Belief Quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson
““When people believe a tale that conflicts with self-checkable evidence it tells me that people undervalue the role of evidence on formulating an internal belief system. Why this is so is not clear, but it enables many people to hold fast to ideas and notions based purely on supposition.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Public Talk, 2022
People often ignore evidence when it clashes with their existing beliefs, leading them to cling to unverified ideas.
In simple terms: People undervalue evidence when it contradicts their beliefs.
Key Takeaway
Question evidence before accepting beliefs.
Themes
cognition
belief
evidence
bias
critical thinking
Mood
skeptical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- political discourse
- social media
- education
- personal decision making
Key Concepts
confirmation bias
epistemic humility
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you recognize when evidence is being ignored?
- What strategies help prioritize evidence over intuition?
A Different Perspective
Evidence can be dismissed due to emotional attachment or identity protection.
![“They [scientists of centuries past] call on God only from the lonely and precarious edge of incomprehension. Where they feel certain about their explanations, however, God gets hardly a mention.” quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0b0/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_century_they-scientists-of-centuries-past-call-o_12921.jpg)
