---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Water is two parts hydrogen and one part…"
description: "\"Water is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. What if someone says, “Well, that’s not how I choose to think about water.”? All we can do is appeal t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b7/sam-harris-457_appeals_water-is-two-parts-hydrogen-and-one-part_723246.jpg"
---

#  Water is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. What if…

![“Water is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. What if someone says, “Well, that’s not how I choose to think about water.”? All we can do is appeal to scientific values. And if he doesn’t share those values, the conversation is over. If someone doesn’t value evidence, what evidence are you going…” quote by Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b7/sam-harris-457_appeals_water-is-two-parts-hydrogen-and-one-part_723246.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b7/sam-harris-457_appeals_water-is-two-parts-hydrogen-and-one-part_723246.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b7/sam-harris-457_appeals_water-is-two-parts-hydrogen-and-one-part_723246.jpg)

> “Water is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. What if someone says, “Well, that’s not how I choose to think about water.”? All we can do is appeal to scientific values. And if he doesn’t share those values, the conversation is over. If someone doesn’t value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove they should value it? If someone doesn’t value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?”

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

When evidence and logic are dismissed, persuasion fails; shared values are prerequisite for rational dialogue.

**In simple terms:** Without shared values, facts won’t persuade.

Key Takeaway

Find common ground before presenting data.

Themes

philosophy science communication

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

persuasive reflective

When to use this quote

- public debate
- science education
- political discussion
- media interviews

Key Concepts

epistemology rational discourse value pluralism

Questions to Reflect On

- What values do you share with your audience?
- How can you bridge value gaps?

A Different Perspective

Assumes values can be aligned easily.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Appeals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appeals/) [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Can do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence/) [Hydrogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hydrogen/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Importance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importance/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logic/) [Logical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logical/) [Logical Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logical-argument-475761/) [Logical arguments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logical-arguments/) [Oxygen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oxygen/) [Prove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prove/) [Scientific Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientific-values-3148610/) [Share](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/share/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Value Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value-evidence-763100/) [Value Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value-logic-4071272/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [What if](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/what-if/)

## Related quotes

> [If someone doesn’t value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide that proves they should value evidence. If someone doesn’t value logic, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/if-someone-doesn-t-value-evidence-what-evidence-are-you-going-to/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [If one doesn't value logic, what logical argument would you invoke to prove they should value logic?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/if-one-doesn-t-value-logic-what-logical-argument-would-you-invoke-to/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [The idea comes before the logical argument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-abrahams/the-idea-comes-before-the-logical-argument/)

[Gerald Abrahams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-abrahams/)

> [“If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn’t value logic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/if-someone-doesn-t-value-evidence-what-evidence-are-you-going-to-2/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [“Everybody knows that Aristotelian two-value logic is fucked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/everybody-knows-that-aristotelian-two-value-logic-is-fucked/)

[Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/)

> [ \[P\]olitical and social and scientific values ... should be correlated in some relation of movement that could be expressed in mathematics, nor did one… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/p-olitical-and-social-and-scientific-values-should-be-correlated-in/)

[Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/)

> [“When viewed from this perspective, personal growth can actually be quite scientific. Our values are our hypotheses: this behavior is good and important; that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/when-viewed-from-this-perspective-personal-growth-can-actually-be/)

[Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/)

> [Human beings like variety, and they also like partnership... these are scientific values we can point to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-bright/human-beings-like-variety-and-they-also-like-partnership-these-are/)

[Susie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-bright/)

> [“...Life does not follow the continuous flow of logical argument and that one often has to risk moving beyond the limits of the rational…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-r-flynn/life-does-not-follow-the-continuous-flow-of-logical-argument-and-that/)

[Thomas R. Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-r-flynn/)

> [Adrian sifted through the bags and pulled out a slice of coconut cream. "If I were a dragon, this is what I'd go for."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/adrian-sifted-through-the-bags-and-pulled-out-a-slice-of-coconut/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“Ad hominem is a notoriously weak logical argument. And is usually used to distract the focus of a discussion - to move it from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/ad-hominem-is-a-notoriously-weak-logical-argument-and-is-usually-used/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [“That’s not a logical argument. I know it isn’t. The thing isn’t Earth-logic anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-campbell-jr/that-s-not-a-logical-argument-i-know-it-isn-t-the-thing-isn-t-earth/)

