Truth Quote by William James
““We must know the truth; and we must avoid error,--these are our first and great commandments as would-be knowers; but they are not two ways of stating an identical commandment, they are two separable laws. Although it may indeed happen that when we believe the truth A, we escape as an incidental consequence from believing the falsehood B, it hardly ever happens that by merely disbelieving B we necessarily believe A. We may in escaping B fall into believing other falsehoods, C or D, just as bad as B; or we may escape B by not believing anything at all, not even A.””
About This Quote
Source Lecture: The Will to Believe, William James, 1896
Truth and error are distinct commands; avoiding error doesn't guarantee truth, and rejecting falsehoods may lead to other false beliefs.
In simple terms: Avoiding error isn’t the same as finding truth.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions, seek evidence.
Themes
philosophy
epistemology
critical thinking
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- personal decision making
- media consumption
Key Concepts
logic
belief formation
error avoidance
Questions to Reflect On
- What methods do you use to verify truth?
- How can avoiding error mislead you?
A Different Perspective
Truth requires active verification, not just denial of falsehoods.
