Auricularum Gazing Quote by Christopher Hitchens
““The smallest spark may here kindle into the greatest flame; because the materials are always prepared for it. The avidum genus auricularum, the gazing populace, receive greedily, without examination, whatever sooths superstition, and promotes wonder. 31 How many stories of this nature have, in all ages, been detected and exploded in their infancy? How many more have been celebrated for a time, and have afterwards sunk into neglect and oblivion? Where such reports, therefore, fly about, the solution of the phenomenon is obvious; and we judge in conformity to regular experience and observation, when we account for it by the known and natural principles of credulity and delusion. And shall we, rather than have recourse to so natural a solution, allow of a miraculous violation of the most established laws of nature?””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Portable Atheist, Christopher Hitchens, 2007
Small ideas can explode into major movements when people accept them without scrutiny, driven by curiosity and superstition.
In simple terms: Unexamined ideas can grow huge.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions before accepting.
Themes
critical thinking
skepticism
belief formation
mass psychology
intellectual humility
Mood
cautious
inquisitive
skeptical
Type
philosophical
analytical
critical
When to use this quote
- political discourse
- viral rumors
- scientific skepticism
- media analysis
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
social contagion
information cascades
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence supports a claim?
- How does social pressure shape belief?
A Different Perspective
Ideas may be amplified by emotional appeal, not evidence.
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