--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What makes fantastic declarations…" description: "\"What makes fantastic declarations believable is, in part, the vehemence with which they're proffered. Again, in the world of spirituality as well as of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0d/wendy-kaminer-16305_abuse_what-makes-fantastic-declarations-believ_3110770.jpg" --- # What makes fantastic declarations believable is, in part… ![“What makes fantastic declarations believable is, in part, the vehemence with which they're proffered. Again, in the world of spirituality as well as of pop psychology, intensity of personal belief is evidence of truth. It is considered very bad form - even abuse - to challenge the veracity of any…” quote by Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0d/wendy-kaminer-16305_abuse_what-makes-fantastic-declarations-believ_3110770.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0d/wendy-kaminer-16305_abuse_what-makes-fantastic-declarations-believ_3110770.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0d/wendy-kaminer-16305_abuse_what-makes-fantastic-declarations-believ_3110770.jpg) > “What makes fantastic declarations believable is, in part, the vehemence with which they're proffered. Again, in the world of spirituality as well as of pop psychology, intensity of personal belief is evidence of truth. It is considered very bad form - even abuse - to challenge the veracity of any personal testimony that might be offered in a twelve-step group or on a talk show, unless the testimony itself is equivocal... Whatever sells, whatever many people believe strongly, must be true.” [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intense belief can be mistaken for truth, especially in spiritual or therapeutic contexts, leading to uncritical acceptance. **In simple terms:** Strong belief isn’t always proof of truth. Key Takeaway Question claims, even when passionately presented. Themes belief truth critical thinking spirituality Mood analytical cautious Type essay critical. When to use this quote - self‑help groups - religious movements - media discourse - personal decisions Key Concepts cognitive bias social influence Questions to Reflect On - When should you challenge a passionately held belief? - How can you balance empathy with skepticism? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on intensity can suppress rational analysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Being true](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-true/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Believable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believable/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Declaration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/declaration/) [Declarations Believable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/declarations-believable-5432666/) [Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Fantastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantastic/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [Intensity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intensity/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-believe/) [Personal Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-belief-1406486/) [Personal beliefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-beliefs/) [Personal Testimony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-testimony-1110825/) [Pops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pops/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Sells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sells/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Steps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steps/) [Talk show](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talk-show/) [Talk shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talk-shows/) [Testimony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/testimony/) [True religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-religion/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Twelve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twelve/) [Vehemence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vehemence/) [Veracity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/veracity/) [Veracity Personal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/veracity-personal-5432667/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I speak "with absolute certainty" only so far as my own personal belief is concerned. Those who have not the same warrant for their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-blavatsky/i-speak-with-absolute-certainty-only-so-far-as-my-own-personal-belief/) [H. P. Blavatsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-blavatsky/) > [When you legislate personal belief, you're in violation of freedom of religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/when-you-legislate-personal-belief-you-re-in-violation-of-freedom-of/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I am not an atheist; I believe in God. But my religion ends there. I have my own personal belief system that is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-araya/i-am-not-an-atheist-i-believe-in-god-but-my-religion-ends-there-i/) [Tom Araya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-araya/) > [My personal belief is that the only thing keeping you from freedom is all the beliefs you have about what has to happen before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/my-personal-belief-is-that-the-only-thing-keeping-you-from-freedom-is/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure. You can "already know for sure" things that could actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/all-you-need-in-this-life-is-ignorance-and-confidence-then-success-is-2/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I believe that through its rational evaluation of truth and indifference to personal belief, science transcends religious and political divisions and so does bind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/i-believe-that-through-its-rational-evaluation-of-truth-and/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [Personal testimony of the gospel and the Church is the most important thing you can earn in this life. It will not only bless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/personal-testimony-of-the-gospel-and-the-church-is-the-most-important-2/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [My hope is that my personal testimony can help in some way to not only advance the dialogue and approve Referendum 74, but also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macklemore/my-hope-is-that-my-personal-testimony-can-help-in-some-way-to-not/) [Macklemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macklemore/) > [Personal testimony of