In forming a judgment, lay your hearts void of foretaken opinions; else whatsoever is done or said, will be measured by a wrong rule: like them who have the jaundice, to whom everything appeareth yellow.
—Philip Sidney (1554–86) English Soldier Poet, Courtier
We are least open to precise knowledge concerning the things we are most vehement about.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
Criticism is prejudice made plausible.
—H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) American Journalist, Literary Critic
It is harder to crack a prejudice than an atom.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
America owes most of its social prejudices to the exaggerated religious opinions of the different sects which were so instrumental in establishing the colonies.
—James Fenimore Cooper (1789–1851) American Novelist
Ignorance is less remote from the truth than prejudice.
—Denis Diderot (1713–84) French Philosopher, Writer
Judgements prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.
—Wayne Dyer (1940–2015) American Self-Help Author
The junior senator from Wisconsin, by his reckless charges, has so preyed upon the fears and hatreds and prejudices of the American people that he has started a prairie fire which neither he nor anyone else may be able to control.
—J. William Fulbright (1905–95) American Politician
There is nothing respecting which a man may be so long unconscious, as of the extent and strength of his prejudices.
—Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey (1773–1850) Scottish Judge, Literary Critic
Human nature is so constituted, that all see, and judge better, in the affairs of other men, than in their own.
—Terence (c.195–159 BCE) Roman Comic Dramatist
I’m interested in the fact that the less secure a man is, the more likely he is to have extreme prejudice.
—Clint Eastwood (b.1930) American Film Director, Film Producer, Film Actor
It is never too late to give up our prejudices. No way of thinking or doing, however ancient, can be trusted without proof. What everybody echoes or in silence passes by as true today may turn out to be falsehood tomorrow, mere smoke of opinion, which some had trusted for a cloud that would sprinkle fertilizing rain on their fields.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
Because a total eclipse of the sun is above my own head, I will not therefore insist that there must be an eclipse in America also; and because snowflakes fall before my own nose, I need not believe that the Gold Coast is also snowed up.
—Jean Paul (1763–1825) German Novelist, Humorist
The prejudices of ignorance are more easily removed than the prejudices of interest; the first are all blindly adopted, the second willfully preferred.
—George Bancroft (1800–91) American Historian, Politician
Ignorance is stubborn and prejudice is hard.
—Adlai Stevenson (1900–65) American Diplomat, Politician, Orator
Prejudices are the props of civilization.
—Andre Gide (1869–1951) French Novelist
The very ink with which all history is written is merely fluid prejudice.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Religion is as effectually destroyed by bigotry as by indifference.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
What is tolerance?—it is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other’s folly—that is the first law of nature.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
There is no bigotry like that of “free thought” run to seed.
—Horace Greeley (1811–72) American Elected Rep, Politician, Reformer, Editor
Prejudice, which sees what it pleases, cannot see what is plain.
—Aubrey Thomas de Vere (1814–1902) Irish Poet, Critic
Bigotry tries to keep truth safe in its hand; with a grip that kills it.
—Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) Bengali Poet, Polymath
Prejudices are rarely overcome by argument; not being founded in reason they cannot be destroyed by logic.
—Tryon Edwards American Theologian
How it infuriates a bigot, when he is forced to drag out his dark convictions!
—Logan Pearsall Smith (1865–1946) American-British Essayist, Bibliophile
If you want to make beautiful music, you must play the black and the white notes together.
—Richard Nixon (1913–94) American Head of State, Lawyer
Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
All looks yellow to the jaundiced eye.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English Poet
The prejudiced and obstinate man does not so much hold opinions, as his opinions hold him.
—Tryon Edwards American Theologian
It is a very rare man who does not victimize the helpless.
—James Baldwin (1924–87) American Novelist, Social Critic
We do not want the men of another color for our brothers-in-law, but we do want them for our brothers.
—Booker T. Washington (1856–1915) African-American Educationist