--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Prejudice does not mean false ideas, but…" description: "\"Prejudice does not mean false ideas, but only ... opinions adopted before examination.\" — Joseph de Maistre" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a80/joseph-de-maistre-11359_adopted_prejudice-does-not-mean-false-ideas-but_2946043.jpg" --- # Prejudice does not mean false ideas, but only ... opinions… ![“Prejudice does not mean false ideas, but only ... opinions adopted before examination.” quote by Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a80/joseph-de-maistre-11359_adopted_prejudice-does-not-mean-false-ideas-but_2946043.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a80/joseph-de-maistre-11359_adopted_prejudice-does-not-mean-false-ideas-but_2946043.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a80/joseph-de-maistre-11359_adopted_prejudice-does-not-mean-false-ideas-but_2946043.jpg) > “Prejudice does not mean false ideas, but only ... opinions adopted before examination.” [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prejudice is an unexamined opinion, not necessarily false. **In simple terms:** Prejudice = unexamined opinion. Key Takeaway Examine beliefs before acceptance. Themes bias critical thinking open‑mindedness Mood skeptical inquisitive Type philosophical political When to use this quote - political discourse - media consumption - education Key Concepts philosophy epistemology Questions to Reflect On - What opinions have you accepted without testing? - How can you foster open dialogue? A Different Perspective Deeply held biases resist scrutiny. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Opinions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinions/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ## Related quotes > [Body shaming comes from prejudice and it does not hold any importance in my life. All that matters is my hard work, my mission…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajpal-yadav/body-shaming-comes-from-prejudice-and-it-does-not-hold-any-importance/) [Rajpal Yadav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajpal-yadav/) > [“Does assimilation mean that they never came up against naked prejudice? Does it mean that you understood where the limits of your social world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-de-waal/does-assimilation-mean-that-they-never-came-up-against-naked/) [Edmund de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-de-waal/) > [Nevertheless we have this curious spectacle: daily the trained parrot in the pulpit gravely delivers himself of these ironies, which he has acquired at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/nevertheless-we-have-this-curious-spectacle-daily-the-trained-parrot/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Every time that a man who is not an absolute fool presents you with a question he considers very problematic after giving it careful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/every-time-that-a-man-who-is-not-an-absolute-fool-presents-you-with-a/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [“Our desire to share helpful things is so powerful that it can make even false ideas succeed. Sometimes the drive to help takes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-berger/our-desire-to-share-helpful-things-is-so-powerful-that-it-can-make/) [Jonah Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-berger/) > [I suppose I've become less judgmental about individuals leading lives according to false ideas and false consciousness, because sometimes entire societies are prey to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pankaj-mishra/i-suppose-i-ve-become-less-judgmental-about-individuals-leading-lives/) [Pankaj Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pankaj-mishra/) > [In the field of economics we maintain to this day some of the most primitive ideas, some of the most radically false ideas, some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/in-the-field-of-economics-we-maintain-to-this-day-some-of-the-most/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [“Nothing is ever actually invented by the mind. The mind puts things together and constructs false "ideas”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/nothing-is-ever-actually-invented-by-the-mind-the-mind-puts-things/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“Those ignorant "masters of our destinies" who regard humans as animals or as monstrous hybrids of natural and supernatural must be dethroned by scientific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-korzybski/those-ignorant-masters-of-our-destinies-who-regard-humans-as-animals/) [Alfred Korzybski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-korzybski/) > [Most of the world's religions serve only to strengthen attachments to false concepts such as self and other, life and death, heaven and earth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/most-of-the-world-s-religions-serve-only-to-strengthen-attachments-to/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [When men do not have healthy notions of the Divinity, false ideas supplant them, just as in bad times one uses counterfeit money when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/when-men-do-not-have-healthy-notions-of-the-divinity-false-ideas/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Where conservative Catholics have the power to resist what seem like false ideas or disastrous innovations they must do so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/where-conservative-catholics-have-the-power-to-resist-what-seem-like/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [What really makes science grow is new ideas, including false ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-popper/what-really-makes-science-grow-is-new-ideas-including-false-ideas/) [Karl Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-popper/) > [In academic life, false ideas are merely false, and useless ones can be fun to play with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/in-academic-life-false-ideas-are-merely-false-and-useless-ones-can-be/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [It is a myth that the success of science in our time is mainly due to the huge amounts of money that have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-popper/it-is-a-myth-that-the-success-of-science-in-our-time-is-mainly-due-to/) [Karl Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-popper/) ## More by Joseph de Maistre > [War is thus divine in itself, since it is a law of the world. War is divine through its consequences of a supernatural nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/war-is-thus-divine-in-itself-since-it-is-a-law-of-the-world-war-is/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Nothing is necessary except God, and nothing is less necessary than pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/nothing-is-necessary-except-god-and-nothing-is-less-necessary-than/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [It is not the mediocrity of women's education which makes their weakness; it is their weakness which necessarily causes their mediocrity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/it-is-not-the-mediocrity-of-women-s-education-which-makes-their/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [We are all bound to the throne of the Supreme Being by a flexible chain which restrains without enslaving us. The most wonderful aspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/we-are-all-bound-to-the-throne-of-the-supreme-being-by-a-flexible/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [All pain is a punishment, and every punishment is inflicted for love as much as for justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/all-pain-is-a-punishment-and-every-punishment-is-inflicted-for-love/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Without doubt God is the universal moving force, but each being is moved according to the nature that God has given it. He directs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/without-doubt-god-is-the-universal-moving-force-but-each-being-is/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Man is insatiable for power; he is infantile in his desires and, always discontented with what he has, loves only what he has