Quote by J.G. Farrell

Why on earth should we be at each other's throats? Why do people insist on defending their ideas and opinions with such ferocity, as…

— J. G. Farrell

When one's ideas are not challenged, one's ability to defend them weakens.

— John Stuart Mill

“This principle eludes most people, but it is critical: You are not your idea, and if you identify too closely with your ideas, you…

— Ed Catmull

“If your idea has merit, it doesn’t need you there to defend it.  You can simply place it in the public arena and it…

— Noah Lugeons

“Objectivity works to repel the attacks of critics, like a kind of ethical pepper spray.”

— Brooke Gladstone

“You don’t convince people by challenging their longest and most firmly held opinions. You find common ground and work from there. Or you look…

— Ryan Holiday

“As the Daoists pointed out, we often identify with our ideas so strongly that we feel personally assaulted if these are criticized or corrected.”

— Karen Armstrong

“Being able to criticize our own certainties is often a painful struggle, demanding some courage as we try to stand back and impartially judge…

— Barry Schwartz

“The moment you say that any idea system is sacred, whether it’s a religious belief system or a secular ideology, the moment you declare…

— Salman Rushdie

Let us agree here today to adopt among ourselves a simple and unwritten rule. We will not rise to criticize someone else's idea unless…

— Marco Rubio

“We must resist impulses to attack people, their credibility or their nature, and focus only on sharing our own positive creations, contributions, ideas and…

— Bryant McGill

“A man ought to avow his opinions and defend them with boldness.”

— John Adams