Argument Quote by Frank Herbert
“If you believe certain words, you believe their hidden arguments. When you believe something is right or wrong, true or false, you believe the assumptions in the words which express the arguments. Such assumptions are often full of holes, but remain most precious to the convinced.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Dune by Frank Herbert, 1965
Words carry hidden premises; believing them means accepting those underlying assumptions, which may be flawed yet cherished by the convinced.
In simple terms: Believing words means believing their hidden assumptions.
Key Takeaway
Question your assumptions.
Themes
critical thinking
language
belief
Mood
skeptical
analytical
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- debates
- media analysis
- political discourse
- personal decision making
Key Concepts
philosophy
logic
cognitive bias
Questions to Reflect On
- What hidden premises do you accept?
- How can you uncover flaws in those assumptions?
A Different Perspective
Assumptions can be invisible and hard to test.
![“Consider this: there is not a single word in [the Sermon on the Mount] about what to believe, only words about what to do. It is a behavioral manifesto, not a propositional one. Yet three centuries later, when the Nicene Creed became the official oath of Christendom, there was not a single word in…” quote by Robin Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/021/robin-meyers-111492_believe_consider-this-there-is-not-a-single-word_1139610.jpg)
