Familiar Quote by John Stuart Mill
“Each undervalues that part of the materials of thought with which he is not familiar.”
About This Quote
Source Book: On Liberty, 1859
People tend to undervalue ideas they are unfamiliar with, limiting their intellectual growth.
In simple terms: People undervalue unfamiliar ideas.
Key Takeaway
Seek out new perspectives.
Themes
philosophy
learning
open‑mindedness
Mood
reflective
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- education
- personal development
- cross‑cultural dialogue
Key Concepts
Cognitive bias
intellectual humility
Questions to Reflect On
- What unfamiliar ideas could you explore?
- How can you overcome bias against the unknown?
A Different Perspective
Familiarity bias can hinder innovation and understanding.
![“[For people] to refuse a hearing to an opinion, because they are sure that it is false, is to assume that their certainty is the same thing as absolute certainty. All silencing of discussion is an assumption of infallibility.” quote by John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c53/john-stuart-mill-477_doubt_for-people-to-refuse-a-hearing-to-an-opi_63929.jpg)
![“There was another reason [she] took her books whenever they went away. They were her home when she was somewhere strange. They were familiar voices, friends that never quarreled with her, clever, powerful friends -- daring and knowledgeable, tried and tested adventurers who had traveled far and…” quote by Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/639/cornelia-funke-908_adventurer_there-was-another-reason-she-took-her-bo_3074.jpg)
