“All men are almost led to believe not of proof, but by attraction.”

The Art of Persuasion
Context: All men are almost led to believe not of proof, but by attraction. This way is base, ignoble, and irrelevant; every one therefore disavows it. Each one professes to believe and even to love nothing but what he knows to be worthy of belief and love.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Sept. 29, 2023. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "All men are almost led to believe not of proof, but by attraction." by Blaise Pascal?
Blaise Pascal photo
Blaise Pascal 144
French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and Chri… 1623–1662

Related quotes

Blaise Pascal photo

“People almost invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the basis of proof but on the basis of what they find attractive.”

Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and Christian philosopher

De l'Art de persuader ["On the Art of Persuasion"], written 1658; published posthumously.
Source: De l'art de persuader

Simone Weil photo
Ali al-Rida photo

“Silence is a door among the doors of wisdom - indeed, silence begets and attracts love, it is the proof of all the beneficiences.”

Ali al-Rida (770–818) eighth of the Twelve Imams

Majlisi, Bihārul Anwār, vol.78, p. 355.
Regarding Knowledge & Wisdom, General

Luc de Clapiers, Marquis de Vauvenargues photo

“As it is natural to believe many things without proof, so, despite all proof, is it natural to disbelieve others.”

Luc de Clapiers, Marquis de Vauvenargues (1715–1747) French writer, a moralist

Source: Reflections and Maxims (1746), p. 184.

Ashley Montagu photo

“The scientist believes in proof without certainty, the bigot in certainty without proof.”

Ashley Montagu (1905–1999) British-American anthropologist

The second sentence is often misquoted as “Science has proof without any certainty. Creationists have certainty without any proof.” or “Religion gives us certainty without proof; science gives us proof without certainty.”
Context: Bigotry and science can have no communication with each other, for science begins where bigotry and absolute certainty end. The scientist believes in proof without certainty, the bigot in certainty without proof. Let us never forget that tyranny most often springs from a fanatical faith in the absoluteness of one’s beliefs.

André Maurois photo

“Almost all men improve on acquaintance.”

André Maurois (1885–1967) French writer

Un Art de Vivre (The Art of Living) (1939), The Art of Friendship

William Faulkner photo
Morrissey photo
Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle photo
Robert A. Heinlein photo

“I believe that almost all politicians are honest.”

Robert A. Heinlein (1907–1988) American science fiction author

This I Believe (1952)
Context: I believe that almost all politicians are honest. For every bribed alderman there are hundreds of politicians, low paid or not paid at all, doing their level best without thanks or glory to make our system work. If this were not true, we would never have gotten past the thirteen colonies.

Related topics