Aspiration Quote by Thomas Huxley
“Science ... warns me to be careful how I adopt a view which jumps with my preconceptions, and to require stronger evidence for such belief than for one to which I was previously hostile. My business is to teach my aspirations to conform themselves to fact, not to try and make facts harmonize with my aspirations.”
About This Quote
One should demand stronger evidence for beliefs that align with personal hopes than for those previously opposed, ensuring aspirations conform to facts rather than forcing facts to fit aspirations.
In simple terms: Require more proof for hopeful beliefs than for skeptical ones.
Key Takeaway
Align aspirations with evidence.
Themes
critical thinking
skepticism
belief formation
Mood
analytical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- scientific research
- policy making
- personal decision making
Key Concepts
epistemology
cognitive dissonance
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you test the strength of your own convictions?
- What habits help you keep aspirations evidence‑based?
A Different Perspective
Evidence standards can vary by context, making strict uniformity hard.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
![“One of the great crimes of the Bloomberg/Klein administration [in New York City] is that they've removed themselves from communities, as if communities have nothing to say about what their needs and aspirations are for themselves and for their children.” quote by Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cfb/bill-ayers-1848_administration_one-of-the-great-crimes-of-the-bloomberg_36172.jpg)
