The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
An evil soul producing holy witness
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,
A goodly apple rotten at the heart.
O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
There’s nothing I like less than bad arguments for a view I hold dear.
—Daniel C. Dennett (b.1942) American Philosopher, Atheist, Author
It takes two to quarrel, but only one to end it.
—Spanish Proverb
There are usually two sides to every argument but no end.
—Unknown
He that blows the coals in quarrels that he has nothing to do with, has no right to complain if the sparks fly in his face.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
The first duty of a wise advocate is to convince his opponents that he understands their arguments, and sympathises with their just feelings.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) English Poet, Literary Critic, Philosopher
A lot of good arguments are spoiled by some fool who knows what he is talking about.
—Miguel de Unamuno (1864–1936) Spanish Educator, Philosopher, Author
When a thing is said to be not worth refuting you may be sure that either it is flagrantly stupid—in which case all comment is superfluous—or it is something formidable, the very crux of the problem.
—Miguel de Unamuno (1864–1936) Spanish Educator, Philosopher, Author
A long dispute means that both parties are wrong.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
When you argue with your inferiors, you convince them of only one thing: they are as clever as you.
—Irving Layton (1912–2006) Romanian-born Canadian Poet, Lecturer
Hear one side and you will be in the dark; hear both sides, and all will be clear.
—Thomas Chandler Haliburton (1796–1865) Canadian Author, Humorist, Businessperson, Judge
When two quarrel, both are in the wrong.
—Unknown
Fear not those who argue but those who dodge.
—Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach (1830–1916) Austrian Novelist
Arguments are to be avoided; they are always vulgar and often convincing.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
One often contradicts an opinion when what is uncongenial is really the tone in which it was conveyed.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
An argument is like a country road, you never know where it is going to lead.
—Unknown
It is an excellent rule to be observed in all discussions, that men should give soft words and hard arguments; that they should not so much strive to silence or vex, as to convince their opponents.
—John Wilkins (1614–72) English Anglican Clergyman, Author, Administrator
But curb thou the high spirit in thy breast, for gentle ways are best, and keep aloof from sharp contentions.
—Homer (751–651 BCE) Ancient Greek Poet
I had a lover’s quarrel with the world.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
Skepticism, as I said, is not intellectual only; it is moral also; a chronic atrophy and disease of the whole soul. A man lives by believing something; not by debating and arguing about many things. A sad case for him when all that he can manage to believe is something he can button in his pocket, and with one or the other organ eat and digest! Lower than that he will not get.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
It is not necessary to understand things in order to argue about them.
—Pierre Beaumarchais (1732–99) French Inventor, Diplomat, Musician, Fugitive, Revolutionary
Behind every argument is someone’s ignorance.
—Louis Brandeis (1856–1941) American Jurist
An association of men who will not quarrel with one another is a thing which has never yet existed, from the greatest confederacy of nations down to a town meeting or a vestry.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
The soundest argument will produce no more conviction in an empty head than the most superficial declamation; a feather and a guinea fall with equal velocity in a vacuum.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
True disputants are like true sportsman: their whole delight is in the pursuit.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English Poet
Rebuke with soft words and hard arguments.
—Common Proverb
Arguments are like fire-arms which a man may keep at home but should not carry about with him.
—Samuel Butler
Never contend with one that is foolish, proud, positive, testy, or with a superior, or a clown, in matter of argument.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
We are not won by arguments that we can analyze, but by tone and temper; by the manner, which is the man himself.
—Samuel Butler
Be calm in arguing; for fierceness makes error a fault, and truth discourtesy.
—George Herbert (1593–1633) Welsh Anglican Poet, Orator, Clergyman
The most agreeable thing in life is worthy accomplishment. It is not possible that the idle tramp is as contented as the farmers along the road who own their own farms, and whose credit is good at the bank in town. When the tramps get together at night, they abuse the farmers, but do not get as much satisfaction out of it as do the farmers who abuse the tramps. The sounder your argument, the more satisfaction you get out of it.
—E. W. Howe (1853–1937) American Novelist, Editor
Men’s arguments often prove nothing but their wishes.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
When much dispute has past, we find our tenets just the same as last.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English Poet
Testimony is like an arrow shot from a long bow; its force depends on the strength of the hand that draws it.—But argument is like an arrow from a cross bow, which has equal force if drawn by a child or a man.
—Robert Boyle (1627–91) Anglo-Irish Philosopher, Writer
In argument similes are like songs in love; they describe much, but prove nothing.
—Matthew Prior (1664–1721) English Poet, Diplomat
Arguments out of a pretty mouth are unanswerable.
—Joseph Addison (1672–1719) English Essayist, Poet, Playwright, Politician
Concerning God, freewill and destiny: Of all that earth has been or yet may be, all that vain men imagine or believe, or hope can paint or suffering may achieve, we descanted.
—Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822) English Poet, Dramatist, Essayist, Novelist
It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.
—Joseph Joubert (1754–1824) French Writer, Moralist
People generally quarrel because they cannot argue.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
Soft words win hard hearts.
—Common Proverb
Weakness on both sides is the motto of all quarrels.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
It was completely fruitless to quarrel with the world, whereas the quarrel with oneself was occasionally fruitful and always, she had to admit, interesting.
—May Sarton (1912–95) American Children’s Books Writer, Poet, Novelist
People who know the least always argue the most.
—Unknown
Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress.
—Joseph Joubert (1754–1824) French Writer, Moralist
I dislike arguments of any kind. They are always vulgar, and often convincing.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Nothing is more certain than that much of the force as well as grace of arguments, as well as of instructions, depends on their conciseness.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English Poet
It is the briefest yet wisest maxim which tells us to “meddle not”.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
There is no point in arguing about matters of taste.
—Unknown
Argument is conclusive… but… it does not remove doubt, so that the mind may rest in the sure knowledge of the truth, unless it finds it by the method of experiment. For if any man who never saw fire proved by satisfactory arguments that fire burns. his hearer’s mind would never be satisfied, nor would he avoid the fire until he put his hand in it that he might learn by experiment what argument taught.
—Roger Bacon (1214–94) English Philosopher, Scientist