No amount of manifest absurdity... could deter those who wanted to believe from believing.
Bernard LevinRead
Ask a man which way he is going to vote, and he will probably tell you. Ask him, however, why, and vagueness is all.
Interpretation
People often know their choices but lack the reasoning behind them.
This quote highlights the difference between knowing what one is going to do, such as voting, and understanding the motivations and reasoning behind that choice. It suggests that while individuals can easily express their decisions, delving into the reasons can reveal a lack of clarity or understanding, exposing the complexity of human decision-making.
In practice
During a political discussion, you can quote this to emphasize the importance of understanding one's beliefs.
No amount of manifest absurdity... could deter those who wanted to believe from believing.
What has happened to architecture since the second world war that the only passers-by who can contemplate it without pain are those equipped with a white stick and a dog?
If we expected self-reliance of family groups, if we expected hardiness and resilience and initiative on the part of individuals, and if we rewarded initiative instead of dependence on government, we would not only ameliorate many of the family-related social problems we see at present, but we would also reduce our vulnerability to terrorism. People who are hardy, resilient, and self reliant are a lot harder to terrorize.
As human beings we have unlimited potential and imagination. The worst thing you can do is be a conformist and buy into conformity. It's the worst possible thing. It's better to be outrageous. It's better to hang out with the sages, the people open to possibilities, even the psychotics. You never know where you'll find the geniuses of our society.
Once your soul has been enlarged by a truth, it can never return to its original size.
Evil can be opposed without being mirrored. Oppressors can be resisted without being emulated. Enemies can be neutralized without being destroyed.
He who hopes in God trusts God, Whom he never sees, to bring him to the possession of things that are beyond imagination.
I am convinced that knowledge is power - to overcome the past, to change our own situations, to fight new obstacles, to make better decisions.
To observe and watch one's own mind is something really interesting. The untrained mind will run and follow its old habit patterns. Because it has not been trained and taught, it will get lost in all kinds of stories and issues. Therefore we have to train our mind. The meditation practice in Buddhism is all about training one's own mind.
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