[John W. Campbell Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-campbell-jr/)

> [No one should expect that any logical argument or any experience could ever shake the almost religious fervor of those who believe in salvation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/no-one-should-expect-that-any-logical-argument-or-any-experience/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [Money is far more persuasive than logical arguments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/money-is-far-more-persuasive-than-logical-arguments/)

[Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/)

> [All logical arguments can be defeated by the simple refusal to reason logically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/all-logical-arguments-can-be-defeated-by-the-simple-refusal-to-reason/)

[Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/)

## More by Sam Harris

> [“Moderates in every faith are obliged to loosely interpret (or simply ignore) much of their canons in the interests of living in the modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/moderates-in-every-faith-are-obliged-to-loosely-interpret-or-simply/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [There is no question but that nominally religious scientists like Francis Collins and Kenneth R. Miller are doing lasting harm to our discourse by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/there-is-no-question-but-that-nominally-religious-scientists-like/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [We have Christians against Muslims against Jews, and no matter how liberal your theology, merely identifying yourself as a Christian or a Jew lends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-have-christians-against-muslims-against-jews-and-no-matter-how/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [“Your principal concern appears to be that the Creator of the universe will take offense at something people do while naked. This prudery of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/your-principal-concern-appears-to-be-that-the-creator-of-the-universe/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [“As manuals for contemplative understanding, the Bible and the Koran are worse than useless. Whatever wisdom can be found in their pages is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/as-manuals-for-contemplative-understanding-the-bible-and-the-koran/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [About 120 million of us place the big bang 2,500 years after the Babylonians and Sumerians learned to brew beer. If our polls are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/about-120-million-of-us-place-the-big-bang-2-500-years-after-the/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [“If your golf instructor were to insist that you shave your head, sleep no more than four hours each night, renounce sex, and subsist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/if-your-golf-instructor-were-to-insist-that-you-shave-your-head-sleep/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [The fact that one can lose one's sense of self in an ocean of tranquility does not mean that one's consciousness is immaterial or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-fact-that-one-can-lose-one-s-sense-of-self-in-an-ocean-of/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [The second commandment is "Thou shall not construct any graven images." Is this really the pinnacle of what we can achieve morally? The second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-second-commandment-is-thou-shall-not-construct-any-graven-images/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [“But the reality of consciousness appears irreducible. Only consciousness can know itself—and directly, through first-person experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/but-the-reality-of-consciousness-appears-irreducible-only/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [“Whether or not one likes Huntington's formulation, one thing is clear: the evil that has finally reached our shores is not merely the evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/whether-or-not-one-likes-huntington-s-formulation-one-thing-is-clear/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [The problem is that religion tends to give people bad reasons to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-problem-is-that-religion-tends-to-give-people-bad-reasons-to-be/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [Muslim moderates, wherever they are, must be given every tool necessary to win a war of ideas with their co-religionists. Otherwise, we will have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/muslim-moderates-wherever-they-are-must-be-given-every-tool-necessary/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [The idea that any one of our religions represents the infallible word of the One True God requires an encyclopedic ignorance of history, mythology,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-idea-that-any-one-of-our-religions-represents-the-infallible-word/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [“What could possibly cause billions of human beings to reconsider their religious beliefs? And yet, it is obvious that an utter revolution in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/what-could-possibly-cause-billions-of-human-beings-to-reconsider/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

[Explore all 543 Sam Harris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

## More Appeals quotes

> [Quotations can be valuable, like raisins in the rice pudding, for adding iron as well as eye appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peg-bracken/quotations-can-be-valuable-like-raisins-in-the-rice-pudding-for/)

[Peg Bracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peg-bracken/)

> [If Robert Heinlein is more to your taste than George Lucas: “If you are part of a society that votes, then do so. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-drum/if-robert-heinlein-is-more-to-your-taste-than-george-lucas-if-you-are/)

[Kevin Drum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-drum/)

