Hope Quote by Carl Sagan
““When we are self-indulgent and uncritical, when we confuse hopes and facts, we slide into pseudoscience and superstition.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Cosmos Episode 7, 1980
Self‑indulgence and lack of critical thinking blur hope with fact, leading to pseudoscience.
In simple terms: Uncritical hope mixes with fact, creating false science.
Key Takeaway
Practice critical thinking.
Themes
science
critical thinking
skepticism
Mood
inquisitive
cautious
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- education
- public policy
- personal decisions
Key Concepts
rationality
media literacy
Questions to Reflect On
- What beliefs do you hold without evidence?
- How can you test hopeful claims?
A Different Perspective
People may cling to comforting myths despite evidence.
![“Intelligent design theorists have learned a few lessons from the failures of their predecessors and have devised a more sophisticated strategy to compete head on with evolution. One of the main things they [intelligent design creationists] have learned is what not to say. A major element of their…” quote by Robert T. Pennock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/45e/robert-t-pennock-94367_evolution_intelligent-design-theorists-have-learne_1617834.jpg)
![“[ When a religious couple wrote to Sagan about fulfilled prophecies, he wrote back in May 1996 :] If ‘fulfilled prophecy’ is your criterion, why do you not believe in materialistic science, which has an unparalleled record of fulfilled prophecy? Consider, for example, eclipses.” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/875/carl-sagan-160_belief_when-a-religious-couple-wrote-to-sagan-a_25095.jpg)
