 Bertrand Russell Quotes 366 |
The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
Source: Bertrand Russell: The Triumph of Stupidity (written in May 10, 1933 and pub. in Mortals and Others: Bertrand Russell's American Essays, 1931-1935, v.2：p.28
More info.:https://russell-j.com/0583TS.HTM
* a brief comment: original text in Japanese, translated with DeepL.com (free version)
This is a famous statement by Russell that is frequently quoted around the world. There are overconfident people in many fields, but the political world seems to be the most common. (Or maybe the religious world...). Of course, a sceptical person looks weak and is not suitable for politics, but what we are talking about here is only a matter of degree. Professor Junichi Aomi (deceased, then Executive Director of the Bertrand Russell Society of Japan and Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law) translated "cocksure" not as "full of confidence" but as "overconfident", which is a more accurate description of what Russell was trying to say and should be the "fixed translation". Translated with DeepL.com (free version)