Credulity Quote by Christopher Hitchens
““Men would never be superstitious, if they could govern all their circumstances by set rules, or if they were always favoured by fortune: but being frequently driven into straits where rules are useless, and being often kept fluctuating pitiably between hope and fear by the uncertainty of fortune’s greedily coveted favours, they are consequently, for the most part, very prone to credulity. The human mind is readily swayed this way or that in times of doubt, especially when hope and fear are struggling for the mastery, though usually it is boastful, over-confident, and vain.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: God Is Not Great, Christopher Hitchens, 2007
People turn to superstition when they cannot control outcomes, leading to credulity especially amid hope and fear.
In simple terms: Lack of control fuels belief in luck and superstition.
Key Takeaway
Recognize uncertainty and seek rational coping.
Themes
superstition
uncertainty
credulity
hope
fear
Mood
anxious
hopeful
reflective
Type
philosophical
observational
When to use this quote
- personal crises
- financial loss
- health scares
- political instability
Key Concepts
psychology
human behavior
cognitive bias
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you respond when faced with uncontrollable events?
- Can rational thinking replace superstition in stressful times?
A Different Perspective
Superstition can provide comfort despite being irrational.
![“It's [Los Angeles] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them aren't even young and beautiful now.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a86/christopher-hitchens-117_beautiful_it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense_10462.jpg)
![“[Religion] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we would not know an evil, wicked act from a decent human act without divine permission, without divine authority or without, even worse, either the fear of a…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ab6/christopher-hitchens-117_action_religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integ_23299.jpg)
