Men commonly think according to their inclinations, speak according to their learning and imbibed opinions, but generally act according to read more

Men commonly think according to their inclinations, speak according to their learning and imbibed opinions, but generally act according to custom

One can give a really unbiased opinion only about things that do not interest one

One can give a really unbiased opinion only about things that do not interest one

The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinions.

The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinions.

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.

For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged, by better information or fuller consideration, to change read more

For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged, by better information or fuller consideration, to change opinions, even on important subjects, which I once thought right but found to be otherwise.

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.

A fellow can't keep people from having a bad opinion of him, but he can keep them from being right read more

A fellow can't keep people from having a bad opinion of him, but he can keep them from being right about it.

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.

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.