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Of all the offspring of Time, Error is the most ancient, and is so old and familiar an acquaintance, that Truth, when discovered, comes upon most of us like an intruder, and meets the intruder's welcome.

— Charles Mackay Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds (1841)

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Truth

More quotes by Charles Mackay

Cannon-balls may aid the truth
But thought’s a weapon stronger;
We’ll win our battles by its aid,
Wait a little longer.

Voices from the Crowd, and Town Lyrics (1857)

The smallest effort is not lost,
Each wavelet on the ocean tost
Aids in the ebb-tide or the flow;
Each rain-drop makes some floweret blow;
Each struggle lessens human woe.

Voices from the Crowd, and Town Lyrics (1857)

Some love to roam o’er the dark sea’s foam,
Where the shrill winds whistle free.

Legends of the Isles and Other Poems (1851)

Aid the dawning, tongue and pen;
Aid it, hopes of honest men!

Legends of the Isles and Other Poems (1851)

But the sunshine aye shall light the sky,
As round and round we run;
And the truth shall ever come uppermost,
And justice shall be done.

Legends of the Isles and Other Poems (1851)

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You have to start with the truth. The truth is the only way that we can get anywhere. Because any decision-making that is based upon lies or ignorance can't lead to a good conclusion.

Julian Assange

False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.

Socrates

I believe in evil. It is the property of all those who are certain of truth. Despair and fanaticism are only differing manifestations of evil.

Edward Teller

Wars produce many stories of fiction, some of which are told until they are believed to be true.

Ulysses S. Grant Personal Memoirs of General U. S. Grant (1885)

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Charles Mackay (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.