--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To hold an idea and convince ourselves we…" description: "\"To hold an idea and convince ourselves we arrived at it rationally, we go in search of evidence to support our view.\" — Robert Greene" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/robert-greene-498_convince_to-hold-an-idea-and-convince-ourselves-w_3086146.png" --- # To hold an idea and convince ourselves we arrived at it… ![“To hold an idea and convince ourselves we arrived at it rationally, we go in search of evidence to support our view.” quote by Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/robert-greene-498_convince_to-hold-an-idea-and-convince-ourselves-w_3086146.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/robert-greene-498_convince_to-hold-an-idea-and-convince-ourselves-w_3086146.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/robert-greene-498_convince_to-hold-an-idea-and-convince-ourselves-w_3086146.png) > “To hold an idea and convince ourselves we arrived at it rationally, we go in search of evidence to support our view.” [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We rationalize our beliefs by seeking supporting evidence, ignoring contradictory data. **In simple terms:** We bias our thinking to confirm beliefs. Key Takeaway Seek opposing evidence before concluding. Themes confirmation bias rationalization critical thinking Mood analytical skeptical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - Decision making - research - debate Key Concepts Cognitive bias self-deception Questions to Reflect On - What evidence would change your view? - How often do you challenge your assumptions? A Different Perspective Confirmation bias can blind us to truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) ## Related quotes > [For actors, the idea is that you convince people you're someone you're not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-bateman/for-actors-the-idea-is-that-you-convince-people-you-re-someone-you-re/) [Tom Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-bateman/) > [You don't have to start from scratch to do something interesting. 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Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-j-good/) > [Living rationally and authentically does not mean that you map out your future by thinking carefully about what it would be like if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-paul/living-rationally-and-authentically-does-not-mean-that-you-map-out/) [L.A. Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-paul/) > [“Rationally, factory farming is so obviously wrong, in so many ways. In all of my reading and conversations, I’ve yet to find a credible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/rationally-factory-farming-is-so-obviously-wrong-in-so-many-ways-in/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) ## More by Robert Greene > [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. 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It is in their interest that you do not become self-reliant, and so they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/remember-your-bosses-prefer-to-keep-you-in-dependent-positions-it-is/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [I want to be able to write, that's my first love and I don't want to deviate from it even though I probably could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/i-want-to-be-able-to-write-that-s-my-first-love-and-i-don-t-want-to/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [It's sometimes hard to talk about politics and art. 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Feeling petty and frustrated can have reverberating consequences for your ability to think strategically and reach your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/your-energy-your-spirit-are-important-considerations-feeling-petty/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [Fear creates its own self-fulfilling dynamic- as people give into it, they lose energy and momentum. Their lack of confidence translates into inaction that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/fear-creates-its-own-self-fulfilling-dynamic-as-people-give-into-it/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [What I like about the internet, what I see there is that its much more democratic. I have much more control, and if what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/what-i-like-about-the-internet-what-i-see-there-is-that-its-much-more/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [“It is hard for us to imagine now, but our earliest human ancestors who ventured out onto the grasslands of East Africa some six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/it-is-hard-for-us-to-imagine-now-but-our-earliest-human-ancestors-who/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [“Let us call this quality the Original Mind. This mind looked at the world more directly—not through words and received ideas. It was flexible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/let-us-call-this-quality-the-original-mind-this-mind-looked-at-the/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) [Explore all 511 Robert Greene quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) ## More Convince quotes > [“Sometimes we want something to be true so badly that we convince ourselves that it is true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/sometimes-we-want-something-to-be-true-so-badly-that-we-convince/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [The privilege of prayer to me is one of the most cherished possessions, because faith and experience alike convince me that God himself sees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-grenfell/the-privilege-of-prayer-to-me-is-one-of-the-most-cherished/) [Wilfred Grenfell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-grenfell/) > [Jesus never met a disease he could not cure, a birth defect he could not reverse, a demon he could not exorcise. But he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/jesus-never-met-a-disease-he-could-not-cure-a-birth-defect-he-could/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [The first duty of a wise advocate is to convince his opponents that he understands their arguments, and sympathies with their just feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/the-first-duty-of-a-wise-advocate-is-to-convince-his-opponents-that/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [Once you convince people that they're victims, you really own them because you've just told them that whatever problems they have in life, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/once-you-convince-people-that-they-re-victims-you-really-own-them/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The people on the QVC shopping channel convince me that life is worth living. They see the good in everything. People who go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-vegas/the-people-on-the-qvc-shopping-channel-convince-me-that-life-is-worth/) [Johnny Vegas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-vegas/) > [“What can I say to convince you the Houses of Parliament dissolve night after night to become the fluid dream of the Thames? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisel-mueller/what-can-i-say-to-convince-you-the-houses-of-parliament-dissolve/) [Lisel Mueller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisel-mueller/) > [Human beings have the incredible capacity for denial. I think they do. And although it's really hard to believe, I have my doubts. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/human-beings-have-the-incredible-capacity-for-denial-i-think-they-do/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [“If you can convince yourself, you can convince the other fellow,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/if-you-can-convince-yourself-you-can-convince-the-other-fellow/) [Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/) > [Don't lie to yourself about what you can't or can achieve. Convince yourself on a realistic level that you can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-lie-to-yourself-about-what-you-can-t-or-can-achieve-convince/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Don't ever let anyone convince you that your imagination is wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuseppe-bianco/don-t-ever-let-anyone-convince-you-that-your-imagination-is-wrong/) [Giuseppe Bianco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giuseppe-bianco/) > [It's hard to convince your agents and managers to do theater, because it's not as financially rewarding and it takes up a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-helberg/it-s-hard-to-convince-your-agents-and-managers-to-do-theater-because/) [Simon Helberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-helberg/) > [I guess that is the strange part of the human brain that people have studied for eons - is hatred and self-hatred. You can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/i-guess-that-is-the-strange-part-of-the-human-brain-that-people-have/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [I knew I shouldn't like him cause I know it's not working, and everybody tells me that, and I convince myself I don't... and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/i-knew-i-shouldn-t-like-him-cause-i-know-it-s-not-working-and/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [The statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-statesmen-will-invent-cheap-lies-putting-the-blame-upon-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) Browse all 1,431 Convince quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To hold an idea and convince ourselves we arrived at it rationally, we go in search of evidence to support our view.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Greene" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/to-hold-an-idea-and-convince-ourselves-we-arrived-at-it-rationally-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Convince" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/to-hold-an-idea-and-convince-ourselves-we-arrived-at-it-rationally-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/robert-greene-498_convince_to-hold-an-idea-and-convince-ourselves-w_3086146.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/robert-greene-498_convince_to-hold-an-idea-and-convince-ourselves-w_3086146.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/487/robert-greene-498_convince_to-hold-an-idea-and-convince-ourselves-w_3086146.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To hold an idea and convince ourselves we arrived at it rationally, we go in search of evidence to support…” — Robert Greene", "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": "Robert Greene", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To hold an idea and convince...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/to-hold-an-idea-and-convince-ourselves-we-arrived-at-it-rationally-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/to-hold-an-idea-and-convince-ourselves-we-arrived-at-it-rationally-we/#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 } } ] } ```