Belief Quotes

The test of all beliefs is their practical effect in life. If it be true that optimism compels the world forward, and pessimism retards it, then it is dangerous to propagate a pessimistic philosophy.

The fact that a belief has a good moral effect upon a man is no evidence whatsoever in favor of its truth.

The child learns to believe a host of things. I.e. it learns to act according to these beliefs. Bit by bit there forms a system of what is believed, and in that system some things stand unshakeably fast and some are more or less liable to shift. What stands fast does so, not because it is intrinsically obvious or convincing; it is rather held fast by what lies around it.[Das Kind lernt eine Menge Dinge glauben. D.h. es lernt z.B. nach diesem Glauben handeln. Es bildet sich nach und nach ein System von Geglaubtem heraus, und darin steht manches unverrückbar fest, manches ist mehr oder weniger beweglich. Was feststeht, tut dies nicht, weil es an sich offenbar oder einleuchtend ist, sondern es wird von dem, was darum herumliegt, festgehalten.]

The birth of excellence begins with our awareness that our beliefs are a choice. We usually don’t think of it that way, but belief can be a conscious choice. You can choose beliefs that limit you, or you can choose beliefs that support you. The trick is to choose the beliefs that are conducive to success and the results you want and to discard the ones that hold you back.

The beliefs that we use to define our own individuality, what makes us unique – good, bad, or indifferent – from other individuals.

The belief in an external world independent of the perceiving subject is the basis of all natural science.

Test yourself on mankind. It is something that makes the doubter doubt, the believer believe.[Prüfe dich an der Menschheit. Den Zweifelnden macht sie zweifeln, den Glaubenden glauben.]

Our beliefs about what we are and what we can be precisely determine what we will be.

Once she knows how to read there’s only one thing you can teach her to believe in – and that is herself.

Men tend to have the beliefs that suit their passions. Cruel men believe in a cruel god and use their belief to excuse cruelty. Only kindly men believe in a kindly god, and they would be kindly in any case.

Life is both subtler and more complex than some of us like to believe. So if you haven’t done so already, review your beliefs and decide which ones you might change now and what you would change those beliefs to.

In our country we must trust the people to hear and see both the good and the bad and to choose the good.