Prejudices are what fools use for reason.
VoltaireRead
Cherish those who seek the truth but beware of those who find it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Value those who pursue truth, but be cautious of those who claim to have found it.
This quote from Voltaire encourages respect for individuals who are dedicated to uncovering the truth, as it is often a journey filled with exploration and inquiry. However, it also serves as a warning against those who are overly confident in their understanding, as they may possess a rigid mindset that fails to acknowledge the complexity of truth.
Themes
TruthCautionWisdomSeekingKnowledge
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophical debate, one might say this quote to emphasize the importance of questioning assumptions.
More from Voltaire
All quotes βHe was a great patriot, a humanitarian, a loyal friend; provided, of course, he really is dead.
VoltaireRead
It is dangerous to be right in matters where established men are wrong.
VoltaireRead
It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it.
VoltaireRead
We are all full of weakness and errors; let us mutually pardon each other our follies - it is the first law of nature.
VoltaireRead
It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to condemn an innocent one.
VoltaireRead
Similar quotes
God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed.
Reinhold NiebuhrRead
Dream tonight of peacock tails, Diamond fields and spouter whales. Ills are many, blessing few, But dreams tonight will shelter you.
Herman MelvilleRead
These words dropped into my childish mind as if you should accidentally drop a ring into a deep well. I did not think of them much at the time, but there came a day in my life when the ring was fished up out of the well, good as new.
John SteinbeckRead
Not being untutored in suffering, I learn to pity those in affliction
VirgilRead
No man was ever great by imitation.
Samuel JohnsonRead
It has long been recognized that an essential element in protecting human rights was a widespread knowledge among the population of what their rights are and how they can be defended.
Boutros Boutros-GhaliRead