The 60 best phrases of Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens was a famous English writer, journalist and speaker, born in the cosmopolitan city of Portsmouth in 1949.
This writer was well known for having a very direct way of expressing himself and as they say without mincing words, that is why some of his statements over time made him a person with both a large number of fans and detractors.
If you would like to know more about the personal ideas of this charismatic author, read on; here you will find a list of the best phrases of Christopher Hitchens, inspiring and useful to understand the way of thinking of this author.
- Related article: "The 60 best phrases of Sam Harris"
The most memorable Christopher Hitchens phrases
In the following lines you will find the best phrases of Christopher Hitchens, commented with reflections on their meaning.
1. What can be affirmed without proof can be ruled out without proof.
Pragmatism was always very important to Hitchens, so much so that he never believed in any idea that could not be demonstrated by empirical evidence.
- You may be interested in: "Pragmatism: what is it and what does this philosophical current propose"
2. Terrorizing children with the image of hell, regarding women as an inferior creation, is that good for the world?
As can be seen from this quote, Christianity was never a minimally attractive idea for this celebrated author. It even gave the feeling that he managed to collide head-on with some of his ideals.
3. Everyone has a book in them, but in most cases that is where it should stay.
Not because we have the ability to write we have to be great writers, just as much as we can run, it is very difficult for us to become the next Usaín Bolt.
4. Human decency is not derived from religion. It precedes it.
Decency and religion do not always have to go hand in hand, although some people in the past have set out to emphasize that particular belief.
5. The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks.
The way we organize our ideas can lead us more quickly or more slowly towards the same conclusion, that is why that during our childhood it would be interesting if we could also learn how we should think if we want to be mentally more efficient.
6. What do you dislike the most? Stupidity, especially in its nastiest forms of racism and superstition.
It is because of stupidity that evil manages to roam freely, and we only place special emphasis on the education of the next generations we will achieve that this tendency manages to change with the passage of weather.
7. What do you value most about your friends? Its continued existence.
Authentic friendships are much rarer than some people usually think, because that will be when we Let's face the greatest of calamities when we find out how many of them we can really call friends.
8. Exceptional claims require exceptional evidence.
If we want to make a large demand we must have some really solid arguments, because otherwise form we will not be able to obtain the necessary support so that it can become a reality.
- Related article: "The 15 types of research (and characteristics)"
9. Cheap alcohol is a false economy.
The alcohol and television are the most useful tools that the ruling class has to control us, we could even say that they are the bread and butter of today.
10. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him may believe in anything.
In Hitchens' opinion if we believe in religion we can also believe in any other type fantasy, something that many people around the world would certainly not be at all agreement.
11. There is a certain relationship between hunger for truth and searching for the right words. This fight may be ultimately indefinable and even undecidable, but you know it very well when you see it.
Some people seem to have a sixth sense to detect when someone is lying to them and on some occasions this famous writer also gave the feeling of having this innate ability.
12. The governor of Texas, who, when asked if the Bible should also be taught in Spanish, he replied that if English was good enough for Jesus then it is good enough for me.
Nationalism is an ideological trend that is currently very popular in the United States, so It should not surprise us at all that the governor of Texas can carry out this type of statements.
13. Los Angeles is mostly full of nonsense, deception and egomania. They believe that they will be young and beautiful forever, although most of them are not even young and beautiful now.
Some men and women tend to think that our image can be a clear reflection of the person who really we are, something that as many will discover with the passage of time in the vast majority of cases is not usually certain.
14. How sad it is to see Americans today yearn for the same orthodoxy that their country was founded to escape.
Although in the past the nation of the United States did not have a very promising future, it managed to become, over time, the most powerful country in the world. Something that teaches us once again that we should never judge a book by its cover.
15. It is probably somewhat merciful that pain is impossible to describe by heart.
The brain tends to try to forget pain, and that is why if one day we had an unfortunate accident it will be very difficult for us to try to reliably remember the pain we feel when it occurred.
16. What can be asserted without evidence can also be ruled out without evidence.
A quote that undoubtedly holds a great truth, When a concept is based on faith, it is very difficult for it to be refuted by using arguments.
17. I am very depressed that in this country they say to you "That is offensive" as if those two words constitute an argument.
If a specific fact bothers us, we must argue why it is so offensive to us, the act of saying that something simply is not to our liking is not enough.
18. To choose dogma and faith over doubt and experience is to discard the ripe harvest and eagerly reach for Kool-Aid.
Choosing the path of religion was for Hitchens an easy way to get all the answers yet knowing that these were not the correct ones, a way of acting in which as intelligent beings never we should fall.
19. The most educated person in the world has to admit now, I will not say that he confesses, that he knows less and less, but at least he knows less and less about more and more.
With the passage of time, human beings tend to ask more and more questions, which is why each day that passes we can have the feeling of knowing a little less about everything that surrounds us.
