eternally vigilant against attempts to check the expression of opinions that we loathe.

New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common.

New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common.

We probably wouldn't worry about what people think of us if we could know how seldom they do.

We probably wouldn't worry about what people think of us if we could know how seldom they do.

One often contradicts an opinion when what is uncongenial is really the tone in which it was conveyed.

One often contradicts an opinion when what is uncongenial is really the tone in which it was conveyed.