Millard Drexler Quotes

People can assume and predict and it is up to us to prove them all wrong.

Skeptics question the validity of a particular claim by calling for evidence to prove or disprove it.

The path of sound credence is through the thick forest of skepticism.

'UFO's' attitude toward the subject is very similar to mine. It's not an advocacy; its philosophy is more 'I want to believe this, but I want it proved.'

Proof tells us where to concentrate our doubts.

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it

We want to put power to the test of adversarial review.

In my opinion, it helps enormously to know why something is true, rather than being told it is true, for why should you believe me? Never believe anything on the authority of a single person but seek confirmation — and reason is the best confirmation

I ask you to believe nothing that you cannot verify for yourself.

If something comes on the radio or in print, I don't think there are any facts to it at all until someone shows some proof.

I learned to question everything you read. Don't take anything at face value. Don't care what other people say. I liked that philosophy.

I don't like accepting things at face value.

I have always suspected that the reading is right, which requires many words to prove it wrong; and the emendation wrong, that cannot without so much labour appear to he right.

I want to prove that he's wrong - he's wearing a t-shirt that says he won the last two fights.

It's against reason," said Filby. "What reason?" said the Time Traveller.

A thing is not proved just because no one has ever questioned it. What has never been gone into impartially has never been properly gone into. Hence scepticism is the first step toward truth. It must be applied generally, because it is the touchstone.

The average man can't prove most of the things that he chooses to speak of, and still won't research and find out the root of the truth that you seek of

One fool will deny more truth in half an hour than a wise man can prove in seven years.

Those who deny the existence of the truth postulate the truth of their denial and plainly contradict themselves.

Incidentally, when we're faced with a "prove or disprove," we're usually better off trying first to disprove with a counterexample, for two reasons: A disproof is potentially easier (we need just one counterexample); and nitpicking arouses our creative juices. Even if the given assertion is true, our search for a counterexample often leads to a proof, as soon as we see why a counterexample is impossible. Besides, it's healthy to be skeptical.

I am all in favor of the skeptical mind. Do not believe anything unless you have experienced it. Do not believe anything - go on questioning, however long it takes.

It annoys me that the burden of proof is on us. It should be "You came up with the idea. Why do you believe it?" I could tell you I've got superpowers. But I can't go up to people saying "Prove I can't fly." They'd go: "What do you mean 'Prove you can't fly'? Prove you can!"

Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There's no better rule.

Sceptics are yet the most credulous.

I can only insist that understanding, not blind belief, should be the goal.