The human understanding when it has once adopted an opinion (either as being the received opinion or as being agreeable to itself) draws all things else to support and agree with it. And though there be a greater number and weight of instances to be found on the other side, yet these it either neglects and despises, or else by some distinction sets aside and rejects, in order that by this great and pernicious predetermination the authority of its former conclusions may remain inviolate.

The human understanding is of its own nature prone to suppose the existence of more order and regularity in the world than it finds. And though there be many t…

:it is the peculiar and perpetual error of the human understanding to be more moved and excited by affirmatives than by negatives:

Lastly, there are Idols which have immigrated into men's minds from the various dogmas of philosophies, and also from wrong laws of demonstration. These I call…

When a subject is highly controversial - and any question about sex is that - one cannot hope to tell the truth. One can only show how one came to hold whateve…

When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?

We are entitled to make almost any reasonable assumption, but should resist making conclusions until evidence requires that we do so.