"So long as there are earnest believers in the world, they will always wish to punish opinions, even if their judgment tells them it is unwise and their conscience that it is wrong"

This quote by Walter Bagehot speaks to the power of belief and how it can often bypass our much better judgment. It suggests that even when we know something is wrong or risky, our beliefs can be so strong that we will still wish to punish those who disagree with us. This quote is a pointer that we ought to beware to think critically and objectively about our beliefs, and to not let them cloud our judgment. It also works as a caution that if we permit our beliefs to take precedence over our conscience, we may wind up doing something that we know is incorrect. Ultimately, this quote encourages us to be conscious of our beliefs and to strive to make decisions based upon what is right and sensible, rather than what we merely think.