#superstition

The root of all superstition is that men observe when a thing hits, but not when it misses. ↗

— Francis Bacon

#men #misses #observe #root #superstition

I have, thanks to my travels, added to my stock all the superstitions of other countries. I know them all now, and in any critical moment of my life, they all rise up in armed legions for or against me. ↗

— Sarah Bernhardt

#against #any #armed #countries #critical

We're not as materialistic and income-tax conscious as we think. At the moment our superstitions are tucked away, but come out sometimes in strange ways sex crimes, black masses. ↗

— Terence Fisher

#black #come #conscious #crimes #masses

Thou ought to be nice, even to superstition, in keeping thy promises, and therefore equally cautious in making them. ↗

— Thomas Fuller

#cautious #equally #even #keeping #making

A state of scepticism and suspense may amuse a few inquisitive minds. But the practice of superstition is so congenial to the multitude, that if they are forcibly awakened, they still regret the loss of their pleasing vision. Their love of the marvellous and supernatural, their curiosity with regard to future events, and their strong propensity to extend their hopes and fears beyond the limits of the visible world, were the principal causes which favoroud the establishment of Polytheism. So urgent on the vulgar is the necessity of believing, that the fall of any system of mythology will most probably be succeeded by the introduction of some other mode of superstition. (...) an object much less deserving would have been sufficient to fill the vacant place in their hearts. ↗

— Edward Gibbon

#religion #superstition #faith

In fact men will fight for a superstition quite as quickly as for a living truth - often more so, since a superstition is so intangible you cannot get at it to refute it, but truth is a point of view, and so is changeable. ↗

— Hypatia

#changeable #fact #fight #get #in fact

Ah, yes, superstition: it would appear to be cowardice in face of the supernatural. ↗

— Theophrastus

#appear #cowardice #face #supernatural #superstition

I'm a third done into a new book but sorry - I have a superstition about talking about it! ↗

— Joanna Trollope

#book #done #i #into #new

Although I myself don't go to church or synagogue, I do, whether it's superstition or whatever, pray every time I get on a plane. I just automatically do it. I say the same thing every time. ↗

— Barbara Walters

#automatically #church #every #every time #get