Every new opinion, at its starting, is precisely in a minority of one.

Every new opinion, at its starting, is precisely in a minority of one.

I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it.

I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it.

The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is that it is robbing the human race; posterity as read more

The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.

As a leader... I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to read more

As a leader... I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my own opinion. Oftentimes, my own opinion will simply represent a con-sensus of what I heard in the discussion. I always remember the axiom: a leader is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.

A yawn may not be polite, but at least it is an honest opinion

A yawn may not be polite, but at least it is an honest opinion

Men commonly think according to their inclinations, speak according to their learning and imbibed opinions, but generally act according to read more

Men commonly think according to their inclinations, speak according to their learning and imbibed opinions, but generally act according to custom

A fellow can't keep people from having a bad opinion of him, but he can keep them from being right read more

A fellow can't keep people from having a bad opinion of him, but he can keep them from being right about it.

If you want to know your true opinion of someone, watch the effect produced in you by the first sight read more

If you want to know your true opinion of someone, watch the effect produced in you by the first sight of a letter from him.

Private opinion is weak, but public opinion is almost omnipotent.

Private opinion is weak, but public opinion is almost omnipotent.