Unlike statements of fact, which require no further work on our part, lies must be continually protected from collisions with reality.
—Sam Harris
The truth is that most people are simply too distracted by their thoughts to have the selflessness of consciousness pointed out directly. And even if they are ready to glimpse it, they are unlikely to understand its significance.
—Sam Harris
To agree to keep a secret is to assume a burden.
—Sam Harris
Honesty is a gift we can give to others. It is also a source of power and an engine of simplicity. Knowing that we will attempt to tell the truth, whatever the circumstances, leaves us with little to prepare for. We can simply be ourselves.
—Sam Harris
You are not controlling the storm, and you are not lost in it. You are the storm.
—Sam Harris
Of course, the liar often imagines that he does no harm as long as his lies go undetected. But the one lied to almost never shares this view. The moment we consider our dishonesty from the point of view of those we lie to, we recognize that we would feel betrayed if the roles were reversed.
—Sam Harris
Sincerity, authenticity, integrity, mutual understanding—these and other sources of moral wealth are destroyed the moment we deliberately misrepresent our beliefs, whether or not our lies are ever discovered.
—Sam Harris
Faith, if it is ever right about anything, is right by accident.
—Sam Harris
By lying, we deny others a view of the world as it is. Our dishonesty not only influences the choices they make, it often determines the choices they can make—and in ways we cannot always predict. Every lie is a direct assault upon the autonomy of those we lie to.
—Sam Harris
Your life doesn’t get any better than your mind is: You might have wonderful friends, perfect health, a great career, and everything else you want, and you can still be miserable. The converse is also true: There are people who basically have nothing—who live in circumstances that you and I would do more or less anything to avoid—who are happier than we tend to be because of the character of their minds. Unfortunately, one glimpse of this truth is never enough. We have to be continually reminded of it.
—Sam Harris
If our well-being depends upon the interaction between events in our brains and events in the world, and there are better and worse ways to secure it, then some cultures will tend to produce lives that are more worth living than others; some political persuasions will be more enlightened than others; and some world views will be mistaken in ways that cause needless human misery.
—Sam Harris
Our fear of provoking religious hatred has rendered us unwilling to criticize ideas that are increasingly maladaptive and patently ridiculous.
—Sam Harris
People lie so that others will form beliefs that are not true. The more consequential the beliefs—that is, the more a person’s well-being demands a correct understanding of the world or of other people’s opinions—the more consequential the lie.
—Sam Harris
If, like many people, you tend to be vaguely unhappy much of the time, it can be very helpful to manufacture a feeling of gratitude by simply contemplating all the terrible things that have not happened to you, or to think of how many people would consider their prayers answered if they could only live as you are now.
—Sam Harris
You are not in control of your mind because you, as a conscious agent, are only part of your mind, living at the mercy of other parts.
—Sam Harris
To lie is to intentionally mislead others when they expect honest communication.
—Sam Harris
The difference between science and religion is the difference between a willingness to dispassionately consider new evidence and new arguments, and a passionate unwillingness to do so.
—Sam Harris
Honest people are a refuge: You know they mean what they say; you know they will not say one thing to your face and another behind your back; you know they will tell you when they think you have failed—and for this reason their praise cannot be mistaken for mere flattery.
—Sam Harris
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- Daniel C. Dennett American Philosopher, Atheist
- Douglas R. Hofstadter American Scientist, Author
- Robert Anton Wilson American Polymath
- Steven Pinker Canadian Psychologist
- Carl Reiner American Comedian
- Carl Sagan American Astronomer
- Bill Maher American Comedian, TV Personality
- Joyce Carol Oates American Novelist
- Ram Dass American Hindu New Age Pioneer
- Karl Popper Austrian-born British Philosopher
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