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About this quote

What does it mean?
History is defined by the tension between doubting what is told and believing in it.
In plain terms
Human history is mostly about doubt versus faith.
What can you take from it?
Recognize the struggle between doubt and belief.

Where it applies

  • historical analysis
  • political movements
  • personal growth

Putting it to work

  • studying history
  • critical media consumption
  • self reflection

Questions to consider

  • What drives your beliefs?
  • How does skepticism shape society?

Another view

Other factors like economics also drive history.

More from Karl Popper

  1. To be ignorant of the past is to remain a child.

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  2. Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence th…

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  3. Good tests kill flawed theories; we remain alive to guess again.

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