Convince Quote by Sydney Smith
“When I hear any man talk of an unalterable law, the only effect it produces on me is to convince me that he is an unalterable fool”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Spectator, 1815
Claims of unchangeable laws reveal the speaker's rigidity and foolishness.
In simple terms: Unchangeable laws expose folly.
Key Takeaway
Question absolute statements.
Themes
logic
humor
philosophy
Mood
skeptical
witty
Type
philosophical
satirical
When to use this quote
- debates
- academic discussions
- policy analysis
Key Concepts
critical thinking
skepticism
Questions to Reflect On
- When have you encountered an unalterable rule?
- How do you balance flexibility with consistency?
A Different Perspective
Some laws are indeed immutable, like physical constants.
![“If I had to choose a motto for myself, I would take this one — pure, dure, sûre, [Pure, hard, certain] — in other words: unalterable. I would express by this the ideal of the Strong, that which nothing brings down, nothing corrupts, nothing changes; those on whom one can count, because their life…” quote by Savitri Devi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2b5/savitri-devi-25810_accord_if-i-had-to-choose-a-motto-for-myself-i_309746.jpg)
![“[T]he 47th proposition in Euclid might now be voted down with as much ease as any proposition in politics; and therefore if Lord Hawkesbury hates the abstract truths of science as much as he hates concrete truth in human affairs, now is his time for getting rid of the multiplication table, and…” quote by Sydney Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/709/sydney-smith-6523_abstract_t-he-47th-proposition-in-euclid-might-no_463551.jpg)
