--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The danger to society is not merely that…" description: "\"The danger to society is not merely that it should believe wrong things, though that is great enough; but that it should become credulous, and lose the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e0/william-kingdon-clifford-17148_believe_the-danger-to-society-is-not-merely-that_2108207.jpg" --- # The danger to society is not merely that it should believe… ![“The danger to society is not merely that it should believe wrong things, though that is great enough; but that it should become credulous, and lose the habit of testing things and inquiring into them; for then it must sink back into savagery.” quote by William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e0/william-kingdon-clifford-17148_believe_the-danger-to-society-is-not-merely-that_2108207.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e0/william-kingdon-clifford-17148_believe_the-danger-to-society-is-not-merely-that_2108207.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e0/william-kingdon-clifford-17148_believe_the-danger-to-society-is-not-merely-that_2108207.jpg) > “The danger to society is not merely that it should believe wrong things, though that is great enough; but that it should become credulous, and lose the habit of testing things and inquiring into them; for then it must sink back into savagery.” [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society must guard against uncritical acceptance of ideas, maintaining inquiry to avoid regression into barbarism. **In simple terms:** Questioning prevents society from becoming gullible. Key Takeaway Cultivate critical thinking. Themes philosophy science society Mood reflective serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - education - media consumption - policy making Key Concepts critical inquiry epistemology Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance healthy skepticism with openness? - What practices foster disciplined inquiry? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on skepticism can stifle trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-wrong/) [Credulous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credulous/) [Credulous Lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credulous-lose-4243619/) [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Great Credulous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-credulous-4243620/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Inquiring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inquiring/) [Savagery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/savagery/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Testing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/testing/) [Wrong things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-things/) ## Related quotes > [“In like manner, if I let myself believe anything on insufficient evidence, there may be no great harm done by the mere belief; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/in-like-manner-if-i-let-myself-believe-anything-on-insufficient-2/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [Hatred as well as love, renders its votaries credulous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hatred-as-well-as-love-renders-its-votaries-credulous/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Modern man . . . has not ceased to be credulous . . . the need to believe haunts him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/modern-man-has-not-ceased-to-be-credulous-the-need-to-believe-haunts/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [O! Desolated Scotland, too credulous of fair speeches, and not aware of the calamities which are coming upon you! If you were to judge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wallace/o-desolated-scotland-too-credulous-of-fair-speeches-and-not-aware-of/) [William Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wallace/) > [Modest wisdom plucks me from over-credulous haste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/modest-wisdom-plucks-me-from-over-credulous-haste/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [People in great institutions are occasionally credulous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-in-great-institutions-are-occasionally-credulous/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [When people are bewildered they tend to become credulous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/when-people-are-bewildered-they-tend-to-become-credulous/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/man-is-a-credulous-animal-and-must-believe-something-in-the-absence/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [All people are most credulous when they are most happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/all-people-are-most-credulous-when-they-are-most-happy/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [“He who had been a boy very credulous of life was no longer greatly interested in the possible and improbable adventures of each new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/he-who-had-been-a-boy-very-credulous-of-life-was-no-longer-greatly/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [Jealousy, an eminently credulous and suspicious passion, allows fancy the greatest possible play. But it does not bestow wit, it banishes all sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/jealousy-an-eminently-credulous-and-suspicious-passion-allows-fancy/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [“A credulous mind . . . finds most delight in believing strange things, and the stranger they are the easier they pass with him;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/a-credulous-mind-finds-most-delight-in-believing-strange-things-and/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [Some jerk infected the Internet with an outright lie. It shows how easy it is to do and how credulous people are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-jerk-infected-the-internet-with-an-outright-lie-it-shows-how/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Credulous: having views about the world, the universe and humanity's place in it that are shared only by very unsophisticated people and the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/credulous-having-views-about-the-world-the-universe-and-humanity-s/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [ All this \[Paul's writing\] is nothing better than the jargon of a conjurer who picks up phrases he does not understand to confound the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/all-this-paul-s-writing-is-nothing-better-than-the-jargon-of-a/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) ## More by William Kingdon Clifford > [The rule which should guide us in such cases is simple and obvious enough: that the aggregate testimony of our neighbours is subject to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/the-rule-which-should-guide-us-in-such-cases-is-simple-and-obvious/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [We feel much happier and more secure when we think we know precisely what to do, no matter what happens, then when we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/we-feel-much-happier-and-more-secure-when-we-think-we-know-precisely/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [All our liberties are due to men who, when their conscience has compelled them, have broken the laws of the land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/all-our-liberties-are-due-to-men-who-when-their-conscience-has/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [To consider only one other such witness: the followers of the Buddha have at least as much right to appeal to individual and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/to-consider-only-one-other-such-witness-the-followers-of-the-buddha/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [No simplicity of mind, no obscurity of station, can escape the universal duty of questioning all that we believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/no-simplicity-of-mind-no-obscurity-of-station-can-escape-the/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [“ Newton supposed that the case of the planet was similar to that of \[a ball spun around on the end of an elastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/newton-supposed-that-the-case-of-the-planet-was-similar-to-that-of-a/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [To sum up: it is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/to-sum-up-it-is-wrong-always-everywhere-and-for-anyone-to-believe/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [He who truly believes that which prompts him to an action has looked upon the action to lust after it, he has committed it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/he-who-truly-believes-that-which-prompts-him-to-an-action-has-looked/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [“ Euclid 's Elements has been for nearly twenty-two centuries the encouragement and guide of that scientific thought which is one thing with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/euclid-s-elements-has-been-for-nearly-twenty-two-centuries-the/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [We may always depend on it that algebra, which cannot be translated into good English and sound common sense, is bad algebra.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/we-may-always-depend-on-it-that-algebra-which-cannot-be-translated/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [There is one thing in the world more wicked than the desire to command, and that is the will to obey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/there-is-one-thing-in-the-world-more-wicked-than-the-desire-to/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [To know all about anything is to know how to deal with it under all circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/to-know-all-about-anything-is-to-know-how-to-deal-with-it-under-all/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [Thought is powerless, except it make something outside of itself: the thought which conquers the world is not contemplative but active.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/thought-is-powerless-except-it-make-something-outside-of-itself-the/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [In like manner, if I let myself believe anything on insufficient evidence, there may be no great harm done by the mere belief; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/in-like-manner-if-i-let-myself-believe-anything-on-insufficient/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [“In like manner, if I let myself believe anything on insufficient evidence, there may be no great harm done by the mere belief; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/in-like-manner-if-i-let-myself-believe-anything-on-insufficient-2/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) [Explore all 38 William Kingdon Clifford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The danger to society is not merely that it should believe wrong things, though that is great enough; but that it should become credulous, and lose the habit of testing things and inquiring into them; for then it must sink back into savagery.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Kingdon Clifford" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/the-danger-to-society-is-not-merely-that-it-should-believe-wrong/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/the-danger-to-society-is-not-merely-that-it-should-believe-wrong/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e0/william-kingdon-clifford-17148_believe_the-danger-to-society-is-not-merely-that_2108207.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e0/william-kingdon-clifford-17148_believe_the-danger-to-society-is-not-merely-that_2108207.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e0/william-kingdon-clifford-17148_believe_the-danger-to-society-is-not-merely-that_2108207.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The danger to society is not merely that it should believe wrong things, though that is great enough; but…” — William Kingdon Clifford", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Kingdon Clifford", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The danger to society is not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/the-danger-to-society-is-not-merely-that-it-should-believe-wrong/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/the-danger-to-society-is-not-merely-that-it-should-believe-wrong/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```