the gospel and the Church is the most important thing you can earn in this life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/personal-testimony-of-the-gospel-and-the-church-is-the-most-important/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [Your personal testimony, however meaningful it is to you, is not the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/your-personal-testimony-however-meaningful-it-is-to-you-is-not-the/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [I would say that American poetry has always been a poetry of personal testimony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strand/i-would-say-that-american-poetry-has-always-been-a-poetry-of-personal/) [Mark Strand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strand/) > [Christian songs are more my personal testimony. I don't say things I don't believe in on secular records, but I am going for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/christian-songs-are-more-my-personal-testimony-i-don-t-say-things-i/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [“If our lives were smooth sailing without painful hardships, unexpected disappointments or frustrating challenges, we wouldn't have our own personal testimony as credible evidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-arcuri/if-our-lives-were-smooth-sailing-without-painful-hardships-unexpected/) [Dana Arcuri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-arcuri/) > [My personal testimony in my life since I became a Christian believer & from reading the bible & studying it, has convince me, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/my-personal-testimony-in-my-life-since-i-became-a-christian-believer/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [A personal belief is that if you're not personally invested in what you're working on, you'll fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/a-personal-belief-is-that-if-you-re-not-personally-invested-in-what/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) ## More by Wendy Kaminer > [Jargon seems to be the place where the right brain and the left brain meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/jargon-seems-to-be-the-place-where-the-right-brain-and-the-left-brain/) [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) > [As Camille Paglia's success has demonstrated, what is most marketable is absolutism and attitude undiluted by thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/as-camille-paglia-s-success-has-demonstrated-what-is-most-marketable/) [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) > [I don't spend much time thinking about whether God exists. I don't consider that a relevant question. It's unanswerable and irrelevant to my life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/i-don-t-spend-much-time-thinking-about-whether-god-exists-i-don-t/) [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) > [It is the inevitable effect of religion on public policy that makes it a matter of public concern. Advocates of religiosity extol the virtues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/it-is-the-inevitable-effect-of-religion-on-public-policy-that-makes/) [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) > [There are only two states of being in the world of codependency - recovery and denial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/there-are-only-two-states-of-being-in-the-world-of-codependency/) [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) > [We don't cut off the hands of thieves or castrate rapists. Why must we murder murderers?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/we-don-t-cut-off-the-hands-of-thieves-or-castrate-rapists-why-must-we/) [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) > [I don't see a direct conflict between the rights of individuals and the rights of communities, because I don't perceive of communities as having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/i-don-t-see-a-direct-conflict-between-the-rights-of-individuals-and/) [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) > [There are, however, exceptions to this reliance on feelings as evidence of truth: if, for instance, your feelings lead to disbelief instead of belief,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/there-are-however-exceptions-to-this-reliance-on-feelings-as-evidence/) [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) > [I don't think of myself as having a particular role. I'm lucky enough to be able to make my living essentially by expressing my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-having-a-particular-role-i-m-lucky-enough/) [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) > [There's a way in which all of these grazers at the spirituality buffet are performing a service, because you could argue that grazing leads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/there-s-a-way-in-which-all-of-these-grazers-at-the-spirituality/) [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) > [There is this fashionable progressive notion that everything is so completely political that the idea we could have some sort of neutral legal process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/there-is-this-fashionable-progressive-notion-that-everything-is-so/) [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) > [The press and the public like certainty and affirmation of popular biases. But real science thrives on the capacity for doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/the-press-and-the-public-like-certainty-and-affirmation-of-popular/) [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) > [Faith is not a function of stupidity but a frequent cause of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/faith-is-not-a-function-of-stupidity-but-a-frequent-cause-of-it/) [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) > [I do what I do because I have a compulsion to hold forth. I don't spend a lot of time, if any, thinking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/i-do-what-i-do-because-i-have-a-compulsion-to-hold-forth-i-don-t/) [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) > [Only people who die very young learn all they really need to know in kindergarten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/only-people-who-die-very-young-learn-all-they-really-need-to-know-in/) [Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) [Explore all 40 Wendy Kaminer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/) ## More Abuse quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. 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When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/finally-the-scariest-thing-about-abuse-of-any-shape-or-form-is-in-my/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Stand up for yourself. 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