 Bertrand Russell Quotes 366 |
Intellectually, also, fear has disastrous results. There is the fear of any unusual opinion which prevents men from thinking straight on any subject on which their neighbors have foolish opinion. Then there is the fear of death, which prevents men from thinking straight on theological subjects; and then there is the fear of self-direction, which leads men to seek some authority to which they can submit their judgment. These various forms of fear are responsible for quite half the stupidity in the world.
Source: Bertrand Russell : On the Evils due to Fear, 1929
Reprinted in: If I were a Preacher(London, Cassell, 1929), pp.219?-230.