The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks.

What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence.

To this day any vernacular version of the Koran must still be printed with an Arabic parallel text. This ought to arouse suspicion even in the slowest mind.

If you want to stay in for the long haul, and lead a life that is free from illusions either propagated by you or embraced by you, then I suggest you learn to recognize and avoid the symptoms of the zealot and the person who knows he is right. For the dissenter, the skeptical mentality is at least as important as any armor of principle.

Don't take security in the false refuge of consensus.