--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Demands that you believe the impossible…" description: "\"Demands that you believe the impossible do not lead to peaceful outcomes.\" — Christopher Hitchens" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edb/christopher-hitchens-117_believe_demands-that-you-believe-the-impossible_1741627.jpg" --- # Demands that you believe the impossible do not lead to… ![“Demands that you believe the impossible do not lead to peaceful outcomes.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edb/christopher-hitchens-117_believe_demands-that-you-believe-the-impossible_1741627.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edb/christopher-hitchens-117_believe_demands-that-you-believe-the-impossible_1741627.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edb/christopher-hitchens-117_believe_demands-that-you-believe-the-impossible_1741627.jpg) > “Demands that you believe the impossible do not lead to peaceful outcomes.” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Demanding belief in impossibility creates conflict and unrest, preventing peace. **In simple terms:** Impossible demands cause tension, not peace. Key Takeaway Question unrealistic expectations. Themes philosophy conflict belief peace Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - political discourse - personal relationships - ideological debates Key Concepts critical thinking psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs are you demanding of others? - Can flexibility improve outcomes? A Different Perspective Idealistic demands may ignore practical realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Peaceful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peaceful/) ## Related quotes > [Only if you give the Palestinians something to lose is there a hope that they will agree to moderate their demands… I believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/only-if-you-give-the-palestinians-something-to-lose-is-there-a-hope/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [It is simply impossible to lead, without the aid of prayer, a virtuous life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-john-chrysostom/it-is-simply-impossible-to-lead-without-the-aid-of-prayer-a-virtuous/) [Saint John Chrysostom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-john-chrysostom/) > [“the religion which treats its flock as a credulous plaything offers one of the cruelest spectacles that can be imagined: a human being in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-religion-which-treats-its-flock-as-a-credulous-plaything-offers/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Your disbelief will cripple you, you think like that, human. Do not believe this impossible, or it will be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/your-disbelief-will-cripple-you-you-think-like-that-human-do-not/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [“Because sometimes it's better to believe in the impossible. To believe you are a secret agent or a private detective or a superhero and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-david-anderson/because-sometimes-it-s-better-to-believe-in-the-impossible-to-believe/) [John David Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-david-anderson/) > [Visionaries not only believe that the impossible can be done, but that it must be done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bran-ferren/visionaries-not-only-believe-that-the-impossible-can-be-done-but-that/) [Bran Ferren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bran-ferren/) > [If we did not have the impulse and ability to believe in the impossible, we would not have religion, democracy, or marriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-mccarten/if-we-did-not-have-the-impulse-and-ability-to-believe-in-the/) [Anthony McCarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-mccarten/) > [When we believe in the impossible, it becomes possible, and we can do all kinds of extraordinary things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/when-we-believe-in-the-impossible-it-becomes-possible-and-we-can-do/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [... it is better to believe even what is impossible to our own nature and to men, than to be unbelieving like the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-martyr/it-is-better-to-believe-even-what-is-impossible-to-our-own-nature-and/) [Justin Martyr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-martyr/) > [We all want to believe in impossible things, I suppose, to persuade ourselves that miracles can happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/we-all-want-to-believe-in-impossible-things-i-suppose-to-persuade/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [Believe the impossible is possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-keane/believe-the-impossible-is-possible/) [Glen Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-keane/) > [Americans usually believe that nothing is impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-eagleburger/americans-usually-believe-that-nothing-is-impossible/) [Lawrence Eagleburger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-eagleburger/) > [The existing documentary makers still believe that it is impossible to produce drama material in this State, otherwise they would be doing it, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-macbeth/the-existing-documentary-makers-still-believe-that-it-is-impossible/) [Ann Macbeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-macbeth/) > [I believe in the impossible because no one else does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-griffith-joyner/i-believe-in-the-impossible-because-no-one-else-does/) [Florence Griffith Joyner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-griffith-joyner/) > [“Credo quia impossibile.’ I believe it because it is impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/credo-quia-impossibile-i-believe-it-because-it-is-impossible/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) ## More by Christopher Hitchens > [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Many governments employ torture but this was the first time that the element of Saturnalia and pornography in the process had been made so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/many-governments-employ-torture-but-this-was-the-first-time-that-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. 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Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-much-worse-to-see-a-woman-drunk-than-a-man-i-don-t-know-quite/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's true that obscenity is a matter of taste and in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-true-that-obscenity-is-a-matter-of-taste-and-in-the-eye-of-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I worked out early on to give up things I couldn't do well at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-worked-out-early-on-to-give-up-things-i-couldn-t-do-well-at-all/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Writing is what's important to me, and anything that helps me do that - or enhances and prolongs and deepens and sometimes intensifies argument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/writing-is-what-s-important-to-me-and-anything-that-helps-me-do-that/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) [Explore all 1,241 Christopher Hitchens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. 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And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. 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