Bertrand Russell Quote

“What a man believes upon grossly insufficient evidence is an index into his desires -- desires of which he himself is often unconscious. If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence. The origin of myths is explained in this way.”

Bertrand Russell

---

Ratings and Comments

• Reply

jim k, Austin, Tx    1/18/13

Meaning that we believe what we want to believe. Some believe that a walking talking snake convinced a woman to eat some fruit and this caused all the trouble since. Pretty obviously a myth but a lot of people who ought to no better still believe that this was an historical event and really happened.

• Reply

Mike, Norwalk    1/18/13

(-; I like it, a very accurate observation.

• Reply

Cal, lewisville, TX    1/18/13

Don't forget Pandora's box.

SaveOk2

SaveOk2

View CommentsClick to view or comment.