not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/man-is-insatiable-for-power-he-is-infantile-in-his-desires-and-always/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [A child is an angel dependent on man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/a-child-is-an-angel-dependent-on-man/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [“Thus is worked out, from maggots up to man, the universal law of the violent destruction of living beings. The whole earth, continually steeped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/thus-is-worked-out-from-maggots-up-to-man-the-universal-law-of-the/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [If there was no moral evil upon earth, there would be no physical evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/if-there-was-no-moral-evil-upon-earth-there-would-be-no-physical-evil/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Man is so muddled, so dependent on the things immediately before his eyes, that every day even the most submissive believer can be seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/man-is-so-muddled-so-dependent-on-the-things-immediately-before-his/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [The concept of number is the obvious distinction between the beast and man. Thanks to number, the cry becomes a song, noise acquires rhythm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/the-concept-of-number-is-the-obvious-distinction-between-the-beast/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Every time that a man who is not an absolute fool presents you with a question he considers very problematic after giving it careful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/every-time-that-a-man-who-is-not-an-absolute-fool-presents-you-with-a/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Every country has the government it deserves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/every-country-has-the-government-it-deserves/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [Genius does not seem to derive any great support from syllogisms. Its carriage is free; its manner has a touch of inspiration. We see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/genius-does-not-seem-to-derive-any-great-support-from-syllogisms-its/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) [Explore all 60 Joseph de Maistre quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) ## More Adopted quotes > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Somehow destiny comes into play. These children end up with you and you end up with them. It's something quite magical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-kidman/somehow-destiny-comes-into-play-these-children-end-up-with-you-and/) [Nicole Kidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-kidman/) > [Azerbaijan unleashed the war, and was defeated in that war; Azerbaijan asked for truce (including from the Commander of Karabakh's forces) and later started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serzh-sargsyan/azerbaijan-unleashed-the-war-and-was-defeated-in-that-war-azerbaijan/) [Serzh Sargsyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serzh-sargsyan/) > [I'm not at all against white people adopting black children, because we're all human beings who need to give love and be nurtured in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kola-boof/i-m-not-at-all-against-white-people-adopting-black-children-because/) [Kola Boof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kola-boof/) > [Susan, an only child who never had any roots, and I, a lone wolf who got married 20 years to late, were adopted by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harpo-marx/susan-an-only-child-who-never-had-any-roots-and-i-a-lone-wolf-who-got/) [Harpo Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harpo-marx/) > [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [A son or daughter in any human family is either born to or adopted by the parents. By definition, a child can't be both.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-bridges/a-son-or-daughter-in-any-human-family-is-either-born-to-or-adopted-by/) [Jerry Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-bridges/) > [. . . by natural selection our mind has adapted itself to the conditions of the external world. It has adopted the geometry most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/by-natural-selection-our-mind-has-adapted-itself-to-the-conditions-of/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [I was adopted my black Americans, I feel that I'm a 'Hybrid'. When I'm around Africans'I suddenly feel very black American. And when I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kola-boof/i-was-adopted-my-black-americans-i-feel-that-i-m-a-hybrid-when-i-m/) [Kola Boof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kola-boof/) > [I did this one movie with a great director named Wayne Kramer. It was 'Crossing Over,' and Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd and Ray Liotta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chon/i-did-this-one-movie-with-a-great-director-named-wayne-kramer-it-was/) [Justin Chon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chon/) > [I had severed relations with the Romanian exiles who had become politically conservative and even extremely right wing; I was giving chess lessons to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/i-had-severed-relations-with-the-romanian-exiles-who-had-become/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [People, the common people, can genuinely see what I'm doing. Moreover, people know that I have adopted four principles in living my life: simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-sattar-edhi/people-the-common-people-can-genuinely-see-what-i-m-doing-moreover/) [Abdul Sattar Edhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdul-sattar-edhi/) > [To a large extent, the American church has become merged with the world. It has adopted so many of the world's ideals and standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/to-a-large-extent-the-american-church-has-become-merged-with-the/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [When you're adopted, no matter what, you've got issues with unconditional love. And you find out you're the product of the worst situation for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-atkins/when-you-re-adopted-no-matter-what-you-ve-got-issues-with/) [Rodney Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-atkins/) > [Capitalism justified itself and was adopted as an economic principle on the express ground that it provides selfish motives for doing good, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/capitalism-justified-itself-and-was-adopted-as-an-economic-principle/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) Browse all 735 Adopted quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Prejudice does not mean false ideas, but only ... opinions adopted before examination.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph de Maistre" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/prejudice-does-not-mean-false-ideas-but-only-opinions-adopted-before/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adopted" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/prejudice-does-not-mean-false-ideas-but-only-opinions-adopted-before/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a80/joseph-de-maistre-11359_adopted_prejudice-does-not-mean-false-ideas-but_2946043.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a80/joseph-de-maistre-11359_adopted_prejudice-does-not-mean-false-ideas-but_2946043.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a80/joseph-de-maistre-11359_adopted_prejudice-does-not-mean-false-ideas-but_2946043.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Prejudice does not mean false ideas, but only ... opinions adopted before examination.” — Joseph de Maistre", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joseph de Maistre", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Prejudice does not mean false ideas,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/prejudice-does-not-mean-false-ideas-but-only-opinions-adopted-before/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/prejudice-does-not-mean-false-ideas-but-only-opinions-adopted-before/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```