--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He went on to say that conclusions…" description: "\"“He went on to say that conclusions arrived at through reasoning had very little or no influence in altering the course of our lives. Hence, the countl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/carlos-castaneda-1384_carlos-castaneda_he-went-on-to-say-that-conclusions-arriv_2649053.jpg" --- # He went on to say that conclusions arrived at through… ![“He went on to say that conclusions arrived at through reasoning had very little or no influence in altering the course of our lives. Hence, the countless examples of people who have the clearest convictions and yet act diametrically against them time and time again, and have as the only…” quote by Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/carlos-castaneda-1384_carlos-castaneda_he-went-on-to-say-that-conclusions-arriv_2649053.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/carlos-castaneda-1384_carlos-castaneda_he-went-on-to-say-that-conclusions-arriv_2649053.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/carlos-castaneda-1384_carlos-castaneda_he-went-on-to-say-that-conclusions-arriv_2649053.jpg) > ““He went on to say that conclusions arrived at through reasoning had very little or no influence in altering the course of our lives. Hence, the countless examples of people who have the clearest convictions and yet act diametrically against them time and time again, and have as the only explanation for their behavior the idea that to err is human.”” [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reasoning often fails to change behavior; people act against their convictions, rationalizing errors as human nature. **In simple terms:** Reasoning rarely changes actions; people justify mistakes as human. Key Takeaway Recognize the gap between belief and behavior. Themes human behavior psychology cognitive dissonance Mood reflective critical Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - personal decision making - leadership - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts free will self‑deception error theory Questions to Reflect On - Why do we cling to convictions that contradict our actions? - How can we align belief with behavior? A Different Perspective People may still act irrationally despite rational insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Convictions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convictions/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) ## Related quotes > [Conclusions arrived at through reasoning have very little or no influence in altering the course of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/conclusions-arrived-at-through-reasoning-have-very-little-or-no/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [“He said he’d heard the sound of one hand clapping. He said, once his mind took in the wondrous no-sound of holy oneness, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-marie-smith/he-said-he-d-heard-the-sound-of-one-hand-clapping-he-said-once-his/) Brenda Marie Smith > [“When longing overtook them, they drew together and made the most intense and tender love Sarah had ever known. She was a freshly exposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-marie-smith/when-longing-overtook-them-they-drew-together-and-made-the-most/) Brenda Marie Smith > [The most part of men, though they have the use of reasoning a little way, as in numbering to some degree; yet it serves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/the-most-part-of-men-though-they-have-the-use-of-reasoning-a-little/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) > [“Accusations are convictions in the public mind. You are guilty until proven innocent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coben/accusations-are-convictions-in-the-public-mind-you-are-guilty-until/) Coben > [“Convictions and the man--it seems they're two different things in many ways. Maybe in many ways I'm guilty before them!...We're all guilty, we're all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/convictions-and-the-man-it-seems-they-re-two-different-things-in-many/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [The men who succeed best in public life are those who take the risk of standing by their own convictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-men-who-succeed-best-in-public-life-are-those-who-take-the-risk/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [In religion and politics, people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/in-religion-and-politics-people-s-beliefs-and-convictions-are-in/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“In response to my father-in-law's view, I offered no opinion. He was not looking for my opinion. He had merely been spouting his belief,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/in-response-to-my-father-in-law-s-view-i-offered-no-opinion-he-was/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Don't worry about what others think of you. It doesn't matter as long as you have your own convictions and are proud of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rvm/don-t-worry-about-what-others-think-of-you-it-doesn-t-matter-as-long/) RVM > [In this kind of situation, we tend to cling to his convictions, we believe that, by magic, we are going to recover. 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He's scared he'll be painted by the rightwing press as a throwback to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/i-don-t-think-ed-miliband-has-the-courage-of-his-convictions-he-s/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [“The construction of life is at present in the power of facts far more than of convictions, and of such facts as have scarcely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/the-construction-of-life-is-at-present-in-the-power-of-facts-far-more/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) ## More by Carlos Castaneda > [A warrior, or any man for that matter, cannot possibly wish he were somewhere else; a warrior because he lives by challenge, an ordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/a-warrior-or-any-man-for-that-matter-cannot-possibly-wish-he-were/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [You see all of us go through the same doubts. We are afraid of being mad; unfortunately for us, of course, all of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/you-see-all-of-us-go-through-the-same-doubts-we-are-afraid-of-being/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [Intent is what can make a man succeed when his thoughts tell him that he is defeated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/intent-is-what-can-make-a-man-succeed-when-his-thoughts-tell-him-that/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [The shadows in the early morning don't tell much. The shadows rest at that time. So it's useless to gaze very early in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/the-shadows-in-the-early-morning-don-t-tell-much-the-shadows-rest-at/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [One can say that the nagual accounts for creativity. 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