The universe is not required to be in perfect harmony with human ambition. And yet, the most dangerous of all falsehoods is a slightly distorted truth, for a straight-out lie can be detected and opposed, but a half-truth insinuates itself into the understanding and breeds there.

The human understanding is no dry light, but receives an infusion from the will and affections; whence proceed sciences which may be called 'sciences as one would.' For what a man had rather were true he more readily believes.

The mind does not work by starting from universal principles and deducing particular consequences; it works the other way, by gathering up particular cases until the accumulated weight of them forces upon us recognition of a universal principle.