All argument is against it; but all belief is for it.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Arguments oppose belief, yet belief itself supports the thing being argued.
- In plain terms
- Debate challenges ideas, but belief still backs them.
- What can you take from it?
- Understand that belief can persist despite criticism.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do people cling to beliefs under attack?
- Can argument change belief?
Another view
The statement is paradoxical and may oversimplify complex reasoning.
More from Samuel Johnson
It is more from carelessness about truth than from intentional lying, that there is so much falsehood in the world.
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