- You may be interested in: "The 14 types of knowledge: what are they?"
20. To the silly question Why me? the cosmos hardly bothers to return the answer: why not?
No one can know what tomorrow will bring, that is why if we are happy today we must make sure we fully live the moment.
21. He let the faithful burn the churches, mosques and synagogues of others, which can always be trusted.
When Christianity became a majority religion, the so-called “faithful” sowed chaos in various cities around the world, something that according to this writer no good God should ever have permitted.
22. The man who prays is the one who thinks that God has fixed everything wrong, but he also thinks that he can instruct God on how to fix it.
According to the criteria of this famous writer, the idea of an almighty God had serious gaps in its conception of him, that is why he was never willing to believe in any type of religion neither monotheistic nor polytheistic.
23. Your ideal authors should lift you out of the sinking of your previous existence, not guide you smiling towards a friendly and peaceful port.
This writer had a very particular taste in choosing which works he would read, something that perhaps happens to many of us as well.
24. Literature, not Scripture, sustains the mind and, since there is no other metaphor, so does the soul.
In this quote Hitchens shows us his great love for literature, a somewhat idyllic relationship that in his case accompanied him throughout his life.
25. For me, remembering friendship is remembering those conversations that seemed like a sin to break up: the ones that made the next day's sacrifice trivial.
Some conversations from the past will remain forever in our memory, especially those we once had with people who are no longer with us.
26. I try to deny myself any illusions or delusions, and I think this perhaps gives me the right to try to deny the same to others, at least as long as they refuse to keep their fantasies to themselves.
As we can see, religions represented for him simple fantasies and delusions of third parties, something that simply anyone who possessed a minimum of intellectual capacity did not have to incorporate into his day to day.
27. What is your idea of earthly happiness? To be vindicated in my own life.
For this writer, his professional career was always very important, so much so that his achievements as his author always represented for him, his success in the highest expression.
- Related article: "What is happiness according to Psychology?"
28. The noble title of dissident must be earned rather than claimed; it connotes sacrifice and risk rather than mere disagreement.
As this famous writer tells us, our public opinions can put us in a serious predicament if we do not go with much be careful, that is why we must always safeguard our ways when expressing ourselves if we want those around us to always respect.
29. If I convert, it is because it is better for a believer to die than an atheist.
Although this quote may sound quite humorous, it shows us how there is always something that repeats itself; the man, faced with the unknown, always usually looks for a support on which to lean.
30. I have always found it picturesque and quite moving that there is a movement (Libertarians) in the United States that thinks that Americans are not yet selfish enough.
Society in the US has always been deeply patriotic, and in all this maelstrom of sentiment nationalsita, there are always those who can come to think that it is still possible to be more radical than those who were before him.
31. When Maimonides says that the Messiah will come but 'can stay', we see the origin of every Jewish shrug from Spinoza to Woody Allen.
For Hitchens all religions always followed the same pattern, and that is why it did not matter who we could continue, we would undoubtedly be wrong.
32. I became a journalist because I didn't want to depend on the newspapers for information.
The fake news in the present runs everywhere in all the media, that is why, just as it was this famous writer, we too must be very selective when choosing our sources of information.
33. Take the risk of thinking for yourself, that way you will get much more happiness, truth, beauty and wisdom.
An appointment that without a doubt many of us should remember, because only if we think for ourselves will we achieve all the personal goals that we set for ourselves.
34. The struggle for a free intelligence has always been a struggle between the ironic and the literal mind.
It is true that some people with great intellectual gifts are simply unable to grasp the irony in a sentence, something that shows us once again how different we can really become like individuals.
35. The tyranny of the postmodernists wears people out with boredom and semi-literate prose.
Over the years, society is inexorably changing and as it happened to this famous writer, we too will only have the option of resigning ourselves.
36. If you gave [Jerry] Falwell an enema, they could bury him in a matchbox.
In this quote it can be seen how Hitchens shamelessly attacked the Baptist pastor Jerry Falwell, a person who for him always represented human decadence in its purest expression.
37. How are you? I always think, what kind of question is that? And I always answer: A little early to count.
Throughout his life this writer always spoke frequently to himself, a mental exercise very beneficial that some people usually use in their day to day to be able to put their thoughts.
38. Everything about Christianity is contained in the pathetic image of the flock.
The idea of Christianity on a conceptual level was never very attractive to this famous writer, a way of thinking that many of us today very likely share as well.
39. Let a friend believe a fake prospect or a fake promise, and after a while, you will no longer be a friend.
If we are really friends of a person, we must avoid that this does not fall into third-party scamsWell, if we don't, it is very likely that over time we will even lose our friendship with that person.
40. Time spent arguing, oddly enough, is almost never wasted.
As human beings, it is very normal for us to try to find answers to the questions we ask ourselves and the dialectical discussion, it can undoubtedly be a very effective tool for this.
