"The discovery of truth is prevented more effectively, not by the false appearance things present and which mislead into error, not directly by weakness of the reasoning powers, but by preconceived opinion, by prejudice"
- Arthur Schopenhauer
About this Quote
This quote by Arthur Schopenhauer speaks with the problem of discovering fact. He suggests that it is not necessarily the false look of things or the weak point of thinking powers that prevent us from finding truth, but rather our preconceived viewpoints and bias. He is suggesting that our own predispositions and beliefs can be a significant challenge to discovering truth. We may be so established in our own beliefs that we are unable to see the fact, even when it is presented to us. Schopenhauer is cautioning us to be familiar with our own predispositions and to be open to originalities and point of views. He is encouraging us to be willing to challenge our own beliefs and to be open up to the possibility that we might be wrong. By doing so, we can be more available to finding truth.