Better life Quote by Sam Harris
“People who harbor strong convictions without evidence belong at the margins of our societies, not in our halls of power. The only thing we should respect in a person’s faith is his desire for a better life in this world; we need never have respected his certainty that one awaits him in the next.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public Lecture, Sam Harris, 2015
Strong convictions lacking evidence should be excluded from leadership, while respecting personal aspirations for a better life.
In simple terms: Evidence‑based beliefs belong in power; personal faith is okay.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize evidence in decision‑making.
Themes
evidence
leadership
faith
society
Mood
thoughtful
critical
serious
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- political appointments
- public policy debates
- community leadership
- education curricula
Key Concepts
rationalism
secularism
humanism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance respect for personal faith with the need for evidence?basedWhat
- of evidence should be required for public authority?
A Different Perspective
People may argue that personal convictions inspire moral action even without evidence.
![“Moderates in every faith are obliged to loosely interpret (or simply ignore) much of their canons in the interests of living in the modern world. [...] The first thing to observe about the moderate’s retreat from scriptural literalism is that it draws its inspiration not from scripture but from…” quote by Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b44/sam-harris-457_bible_moderates-in-every-faith-are-obliged-to_6967.jpg)
