Assume Quote by Richard N. Haass
“If you assume away most or all of the questions or difficulties, you can persuade yourself of just about anything.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Carnegie Endowment Forum, 2020
Ignoring complexities lets you convince yourself of any belief.
In simple terms: Skipping questions lets you believe anything.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions critically.
Themes
critical thinking
truth
manipulation
Mood
skeptical
analytical
Type
cautionary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- political debate
- media consumption
- personal decisions
- education
Key Concepts
Cognitive bias
epistemology
propaganda
Questions to Reflect On
- What assumptions are you overlooking?
- How can you test the robustness of your beliefs?
A Different Perspective
Over‑simplification can overlook essential facts.
![“I like [Barak] Obama. I like him. So how far does rationality help to persuade anybody? You know, I'm not so sure.” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/da0/george-saunders-317_barak-obama_i-like-barak-obama-i-like-him-so-how-far_87954.jpg)
