It takes a wonderful brain and exquisite senses to produce a few stupid ideas.
George SantayanaRead
People are usually more firmly convinced that their opinions are precious than that they are true.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People often value their opinions highly, sometimes more than the truth of those opinions.
This quote by George Santayana highlights the human tendency to hold personal beliefs and opinions in great esteem, often prioritizing them over objective truth. It suggests that individuals may be more invested in the significance of their views than in verifying their accuracy, reflecting a common cognitive bias that can impact discussions and decision-making.
Themes
OpinionsTruthBeliefsConvictionHuman Nature
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on social media where opinions clashed, this quote could serve as a reminder to evaluate the validity of one's claims.
More from George Santayana
All quotes βThe working of great institutions is mainly the result of a vast mass of routine, petty malice, self interest, carelessness and sheer mistake. Only a residual fraction is thought.
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There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval. The dark background which death supplies brings out the tender colours of life in all their purity.
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Not to believe in love is a great sign of dullness. There are some people so indirect and lumbering that they think all real affection rests on circumstantial evidence.
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To feel beauty is a better thing than to understand how we come to feel it. To have imagination and taste, to love the best, to be carried by the contemplation of nature to a vivid faith in the ideal, all this is more, a great deal more, than any science can hope to be.
George SantayanaRead
The vital straining towards an ideal, definite but latent, when it dominates a whole life, may express that ideal more fully than could the best chosen words.
George SantayanaRead
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