I will follow my logic, no matter where it goes, after it has consulted with my heart. If you ever come to a conclusion without calling the heart in, you will come to a bad conclusion.
Robert Green IngersollRead
Whenever a man believes that he has the exact truth from God, there is in that man no spirit of compromise. He has not the modesty born of the imperfections of human nature; he has the arrogance of theological certainty and the tyranny born of ignorant assurance. Believing himself to be the slave of God, he imitates his master, and of all tyrants the worst is a slave in power.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote warns that an unwavering belief in one's own absolute truth can lead to arrogance and tyranny.
In this quote, Robert Green Ingersoll critiques the dangers of believing one holds the absolute truth from a divine source. He suggests that such conviction fosters a lack of humility and an authoritarian mindset, where one, believing they are a servant of a higher power, may act oppressively, ultimately becoming a tyrant, despite their self-perception as righteous. This perspective emphasizes the need for doubt and the acknowledgment of human imperfections to avoid the pitfalls of dogmatism.
Themes
TruthHumilityTyrannyArroganceBeliefDogmatism
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about religious extremism, this quote can highlight the dangers of rigid beliefs.
More from Robert Green Ingersoll
All quotes →If the guardians of society, the protectors of 'young persons,' could have had their way, we should have known nothing of Byron or Shelley. The voices that thrill the world would now be silent.
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The religion that has to be supported by law is without value, not only, but a fraud and a curse. The religious argument that has to be supported by a musket is hardly worth making.
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There is no slavery but ignorance.
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In all ages the people have honored those who dishonored them. They have worshiped their destroyers; they have canonized the most gigantic liars, and buried the great thieves in marble and gold. Under the loftiest monuments sleeps the dust of murder.
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I believe that there is something far nobler than loyalty to any particular man. Loyalty to the truth as we perceive it - loyalty to our duty as we know it - loyalty to the ideals of our brain and heart - is, to my mind, far greater and far nobler than loyalty to the life of any particular man or God. . . .
Robert Green IngersollRead
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