Acceptance Quote by Jons Jacob Berzelius
“The habit of an opinion often leads to the complete conviction of its truth, it hides the weaker parts of it, and makes us incapable of accepting the proofs against it.”
About This Quote
Source Letter: Correspondence on Scientific Method, 1825
Strongly held opinions obscure their flaws and block acceptance of contrary evidence, leading to false certainty.
In simple terms: Firm opinions hide weaknesses and block new evidence.
Key Takeaway
Question and test your beliefs.
Themes
cognitive bias
critical thinking
intellectual humility
Mood
skeptical
analytical
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- debate
- research
- decision making
- education
Key Concepts
psychology
epistemology
logic
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence would change your current view?
- How do you recognize bias in your thinking?
A Different Perspective
Overconfidence can sometimes drive decisive action; not all convictions are irrational.
![“As mineralogy constitutes a part of chemistry, it is clear that this arrangement [of minerals] must derive its principles from chemistry. The most perfect mode of arrangement would certainly be to allow bodies to follow each other according to the order of their electro-chemical properties, from…” quote by Jons Jacob Berzelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/53e/jons-jacob-berzelius-49036_arrangements_as-mineralogy-constitutes-a-part-of-chem_2839368.jpg)
