--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have names for people who have many…" description: "\"“We have names for people who have many beliefs for which there is no rational justification. When their beliefs are extremely common we call them ‘rel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b09/sam-harris-457_core-beliefs_we-have-names-for-people-who-have-many-b_1298455.jpg" --- # We have names for people who have many beliefs for which… ![“We have names for people who have many beliefs for which there is no rational justification. When their beliefs are extremely common we call them ‘religious’; otherwise, they are likely to be called ‘mad’, ‘psychotic’ or ‘delusional’... Clearly there is sanity in numbers. And yet, it is merely an…” quote by Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b09/sam-harris-457_core-beliefs_we-have-names-for-people-who-have-many-b_1298455.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b09/sam-harris-457_core-beliefs_we-have-names-for-people-who-have-many-b_1298455.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b09/sam-harris-457_core-beliefs_we-have-names-for-people-who-have-many-b_1298455.jpg) > ““We have names for people who have many beliefs for which there is no rational justification. When their beliefs are extremely common we call them ‘religious’; otherwise, they are likely to be called ‘mad’, ‘psychotic’ or ‘delusional’... Clearly there is sanity in numbers. And yet, it is merely an accident of history that it is considered normal in our society to believe that the Creator of the universe can hear your thoughts, while it is demonstrative of mental illness to believe that he is communicating with you by having the rain tap in Morse code on your bedroom window. And so, while religious people are not generally mad, their core beliefs absolutely are.”” [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. Beliefs become accepted as normal when many people hold them, even if irrational; minority beliefs are labeled as madness. **In simple terms:** Popular ideas seem sane, rare ideas seem crazy. Key Takeaway Question why popularity defines sanity. Themes religion psychology social conformity belief systems Mood critical analytical skeptical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - political discourse - religious communities - mental health diagnosis - media analysis Key Concepts normativity groupthink cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How does group size influence perceived rationality? - Can we separate belief validity from social acceptance? A Different Perspective Popularity doesn’t guarantee truth or health. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Core beliefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/core-beliefs/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Mental illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-illness/) [Religious people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-people/) ## Related quotes > [“We have names for people who have many beliefs for which there is no rational justification. When their beliefs are extremely common we call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-have-names-for-people-who-have-many-beliefs-for-which-there-is-no/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“Faith is like a mental illness,” Richard Dawkins has said, “a great cop out, the excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-clark/faith-is-like-a-mental-illness-richard-dawkins-has-said-a-great-cop/) [Mark Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-clark/) > [We do not respect people's beliefs, we evaluate their reasons. If my reasons are good enough for believing what I believe, you will helplessly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-do-not-respect-people-s-beliefs-we-evaluate-their-reasons-if-my/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [It is merely an accident of history that it is considered normal in our society to believe that the Creator of the universe can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/it-is-merely-an-accident-of-history-that-it-is-considered-normal-in/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“Because most religions offer no valid mechanism by which their core beliefs can be tested and revised, each new generation of believers is condemned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/because-most-religions-offer-no-valid-mechanism-by-which-their-core/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [I know of no society in human history that ever suffered because its people became too desirous of evidence in support of their core…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/i-know-of-no-society-in-human-history-that-ever-suffered-because-its/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/in-religion-and-politics-people-s-beliefs-and-convictions-are-in-2/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [What scares me most about the media is that so many of them don't realize that by presenting and highlighting certain issues, opinions, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/what-scares-me-most-about-the-media-is-that-so-many-of-them-don-t/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [Antiessentialist thinking forces us to view the world differently. 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We lose criteria for judgment by comparison…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/antiessentialist-thinking-forces-us-to-view-the-world-differently-we/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [People’s beliefs about their abilities have a profound effect on those abilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/people-s-beliefs-about-their-abilities-have-a-profound-effect-on/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) > [Other people's beliefs may be myths, but not mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/other-people-s-beliefs-may-be-myths-but-not-mine/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [In religion and politics, people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/in-religion-and-politics-people-s-beliefs-and-convictions-are-in/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“The doubter doesn't sure which one is right, but it tends to demean other people's beliefs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/the-doubter-doesn-t-sure-which-one-is-right-but-it-tends-to-demean/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“Once people get beliefs into their heads, it’s fucking hard to change their minds, no matter how many facts come knocking on the door.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-adair/once-people-get-beliefs-into-their-heads-it-s-fucking-hard-to-change/) [Bobby Adair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-adair/) > [“Sometimes it was difficult to accept the terrible lengths people would go to for their beliefs, particularly when they fooled themselves into thinking they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-lee-huber/sometimes-it-was-difficult-to-accept-the-terrible-lengths-people/) Anna Lee Huber ## 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. 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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 Core beliefs quotes > [“Our enemy within are our Core Negative Beliefs. Negative beliefs hide from the Consciousness and they get exposed by the Magic of Mindfulness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasa-pantovic-nuit/our-enemy-within-are-our-core-negative-beliefs-negative-beliefs-hide/) [Natasa Pantovic Nuit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasa-pantovic-nuit/) > [Don't underestimate the power of your vision to change the world. 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