A good listener tries to understand what the other person is saying. In the end he may disagree sharply, but read more

A good listener tries to understand what the other person is saying. In the end he may disagree sharply, but because he disagrees, he wants to know exactly what it is he is disagreeing with.

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.

The feeble tremble before opinion, the foolish defy it, the wise judge it, and the skillful direct it.

The feeble tremble before opinion, the foolish defy it, the wise judge it, and the skillful direct it.

A man is getting along on the road to wisdom when he begins to realize that his opinion is just read more

A man is getting along on the road to wisdom when he begins to realize that his opinion is just an opinion.

Opinions founded on prejudice are always sustained with the greatest violence.

Opinions founded on prejudice are always sustained with the greatest violence.

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.

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.

The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed, read more

The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed, in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a wide-spread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible

Nobody holds a good opinion of a man who holds a low opinion of himself

Nobody holds a good opinion of a man who holds a low opinion of himself