> [All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/all-the-cliches-of-glamorous-sophistication-have-little-appeal-to-me/)

[Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/)

> [It's an appeal as old as America and its presidency: This is an extraordinary country populated by hard-working, big-dreaming, freedom-loving people graced by God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-fournier/it-s-an-appeal-as-old-as-america-and-its-presidency-this-is-an/)

[Ron Fournier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-fournier/)

> [I liked wrestling a lot better than boxing. I remember thinking at that time that wrestling was a pure demonstration of strength, which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-carpenter/i-liked-wrestling-a-lot-better-than-boxing-i-remember-thinking-at/)

[Scott Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-carpenter/)

> [As a social and as a personal force, religion has become a dependent variable. It does not originate; it reacts. It does not denounce;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-wright-mills/as-a-social-and-as-a-personal-force-religion-has-become-a-dependent/)

[C. Wright Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-wright-mills/)

> [The ascent of any route begins, in dreams at least, the autumn before. Our minds ring, involuntarily, with the alluring names of mountains, aiguilles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-rebuffat/the-ascent-of-any-route-begins-in-dreams-at-least-the-autumn-before/)

[Gaston Rebuffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-rebuffat/)

> [I sometimes find that my family's emphasis on stories, characters, and art that appeals directly to children rather than over their heads to adults…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-berenstain/i-sometimes-find-that-my-family-s-emphasis-on-stories-characters-and/)

[Mike Berenstain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-berenstain/)

> [Vice is its own reward. It is virtue which, if it is to be marketed with consumer appeal, must carry Green Shield stamps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/vice-is-its-own-reward-it-is-virtue-which-if-it-is-to-be-marketed/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [In my early teens, science fiction and fantasy had an almost-total hold over my imagination. Their outcast status was part of their appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-kunzru/in-my-early-teens-science-fiction-and-fantasy-had-an-almost-total/)

[Hari Kunzru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-kunzru/)

> [The fact is that there is a profound spiritual hunger in the western world which, for a variety of reasons, its church is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-phillips/the-fact-is-that-there-is-a-profound-spiritual-hunger-in-the-western/)

[Melanie Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-phillips/)

> [People can talk about punk all they want, but after new wave put that down, metal is the voice of the disenfranchised and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/people-can-talk-about-punk-all-they-want-but-after-new-wave-put-that/)

[Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/)

> [Appeal to all scholars of stupidity in the world. Come to Italy, this country has the highest rate of morons of the universe, especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-c-brown/appeal-to-all-scholars-of-stupidity-in-the-world-come-to-italy-this/)

[William C. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-c-brown/)

> [Popular thought appeals to crowds, gatherings and tribes, who use it as a way to guide the herd. It is very evident in protests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/popular-thought-appeals-to-crowds-gatherings-and-tribes-who-use-it-as/)

[Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/)

> [It is a law of nature we overlook, that intellectual versatility is the compensation for change, danger, and trouble. An animal perfectly in harmony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-a-law-of-nature-we-overlook-that-intellectual-versatility-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 1,420 Appeals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appeals/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Water is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. What if someone says, “Well, that’s not how I choose to think about water.”? All we can do is appeal to scientific values. And if he doesn’t share those values, the conversation is over. If someone doesn’t value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove they should value it? If someone doesn’t value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sam Harris"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/water-is-two-parts-hydrogen-and-one-part-oxygen-what-if-someone-says/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Appeals"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/water-is-two-parts-hydrogen-and-one-part-oxygen-what-if-someone-says/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b7/sam-harris-457_appeals_water-is-two-parts-hydrogen-and-one-part_723246.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b7/sam-harris-457_appeals_water-is-two-parts-hydrogen-and-one-part_723246.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b7/sam-harris-457_appeals_water-is-two-parts-hydrogen-and-one-part_723246.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Water is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. What if someone says, “Well, that’s not how I choose to…” — Sam Harris",
                "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": "Sam Harris",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Water is two parts hydrogen and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/water-is-two-parts-hydrogen-and-one-part-oxygen-what-if-someone-says/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/water-is-two-parts-hydrogen-and-one-part-oxygen-what-if-someone-says/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
