--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Do not flinch from experiences that might…" description: "\"Do not flinch from experiences that might destroy your beliefs. The thought you cannot think controls you more than thoughts you speak aloud. Submit yo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/eliezer-yudkowsky-1207_belief_do-not-flinch-from-experiences-that-migh_566890.jpg" --- # Do not flinch from experiences that might destroy your… ![“Do not flinch from experiences that might destroy your beliefs. The thought you cannot think controls you more than thoughts you speak aloud. Submit yourself to ordeals and test yourself in fire. Relinquish the emotion which rests upon a mistaken belief, and seek to feel fully that emotion which…” quote by Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/eliezer-yudkowsky-1207_belief_do-not-flinch-from-experiences-that-migh_566890.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/eliezer-yudkowsky-1207_belief_do-not-flinch-from-experiences-that-migh_566890.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/eliezer-yudkowsky-1207_belief_do-not-flinch-from-experiences-that-migh_566890.jpg) > “Do not flinch from experiences that might destroy your beliefs. The thought you cannot think controls you more than thoughts you speak aloud. Submit yourself to ordeals and test yourself in fire. Relinquish the emotion which rests upon a mistaken belief, and seek to feel fully that emotion which fits the facts.” [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Challenging deep‑seated beliefs by confronting uncomfortable truths leads to clearer thinking and emotional alignment with reality. **In simple terms:** Test beliefs, feel true emotions. Key Takeaway Question beliefs, align feelings with facts. Themes critical thinking self‑examination emotional honesty Mood introspective determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal growth - debate preparation - ethical decision‑making Key Concepts cognitive bias belief revision psychological resilience Questions to Reflect On - What belief do you avoid confronting? - How can you safely explore challenging ideas? A Different Perspective Belief testing can cause distress and may be resisted. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Tests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tests/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ## Related quotes > [“P.C. Hodgell said - That which can be destroyed by the truth should be . Do not flinch from experiences that might destroy your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/p-c-hodgell-said-that-which-can-be-destroyed-by-the-truth-should-be/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [We have all had the experience of finding that our reactions and perhaps even our deeds have denied beliefs we thought were ours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-have-all-had-the-experience-of-finding-that-our-reactions-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Alchemists’ beliefs are my beliefs,” I say quickly. She arched an eyebrow. “Are they? I would hope your beliefs would be your beliefs.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/the-alchemists-beliefs-are-my-beliefs-i-say-quickly-she-arched-an/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [If anyone, no matter who, were given the opportunity of choosing from amongst all the nations in the world the set of beliefs which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herodotus/if-anyone-no-matter-who-were-given-the-opportunity-of-choosing-from/) [Herodotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herodotus/) > [It would be difficult to tell," Wulf said. "I've always been a romantic. I've seen Casablanca twice, and I sat through the entire ordeal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/it-would-be-difficult-to-tell-wulf-said-i-ve-always-been-a-romantic-i/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [My run is so weird. That's what I'm most nervous about in this whole ordeal. I'm most nervous about everybody making fun of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lawrence/my-run-is-so-weird-that-s-what-i-m-most-nervous-about-in-this-whole/) [Jennifer Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lawrence/) > [The period without the diary remains an ordeal. Every evening I want my diary as one wants opium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/the-period-without-the-diary-remains-an-ordeal-every-evening-i-want/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [The ordeal is part of the commitment" Esquire Interview 10/10](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-ordeal-is-part-of-the-commitment-esquire-interview-10-10/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [Growing older is mainly an ordeal of the imagination-a moral disease, a social pathology...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/growing-older-is-mainly-an-ordeal-of-the-imagination-a-moral-disease/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [Had I not gone through the ordeal, in more than one country, of landing a job, I would he tempted to lose patience over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/had-i-not-gone-through-the-ordeal-in-more-than-one-country-of-landing/) [B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/) > [But I ask you, those of you who are with us all day, not to stress yourselves out because of us. When you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/but-i-ask-you-those-of-you-who-are-with-us-all-day-not-to-stress/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [Old age is an ordeal, of flesh and mind. Of winding down, of slowing down, of dying cells. It's accepting the loss of physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-mccullough/old-age-is-an-ordeal-of-flesh-and-mind-of-winding-down-of-slowing/) [Colleen McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-mccullough/) > [Attitude is the difference between ordeal and adventure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-bitchin/attitude-is-the-difference-between-ordeal-and-adventure/) [Bob Bitchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-bitchin/) > [Marriage is not a simple love affair, it's an ordeal, and the ordeal is the