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Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so.

Bertrand Russell

The demand for certainty is one that is natural to man but is nevertheless an intellectual vice.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Man Philosophy
I think we ought always to entertain our opinions with some measure of doubt. I shouldn’t wish people dogmatically to believe any philosophy, not even mine.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Believe Doubt Myself People Philosophy Thinking
Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Acceptance Be Yourself Deep Fear
The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Doubt Fundamental Intelligence World
It seems to me fundamental dishonesty, and a fundamental treachery to intellectual integrity to hold a belief because you think it’s useful and not because you think it’s true.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Believe Fundamental Honesty Integrity Myself Philosophy Thinking Yourself
Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Knowledge Life Love Passion Search Simplicity Strong Suffering
Extreme hopes are born from extreme misery.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Born Hope Misery
Men are born ignorant, not stupid; they are made stupid by education.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Born Education Man Stupidity
Anything you’re good at contributes to happiness.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Goodness Happiness Yourself
Language serves not only to express thought but to make possible thoughts that could not exist without it.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Deep Existence Language Possible
Freedom of opinion can only exist when the government thinks itself secure.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Existence Freedom Opinion Secure
Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of great fear.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Act Fear Greatness Human Man Trust
The use of self-control is like the use of brakes on the train. It is useful when you find yourself in the wrong direction but merely harmful when the direction is right.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Control Direction Harm Wrong Yourself
The wise man thinks about his troubles only when there is some purpose in doing so; at other times he thinks about other things, or, if it is night, about nothing at all.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Man Night Purpose Thinking Wisdom
Whoever wishes to become a philosopher must learn not to be frightened by absurdities.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Fear Mad Philosophy
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Doubt Problem Wisdom World
The secret of happiness is very simple: let your interests be as wide as possible, and let your reactions to the things and persons that interest you be as far as possible friendly rather than hostile.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Friendship Happiness Philosophy Secret Yourself
To write a tragedy, a man must feel the tragedy. To feel tragedy, a man must be aware of the world in which he lives. Not only with his mind, but with his blood and sinews.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Deep Feeling Man Tragedy Writing
How much longer is the world willing to endure this spectacle of wanton cruelty?
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Endurance Philosophy Willing World
A sense of duty is useful in work but offensive in personal relations. People wish to be liked, not to be endured with patient resignation.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Endurance Patience People Relationship
I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Believe Death Myself Wrong
We know very little, and yet it is astonishing that we know so much, and still more astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Deep Knowledge Philosophy
Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Absence Animal Believe Man Philosophy Satisfaction
Dogmatism is the greatest of mental obstacles to human happiness.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Greatness Happiness Human Mental Obstacle
A man is rational in proportion as his intelligence informs and controls his desires.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Desire Intelligence Man
One of the painful things about our time is that those who feel certainty are stupid, and those with any imagination and understanding are filled with doubt and indecision.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Feeling Imagination Ourselves Pain Time Understand
To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already 3 parts dead.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Death Fear Life Love Philosophy

Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so.

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Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so.

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