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That which has always been accepted by everyone, everywhere, is almost certain to be false.
Paul Valery
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Consensus does not guarantee truth; commonly accepted beliefs may be incorrect.

Paul Valery suggests that just because something is widely accepted and embraced by society does not necessarily mean it is true. This statement encourages critical thinking and questioning of established norms, indicating that popular belief can sometimes lead to false conclusions.

Themes

TruthBeliefKnowledgeThinkingCertainty

In practice

Example use cases

During a debate about societal norms, one might use this quote to highlight that popular opinion isn't always correct.

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You have certainly observed the curious fact that a given word which is perfectly clear when you hear it or use it in everyday language, and which does not give rise to any difficulty when it is engaged in the rapid movement of an ordinary sentence becomes magically embarrassing, introduces a strange resistance, frustrates any effort at definition as soon as you take it out of circulation to examine it separately and look for its meaning after taking away its instantaneous function.
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