The most important lesson in the writing trade is that any manuscript is improved if you cut away the fat.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
People usually believe anything that they are told early and often.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Repetition can lead to a belief in ideas regardless of their truth.
This quote by Robert A. Heinlein reflects the idea that humans are often swayed by the frequency and consistency of information presented to them. When people hear something repeatedly, especially at an early stage, they may accept it as truth without critical examination, highlighting the importance of skepticism and independent thought.
Themes
BeliefTruthRepetitionInformationSkepticism
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about media literacy in schools, this quote can emphasize the need for critical thinking.
More from Robert A. Heinlein
All quotes βAn armed society is a polite society.
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Democracy is a poor system of government at best; the only thing that can honestly be said in its favor is that it is eight times as good as any other method the human race has ever tried.
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Long human words (the longer the better) were easy, unmistakable, and rarely changed their meanings . . . but short words were slippery, unpredictable, changing their meanings without any pattern.
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Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things.
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When a place gets crowded enough to require ID's, social collapse is not far away. It is time to go elsewhere. The best thing about space travel is that it made it possible to go elsewhere.
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