Believe Quote by John Lukacs
“There are innumerable instances suggesting that modern intellectuals do not believe themselves, that they don't really believe what they say, that they say certain things only in order to assure themselves that they possess opinions and ideas that are different from those that are entertained by the common herd of men.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Intellectuals and the Masses, 1995
Intellectuals often claim originality while conforming to prevailing opinions, undermining authenticity.
In simple terms: Thinkers may echo the crowd.
Key Takeaway
Seek genuine, independent thought.
Themes
authenticity
intellectual honesty
conformity
critical thinking
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
philosophical
inquisitive
When to use this quote
- academic writing
- public discourse
- media analysis
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
philosophy
sociology
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you ever adopt ideas to fit in?
- How can you test the originality of your beliefs?
A Different Perspective
Self‑deception can be hard to recognize.
![“My guess is that you would find that the intellectual elite is the most heavily indoctrinated sector [of society], for good reasons. It's their role as a secular priesthood to really believe the nonsense that they put forth. Other people can repeat it, but it's not that crucial that they really…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/19d/noam-chomsky-42_quote_my-guess-is-that-you-would-find-that-the_802251.jpg)
![“It was thus that in 1940 [Hitler] represented a wave of the future. His greatest reactionary opponent, Churchill, was like King Canute, attempting to withstand and sweep back that wave. And––yes, mirabile dictu—this King Canute succeeded: because of his resolution and—allow me to say this—because…” quote by John Lukacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e73/john-lukacs-34182_churchill_it-was-thus-that-in-1940-hitler-represen_1691887.jpg)