sacrifice of ego to a relationship in which two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/marriage-is-not-a-simple-love-affair-it-s-an-ordeal-and-the-ordeal-is/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [High school wasn't a trial by fire or some ordeal that had to be survived. It was all a big joke. You just had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/high-school-wasn-t-a-trial-by-fire-or-some-ordeal-that-had-to-be/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) ## More by Eliezer Yudkowsky > [“But I really am Ravenclaw, you know, not Slytherin. I don't want to rule the universe. I just think it could be more sensibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/but-i-really-am-ravenclaw-you-know-not-slytherin-i-don-t-want-to-rule/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“‎If you regard evidence as a constraint and seek to free yourself, you sell yourself into the chains of your whims. For you cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/if-you-regard-evidence-as-a-constraint-and-seek-to-free-yourself-you/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“I am not sure how to explain it, except that - truth matters to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/i-am-not-sure-how-to-explain-it-except-that-truth-matters-to-us/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [I see little hope for democracy as an effective form of government, but I admire the poetry of how it makes its victims complicit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/i-see-little-hope-for-democracy-as-an-effective-form-of-government/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“He really really really shouldn't have done that. Amazing how much more obvious that became one second after it was too late.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/he-really-really-really-shouldn-t-have-done-that-amazing-how-much/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [I'm wondering if there's a spell to make lightning flash in the background whenever I make an ominous resolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/i-m-wondering-if-there-s-a-spell-to-make-lightning-flash-in-the/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“There’s a technique we use in our local rationalist cluster called “Is That Your True Rejection?”, and it works like this: Before you stake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/there-s-a-technique-we-use-in-our-local-rationalist-cluster-called-is/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [Lonely dissent doesn't feel like going to school dressed in black. It feels like going to school wearing a clown suit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/lonely-dissent-doesn-t-feel-like-going-to-school-dressed-in-black-it/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“Knowing that Draco's hopeful face had probably been drilled into him by months of practice did not make it any less effective, Harry observed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/knowing-that-draco-s-hopeful-face-had-probably-been-drilled-into-him/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [The strength of a theory is not what it allows, but what it prohibits; if you can invent an equally persuasive explanation for any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/the-strength-of-a-theory-is-not-what-it-allows-but-what-it-prohibits/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [It is triple ultra forbidden to respond to criticism with violence. There are a very few injunctions in the human art of rationality that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/it-is-triple-ultra-forbidden-to-respond-to-criticism-with-violence/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [The human species was not born into a market economy. Bees won't sell you honey if you offer them an electronic funds transfer. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/the-human-species-was-not-born-into-a-market-economy-bees-won-t-sell/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“Frigideiro! " said Hermione again from the desk next to him. Her water was solid ice and there were white crystals forming on the rim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/frigideiro-said-hermione-again-from-the-desk-next-to-him-her-water/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“And then Harry Potter had launched in to a speech that was inspiring, yet vague. A speech to the effect that Fred and George…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/and-then-harry-potter-had-launched-in-to-a-speech-that-was-inspiring/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“And I know that I'd just make myself unhappy by comparing that reality to... something perfect that I built up in my imagination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/and-i-know-that-i-d-just-make-myself-unhappy-by-comparing-that/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) [Explore all 274 Eliezer Yudkowsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) ## More Belief quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/here-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-the-man-of-faith-and-the-man/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [In business, as in politics, it is never easy to go against the beliefs and attitudes held by the majority. The businessman who moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/in-business-as-in-politics-it-is-never-easy-to-go-against-the-beliefs/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [There's no greatest moment in the arts. It's a life; it's a continuity thing. You can't have a great moment because it's spiritual. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-neiman/there-s-no-greatest-moment-in-the-arts-it-s-a-life-it-s-a-continuity/) [LeRoy Neiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-neiman/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) [Browse all 10,268 Belief quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Do not flinch from experiences that might destroy your beliefs. The thought you cannot think controls you more than thoughts you speak aloud. Submit yourself to ordeals and test yourself in fire. 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