--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The prejudice of unfounded belief often…" description: "\"The prejudice of unfounded belief often degenerates into the prejudice of custom, and becomes at last rank hypocrisy. When men, from custom or fashion ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/thomas-paine-267_atheism_the-prejudice-of-unfounded-belief-often_299595.png" --- # The prejudice of unfounded belief often degenerates into… ![“The prejudice of unfounded belief often degenerates into the prejudice of custom, and becomes at last rank hypocrisy. When men, from custom or fashion or any worldly motive, profess or pretend to believe what they do not believe, nor can give any reason for believing, they unship the helm of their…” quote by Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/thomas-paine-267_atheism_the-prejudice-of-unfounded-belief-often_299595.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/thomas-paine-267_atheism_the-prejudice-of-unfounded-belief-often_299595.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/thomas-paine-267_atheism_the-prejudice-of-unfounded-belief-often_299595.png) > “The prejudice of unfounded belief often degenerates into the prejudice of custom, and becomes at last rank hypocrisy. When men, from custom or fashion or any worldly motive, profess or pretend to believe what they do not believe, nor can give any reason for believing, they unship the helm of their morality, and being no longer honest to their own minds they feel no moral difficulty in being unjust to others.” [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Blind adherence to tradition leads to hypocrisy and moral weakness. **In simple terms:** Following customs without belief creates hypocrisy. Key Takeaway Question traditions critically. Themes hypocrisy tradition morality Mood critical thought‑provoking Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - political discourse - education - personal decision making - social movements Key Concepts critical thinking ethical integrity Questions to Reflect On - What customs do you follow without belief? - How can societies foster honest moral reasoning? A Different Perspective Changing deep‑seated customs is difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Customs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customs/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Fashion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashion/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Hypocrisy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrisy/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Motive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motive/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [There is perhaps no field aspiring to be scientific where flagrant personal bias, logic martyred in the cause of supporting a prejudice, unfounded assertions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-thompson-woolley/there-is-perhaps-no-field-aspiring-to-be-scientific-where-flagrant/) Helen Thompson Woolley > [“It must appear to every one (...) a matter of the greatest surprise, to observe the universal prevalence of prejudice and custom in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-sophia-fermor/it-must-appear-to-every-one-a-matter-of-the-greatest-surprise-to/) [Lady Sophia Fermor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-sophia-fermor/) > [All the hideously calculated hypocrisy of men when they commit a murder in the name of justice. 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