He who has a task to perform must know how to take sides, or he is quite unworthy of it.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
There is no bigotry like that of “free thought” run to seed.
—Horace Greeley (1811–72) American Journalist, Author
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
To punish a man because he has committed a crime, or because he is believed, though unjustly, to have committed a crime, is not persecution. To punish a man, because we infer from the nature of some doctrine which he holds, or from the conduct of other persons who hold the same doctrines with him, that he will commit a crime, is persecution, and is, in every case, foolish and wicked.
—Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay (1800–59) English Historian, Essayist, Philanthropist
Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts.
—E. B. White (1985–99) American Essayist, Humorist
Prejudice is being down on something you’re not up on.
—Unknown
We are a nation of many nationalities, many races, many religionsbound together by a single unity, the unity of freedom and equality. Whoever seeks to set one nationality against another, seeks to degrade all nationalities. Whoever seeks to set one race against another seeks to enslave all races. Whoever seeks to set one religion against another, seeks to destroy all religion.
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) American Head of State, Lawyer
If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
—Mother Teresa (1910–97) Roman Catholic Missionary, Nun
We can never be sure that the opinion we are endeavoring to stifle is a false opinion; and even if we were sure, stifling it would be an evil still.
—John Stuart Mill (1806–73) English Philosopher, Economist
Inequality is as dear to the American heart as liberty itself.
—William Dean Howells (1837–1920) American Novelist, Critic
One may no more live in the world without picking up the moral prejudices of the world than one will be able to go to hell without perspiring.
—H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) American Journalist, Literary Critic
Prejudices are the principles of people we dislike.
—Dero A. Saunders (1914–2002) American Business Editor
Nobody outside of a baby carriage or a judge’s chamber believes in an unprejudiced point of view.
—Lillian Hellman (1905–84) American Dramatist, Memoirist
Seek and you shall find the repulsive things you secretly hope to find.
—Elfriede Jelinek (b.1946) Austrian Novelist, Poet, Playwright
Miserable creatures, thrown for a moment on the surface of this little pile of mud, is it decreed that one half of the flock should be the persecutor of the other? Is it for you, mankind, to pronounce on what is good and what is evil?
—Marquis de Sade (1740–1814) French Writer
Bigotry murders religion to frighten fools with her ghost.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
In whatever mind prejudice dwells, it acts, in relation to truth, as alkali does in relation to acids, neutralizing its power.—Arguments the most cogent, discourse the most powerful, can be neutralized at once by some prejudice in the mind.
—R. David Thomas (1932–2002) American Entrepreneur, Philanthropist
Let us have but one end in view, the welfare of humanity; and let us put aside all selfishness in consideration of language, nationality, or religion.
—John Amos Comenius (1592–1670) Czech Educationalist
Even when we fancy we have grown wiser, it is only, it may be, that new prejudices have displaced old ones.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
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
It is not the simple statement of facts that ushers in freedom; it is the constant repetition of them that has this liberating effect. Tolerance is the result not of enlightenment, but of boredom.
—Quentin Crisp (1908–99) English Actor, Artist, Raconteur
The confirmed prejudices of a thoughtful life, are as hard to change as the confirmed habits of an indolent life: and as some must trifle away age, because they trifled away youth, others must labor on in a maze of error, because they have wandered there too long to find their way out.
—Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke (1678–1751) British Statesman, Philosopher
Prejudice, which sees what it pleases, cannot see what is plain.
—Aubrey Thomas de Vere (1814–1902) Irish Poet, Critic
Small is the number of people who see with their eyes and think with their minds.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
All colors will agree in the dark.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
Prejudices are the props of civilization.
—Andre Gide (1869–1951) French Novelist
To divest one’s self of some prejudices, would be like taking off the skin to feel the better.
—George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1746–1816) British Nobleman, Politician
Bigotry tries to keep truth safe in its hand; with a grip that kills it.
—Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) Bengali Poet, Polymath
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
Passion and prejudice govern the world, only under the name of reason.
—John Wesley (1703–91) British Methodist Leader, Preacher, Theologian
Leave a Reply