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After a while, if you’re committed, you start to believe in the things in which you’re praying. It’s just cognitive dissonance. You can’t live a completely religious life and not start to have it sink in.

A. J. Jacobs

When I was with the serpent-handlers in Tennessee, it was the most bizarre method of worship I could think of. Yet when you sit with these people, you can kind of see how it makes sense.
A. J. JACOBS

Kind Method People Religion See Worship Yourself
A 2002 Oxford study showed counting sheep actually delays the onset of sleep. It’s just too dull to stop us from worrying about jobs and spouses.
A. J. JACOBS

Delay Sheep Sleep Study
I thought religion would eventually wither away and we’d all be worshiping at the altar of science.
A. J. JACOBS

Myself Religion Science Worship
I’ve never before been so aware of the thousands of little good things, the thousands of things that go right every day.
A. J. JACOBS

Adequate Circle Creation Good Habit Ideas Little Small Success Will Power
I thought religion would make me live with my head in the clouds, but as often as not, it grounds me in this world.
A. J. JACOBS

Cloud Ground Head Live Religion World
I’m addicted to self-improvement. The thing is, there’s so damn much about myself to improve.
A. J. JACOBS

Addiction Improvement Myself
Its sort of my job to feel good.
A. J. JACOBS

Feeling Goodness Job Myself
I know that knowledge and intelligence are not the same thing – but they do live in the same neighborhood. I know once again, firsthand, the joy of learning.
A. J. JACOBS
I grew up in a very secular home with no religion at all, so I was starting from zero.
A. J. JACOBS

Grew Home Hormone Mature Nature Quality Responsibility Up Zero
I don’t believe that prayers actually change God’s mind – if there is a God – but I liked praying for people in need. It was like moral weightlifting. I tend to be self-obsessed, and it was nice to get out of my brain once in a while.
A. J. JACOBS

Believe Change Emotion Equality Ethics Eye Fact God Nice Prayer Religion Worship
I’m not a fan of ‘write what you know.’ If you don’t know, find out. I knew nothing about the Bible before I started writing ‘The Year of Living Biblically.’ That was kind of the point – to learn.
A. J. JACOBS

Affection Bible Fan Love Read Support Writing Year
One of the interesting things to me is that God grows throughout the Old Testament. He evolves, sort of matures, and becomes kinder.
A. J. JACOBS

Evolution God Growth Interest Kindness Oneself
If my former self and my current self met for coffee, they’d get along OK, but they’d both probably walk out of the Starbucks shaking their heads and saying to themselves, “That guy is kinda delusional.”
A. J. JACOBS

Head Illusion Kind Past Present Thinking Walk
Behavior shapes emotions.
A. J. JACOBS

Behavior Emotion Family Relation Shape Society Trust
Med students panic their first year when they learn all the diseases. It’s not until the second year that they learn the cures.
A. J. JACOBS

Aware Disease Fear Health Help Hide Learn Lost Panic Student Year
The Bible talks a lot about thankfulness, and I’m more thankful than I ever was. I try to concentrate on the hundreds of things that go right in a day, instead of the three or four that go wrong.
A. J. JACOBS

Day Focus Myself Right Talk Thankful Wrong

After a while, if you’re committed, you start to believe in the things in which you’re praying. It’s just cognitive dissonance. You can’t live a completely religious life and not start to have it sink in.

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After a while, if you’re committed, you start to believe in the things in which you’re praying. It’s just cognitive dissonance. You can’t live a completely religious life and not start to have it sink in.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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