People almost invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the basis of proof but on the basis of what they find attractive.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- People usually adopt beliefs based on attraction rather than logical proof.
- In plain terms
- We pick beliefs because they appeal to us, not because they’re proven.
- What can you take from it?
- Emotion and appeal often outweigh evidence in belief formation.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do attractive ideas dominate over factual ones?
- How can we encourage evidence‑based belief?
Another view
Some people do base beliefs on rigorous evidence.
More from Blaise Pascal
Entre nous, et l'enfer ou le ciel, il n'y a que la vie entre deux, qui est la chose du monde la plus fragile.
Permalink to quote #2 Je n'ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n'ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte.
Permalink to quote #3 L'homme n'est ni ange ni bete, et le malheur veut que qui veut faire l'ange fait la bete.
Permalink to quote #4
Related quotes
People are said to believe in God, or to disbelieve in Adam and Eve. But in such cases what is believed or disbelieved is that there is an entity answering a c…
Bertrand RussellBertrand Russell quote #8 It is almost as if the human brain were specifically designed to misunderstand Darwinism, and to find it hard to believe.
Richard DawkinsRichard Dawkins quote #135 For me Esoteric Hitlerism is being possessed by the archetypes of the collective unconscious which the Greeks used to call Gods:
Miguel SerranoMiguel Serrano quote #1