Certainty Quote by Jonathan Stroud
“Zealots: Wild eyed persons afflicted with incurable certainty about the workings of the world, a certainty that can lead to violence when the world doesn't fit.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud, 2003
Zealotry is an extreme, unshakable belief that can turn violent when reality contradicts it.
In simple terms: Blind certainty can cause aggression when reality differs.
Key Takeaway
Question beliefs, stay open to evidence.
Themes
extremism
belief
violence
Mood
tense
critical
reflective
Type
advice
philosophical
psychological
When to use this quote
- political activism
- religious movements
- online forums
- workplace disputes
Key Concepts
cognitive rigidity
dogmatism
social conflict
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you recognize when certainty becomes harmful?
- What steps can reduce dogmatic thinking?
A Different Perspective
Such certainty may stem from fear or identity, not just logic.
![“They [zealots] would have everybody be as blind as themselves: to them, to be clear-sighted is libertinism.” quote by Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/39f/moliere-965_bigotry_they-zealots-would-have-everybody-be-as_2582830.jpg)
![“Had today's technophobic zealots [environmental activists] been in charge in previous centuries, we would have to roll human progress back to the Middle Ages - and beyond, since even fire, the wheel and organic farming pose risks, and none would have passed the "absolute safety" test the zealots…” quote by Paul Driessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/97c/paul-driessen-50132_absolutes_had-today-s-technophobic-zealots-environ_937564.jpg)
![“[I]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge in mathematics, in so far as disposed through it we are able to reach certainty in other sciences and truth by the exclusion of error.” quote by Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d13/roger-bacon-15067_able_i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-a_24209.jpg)