Cecily Strong Quotes

Fear not those who argue but those who dodge.

I am bound to furnish my antagonists with arguments, but not with comprehension.

I may not be smart enough to debate you point-for-point on this, but I have the feeling about 60% of what you say is crap.

If opponents of all important truths do not exist, it is indispensable to imagine them and supply them with the strongest arguments which the most skillful devil's advocate can conjure up.

The greater the intellect, the more ease in its misdirection.

Argument is not always truth.

Believing isn't thinking, but we've been programmed to believe that believing is thinking. To use our intelligence to think means we're keeping the energy active, we're thinking, we're really using the power of our intelligence in a thinking way. But when we've been programmed to believe, we're no longer thinking, because energy flows.

How could anything non-controversial be of intellectual interest to grown-ups?

The basic stimulus to the intelligence is doubt, a feeling that the meaning of an experience is not self-evident.

Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence.

If someone doesn’t value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide that proves they should value evidence. If someone doesn’t value logic, what logical argument would you invoke to prove they should value logic?

No man really becomes a fool until he stops asking questions.

The chief effect of talk on any subject is to strengthen one's own opinions, and, in fact, one never knows exactly what he does believe until he is warmed into conviction by the heat of attack and defence.

Doubt is one of the names of intelligence.

Rhetoric is the counterpart of logic; since both are conversant with subjects of such a nature as it is the business of all to have a certain knowledge of, and which belong to no distinct science. Wherefore all men in some way participate of both; since all, to a certain extent, attempt, as well to sift, as to maintain an argument; as well to defend themselves, as to impeach.

Opinion is something wherein I go about to give reasons why all the world should think as I think.

I will sit there on the air and look at every position and play devil's advocate.

Whoever in debate quotes authority uses not intellect, but memory.

You must force yourself to consider opposing arguments. Especially when they challenge your best loved ideas.

One of the chief obstacles to intelligence is credulity, and credulity could be enormously diminished by instructions as to the prevalent forms of mendacity. Credulity is a greater evil in the present day than it ever was before, because, owing to the growth of education, it is much easier than it used to be to spread misinformation, and, owing to democracy, the spread of misinformation is more important than in former times to the holders of power.

I understand that people have a critical mind towards my position. And receive a lot of confusion too.

We live in a culture that has, for centuries now, cultivated the idea that the skeptical person is always smarter than one who believes. You can almost be as stupid as a cabbage as long as you doubt.

Only the most uncritical minds are free from doubt.

I wish I were dumber so I could be more certain about my opinions. It looks fun.

My own opinion is that belief is the death of intelligence. As soon as one believes a doctrine of any sort, or assumes certitude, one stops thinking about that aspect of existence.