Faith keeps many doubts in her pay. If I could not doubt, I should not believe.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
The road to perseverance lies by doubt.
—Francis Quarles (1592–1644) English Religious Poet
There is a kind of courtesy in skepticism. It would be an offense against polite conventions to press our doubts too far.
—George Santayana (1863–1952) Spanish-American Poet, Philosopher
To teach how to live with uncertainty, yet without being paralyzed by hesitation, is perhaps the chief thing that philosophy can do.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
As to the adjective, when in doubt strike it out.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
A bitter and perplexed, “What shall I do?” is worse to man than worst necessity.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) English Poet, Literary Critic, Philosopher
Modest doubt is called the beacon of the wise.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
A new disease? I know not, new or old, but it may well be called poor mortals plague for, like a pestilence, it doth infect the houses of the brain till not a thought, or motion, in the mind, be free from the black poison of suspect.
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637) English Dramatist, Poet, Actor
In these matters the only certainty is that nothing is certain.
—Pliny the Elder (23–79CE) Roman Statesman, Scholar
So what do we do? Anything. Something. So long as we just don’t sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we’ve satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late.
—Lee Iacocca (1924–2019) American Businessperson
Faith … acts promptly and boldly on the occasion, on slender evidence.
—John Henry Newman (1801–90) British Theologian, Poet
Skeptics are never deceived.
—French Proverb
Doubt comes in at the window when inquiry is denied at the door.
—Benjamin Jowett (1817–93) British Theologian, Translator
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
The purpose of a business is to create a customer.
—Peter Drucker (1909–2005) Austrian-born Management Consultant
There’s nothing certain in a man’s life except this: That he must lose it.
—Aeschylus (525–456 BCE) Greek Playwright
Whenever a warrior decides to do something, he must go all the way, but he must take responsibility for what he does. No matter what he does, he must know first why he is doing it, and then he must proceed with his actions without having doubts or remorse about them.
—Carlos Castaneda (1925–98) Peruvian-born American Anthropologist, Author
When we are not sure, we are alive.
—Graham Greene (1904–91) British Novelist, Playwright, Short Story Writer
Man is not made to question, but adore.
—Edward Young (1683–1765) English Poet
Men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in proportion to their readiness to doubt.
—H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) American Journalist, Literary Critic
Uncertainty is the refuge of hope.
—Henri Frederic Amiel (1821–81) Swiss Moral Philosopher, Poet, Critic
Do not let yourself be tainted with a barren skepticism.
—Louis Pasteur (1822–95) French Biologist
If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.
—Rene Descartes (1596–1650) French Mathematician, Philosopher
Suspicion is far more apt to be wrong than right; oftener unjust than just. It is no friend to virtue, and always an enemy to happiness.
—Hosea Ballou (1771–1852) American Theologian
Cautiousness in judgment is nowadays to be recommended to each and every one: if we gained only one incontestable truth every ten years from each of our philosophical writers the harvest we reaped would be sufficient.
—Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–99) German Philosopher, Physicist
The torch of doubt and chaos is what the sage steers by.
—Zhuang Zhou (c.369–c.286 BCE) Chinese Taoist Philosopher
It is reserved for man alone to find his very existence questionable, to experience the whole dubiousness of being. More than such faculties as power of speech, conceptual thinking, or walking erect, this factor of doubting the significance of his own existence is what sets man apart from animal.
—Viktor Frankl (1905–97) Austrian Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist
No man likes to have his intelligence or good faith questioned, especially if he has doubts about it himself.
—Henry Adams (1838–1918) American Historian, Man of Letters
Certitude is not the test of certainty. We have been cocksure of many things that were not so.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841–1935) American Jurist, Author
If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can’t accomplish it. You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.
—Rosalynn Carter (b.1927) American Humanitarian, First Lady