- You may be interested in: "12 tips to better manage couple arguments"
41. It is often a bad sign for people to defend themselves against charges that have not been made.
As this famous writer tells us very well, defending oneself against this very specific type of accusation is usually a very clear symptom of guilt.
42. You may notice how negation is so often the preface to justification.
When a person does not want to tell us the truth, the first thing they will always do is refuse to recognize it and when he sees that he is not able to convince us, it is very likely that he will start to give way to a whole string of excuses various colors.
43. The only thing the racist can never handle is something akin to discrimination: it is indiscriminate by definition.
Racism is nothing more than ignorance in its deepest expression, for when a person has enough knowledge about an ethnic group it is practically impossible for it to feel racism towards the people who make up.
44. Why do humans exist? Much of the answer: because Pikaia Gracilens survived Burgess's annihilation.
Some existential questions just seem to have no logical explanation, no matter how outlandish ideas some thinkers may have about them at times.
45. The four most overrated things in life are champagne, lobster, anal sex, and picnics.
As can be seen from this quote, Hitchens was always a man without mincing words, at the throughout his life this writer always spoke openly about his predilections in the field private.
46. Never be a spectator of injustice or stupidity. The grave will provide plenty of time for silence.
In this quote Hitchens encourages us to reveal ourselves against injustices, evil can only prosper if we as spectators do nothing to prevent it.
47. I want to strongly encourage you to travel as much as you can and to evolve as an internationalist. It is as important a part of your education as radical as reading any book.
Traveling can greatly open our minds, because through this activity it is very likely that we will discover how racism or prejudice are aspects that we should all discard from our lives.
48. Nothing optional, from homosexuality to adultery, is never punished unless those who forbid it (and demand fierce punishment) have a repressed desire to participate.
At present, some countries can still be found with really repressive ideas, something that fortunately no longer occurs in a good part of Western countries.
49. A rule of thumb with humor; If you are concerned that you may be going too far, you have not gone far enough already. If everyone laughs, you have failed.
Where the humor ends and where the offense begins, that is a question that in the XXI century, society has not yet been able to answer.
50. There can be no progress without a frontal confrontation.
War, as well as competition, can sometimes force a country to develop technologically, but We must bear in mind that the cost of living will always be something totally disproportionate at a level of cost / benefit.
51. And the pleasures and rewards of the intellect are inseparable from anguish, uncertainty, conflict, and even despair.
Coming to a great conclusion will always be hard work, regardless of what question we may eventually be faced with.
52. Your favorite virtue? Appreciation for irony.
As we can see, irony was something that this writer could not live without, a way of understanding life thanks to which you can get some humor out of even the most complicated situations.
- Related article: "The 14 most important types of humor"
53. A life that shares even a little friendship, love, irony, humor, fatherhood, literature and music, and the opportunity to participate in battles for the liberation of others cannot be called 'without sense'
Although we do not achieve great feats throughout our lives, this does not mean that our existence should be considered as a failure, because even the smallest acts can have a very large impact within the society.
54. Philosophy begins where religion ends, just as, by analogy, chemistry begins where alchemy ends and astronomy takes the place of astrology.
Although philosophy and religion have gone hand in hand many times throughout history, this famous writer always thought that they were two very different things. A kind of direct confrontation between the powers of reason and superstition.
55. In fact, it is useless to try to use Holy Scripture to support any political position. I deeply distrust anyone who does. Just look at what an Islamic Republic is like.
As a good anti-theist Hitchens was always totally against any type of religion, as this writer believed faith was something that only managed to cloud the good judgment of some people.
56. I have been called arrogant in my time, and I hope to earn the title again, but to claim that I am aware of the secrets of the universe and its creator, that is beyond my presumption.
Although this writer was sometimes vilified, he was always very sure of what his ideals were. What third parties might say was simply something that was beyond his control.
57. What better way for a ruling class to claim and maintain power than to pose as defenders of the nation?
Those who run society are usually very persuasive and intelligent people, and therefore do not usually have problems convincing others to carry out any of their assignments.
- You may be interested in: "Persuasion: definition and elements of the art of convincing"
58. Your least favorite or most overrated virtue? Faith. Closely followed, in view of the general shortage of time, by patience.
As we see Hitchens has a way of understanding life that is undoubtedly somewhat peculiar, a very particular vision with which perhaps many of us can agree at least to some extent.
59. Nothing so obviously proves the man-made character of religion as the sick mind that designed hell.
According to some people, religion is an invention created by the human being himself to be able to lead the masses and under this point of view, the idea that we all have about hell should also have been devised at some point by a person concrete.
60. The best anger is the most controlled.
Only by having great self-control over our own actions, we will be able to efficiently use all our skills in the course of day to day.
