Quote

False encouragement is a kind of theft: it steals time, energy, and motivation a person could put toward some other purpose.

Sam Harris

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Sam Harris
Age: 57
Born: 1967
Born: April 9
Author
Blogger
Neuroscientist
Philosopher
Podcaster
Writer
LA
California
Samuel Benjamin Harris
Samuel Harris
Energy
Steals
Persons
Theft
Person
Encouragement
Kind
Stealing
Time
False
Motivation
Toward
Purpose

More quotes by Sam Harris

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We have a choice. We have two options as human beings. We have a choice between conversation and war. That's it. Conversation and violence. And faith is a conversation stopper.
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As a man believes, so he will act.
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Most people believe that the Creator of the universe wrote (or dictated) one of their books. Unfortunately, there are many books that pretend to divine authorship, and each makes incompatible claims about how we all must live.
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The science of morality is about maximizing psychological and social health. It's really no more inflammatory than that.
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In the year 2006, a person can have sufficient intellectual and material resources to build a nuclear bomb and still believe that he will get seventy-two virgins in Paradise.
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We must continually remind ourselves that there is a difference between what is natural and what is actually good for us.
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You can do what you decide to do — but you cannot decide what you will decide to do.
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We are faced with the task of convincing a myth infatuated world that love and curiosity are sufficient and you don't have to delude yourself and frighten yourself with Iron Age fairy tales. This is a monumental task. I don't think there is an intellectual struggle more worthy of our efforts.
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In my own case, the most inflammatory statements I have ever made are ones that I have written and remain willing to defend.
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Religious moderation is the direct result of taking scripture less and less seriously. So why not take it less seriously still? Why not admit the the Bible is merely a collection of imperfect books written by highly fallible human beings.
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A puppet is free as long as he loves his strings.
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We are now in the 21st century: all books, including the Koran, should be fair game for flushing down the toilet without fear of violent reprisal.
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There's no way to reconcile Islam with Christianity. This difference of opinion admits of compromise as much as a coin toss does.
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I think it [getting a gun] should be like getting a pilot's license. I think you should require training to get a license to have a gun.
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The point is that most of what we currently hold sacred is not sacred for any reason other than that it was thought sacred yesterday.
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You cannot take death for apostasy seriously and be working for peace.
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What are the chances that we will one day discover that DNA has absolutely nothing to do with inheritance? They are effectively zero.
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People who harbor strong convictions without evidence belong at the margins of our societies, not in our halls of power.
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What would our world be like if we ceased to worry about 'right' and 'wrong,' or 'good' and 'evil,' and simply acted so as to maximize well-being, our own and that of others? Would we lose anything important?
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What I'm asking you to entertain is that there is nothing we need to believe on insufficient evidence in order to have deeply ethical and spiritual lives.
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