I never make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect.

I never make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect.

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

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.

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.

The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind.

The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind.

It requires ages to destroy a popular opinion

It requires ages to destroy a popular opinion

It is just that we should be grateful, not only to those with whose views we may agree, but also read more

It is just that we should be grateful, not only to those with whose views we may agree, but also to those who have expressed more superficial views; for these also contributed something, by developing before us the powers of thought.

The time will come when public opinion will no longer tolerate amusements based on the mistreatment and killing of animals. read more

The time will come when public opinion will no longer tolerate amusements based on the mistreatment and killing of animals. The time will come, but when? When will we reach the point that hunting, the pleasure in killing animals for sport, will be regarded as a mental aberration?

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.