Argument Quotes | Beyond Motive

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Argument Quotes

"When I'm alone, I can sleep crossways in bed without an argument."

"When I'm alone, I can sleep crossways in bed without an argument."

Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hungarian Actress

Argument, Bed, Sleep

160

"John Foster Dulles had called on me in his capacity as Secretary of State, and he had exhausted every argument to persuade me to place Cambodia under the protection of the South East Asia Treaty Organization."

"John Foster Dulles had called on me in his capacity as Secretary of State, and he had exhausted every argument to persuade me to place Cambodia under the protection of the South East Asia Treaty Organization."

Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodian Royalty

Argument, Protection, State

86

"Myself when young did eagerly frequent doctor and saint, and heard great argument about it and about: but evermore came out by the same door as in I went."

"Myself when young did eagerly frequent doctor and saint, and heard great argument about it and about: but evermore came out by the same door as in I went."

Omar Khayyam, Persian Poet

83

"George W. Bush bought the election - period. End of story. There is no argument. You can try to come up with any argument you can, but there is none."

"George W. Bush bought the election - period. End of story. There is no argument. You can try to come up with any argument you can, but there is none."

Gary Coleman, American Actor

59

"Even if I was a bad right wing guy, to the extent of whether my arguments are right or wrong, they're right or wrong independently if I'm right or left."

"Even if I was a bad right wing guy, to the extent of whether my arguments are right or wrong, they're right or wrong independently if I'm right or left."

Bjorn Lomborg, Danish Scientist

Argument, Arguments, Right, Wrong

57

"We are told that the possession of nuclear weapons - in some cases even the testing of these weapons - is essential for national security. But this argument can be made by other countries as well."

"We are told that the possession of nuclear weapons - in some cases even the testing of these weapons - is essential for national security. But this argument can be made by other countries as well."

Joseph Rotblat, Polish Physicist

Argument, Countries, National security, Possession

52

"Any fact is better established by two or three good testimonies than by a thousand arguments."

"Any fact is better established by two or three good testimonies than by a thousand arguments."

Marie Dressler, American Actress

Argument, Arguments, Fact

49

"The best way to win an argument is to begin by being right."

"The best way to win an argument is to begin by being right."

William Ruckelshaus, American Lawyer

Argument, Being, Right

46

"Insolence is not logic; epithets are the arguments of malice."

"Insolence is not logic; epithets are the arguments of malice."

Robert Green Ingersoll, American Lawyer

Argument, Arguments, Logic, Malice

44

"I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left."

"I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left."

Margaret Thatcher, English Leader

43

"Bluster, sputter, question, cavil; but be sure your argument be intricate enough to confound the court."

"Bluster, sputter, question, cavil; but be sure your argument be intricate enough to confound the court."

William Wycherley, English Dramatist

Argument, Court, Question

42

"There is no good in arguing with the inevitable. The only argument available with an east wind is to put on your overcoat."

"There is no good in arguing with the inevitable. The only argument available with an east wind is to put on your overcoat."

James Russell Lowell, American Poet

41

"That's what we're missing. We're missing argument. We're missing debate. We're missing colloquy. We're missing all sorts of things. Instead, we're accepting."

"That's what we're missing. We're missing argument. We're missing debate. We're missing colloquy. We're missing all sorts of things. Instead, we're accepting."

Studs Terkel, American Journalist

Argument, Debate

41

"The argument between wives and whores is an old one; each one thinking that whatever she is, at least she is not the other."

"The argument between wives and whores is an old one; each one thinking that whatever she is, at least she is not the other."

Andrea Dworkin, American Critic

Argument, Old, Thinking, Wives

41

"Sometimes we deny being worthy of praise, hoping to generate an argument we would be pleased to lose."

"Sometimes we deny being worthy of praise, hoping to generate an argument we would be pleased to lose."

Cullen Hightower, American Humorist

Argument, Being, Praise

40

"A knock-down argument; 'tis but a word and a blow."

"A knock-down argument; 'tis but a word and a blow."

John Dryden, English Poet

39

"Ridicule is the first and last argument of a fool."

"Ridicule is the first and last argument of a fool."

Charles Simmons, American Author

Argument, First, Fool, Ridicule

38

"If you are ignorant, you certainly can get into some interesting arguments."

"If you are ignorant, you certainly can get into some interesting arguments."

Herbert Prochnow, American Banker

Argument, Arguments

38

"It is more noble by silence to avoid an injury than by argument to overcome it."

"It is more noble by silence to avoid an injury than by argument to overcome it."

Francis Beaumont, English Playwright

Argument, Injury, Silence

38

"Better than any argument is to rise at dawn and pick dew-wet red berries in a cup."

"Better than any argument is to rise at dawn and pick dew-wet red berries in a cup."

Wendell Berry, American Poet

Argument, Dawn, Dew

38

"The argument of the strongest is always the best."

"The argument of the strongest is always the best."

Jean de La Fontaine, French Poet

38

"Admitting, however, for the sake of argument, that I am prime and sole minister in this country, am I, therefore, prime and sole minister of all Europe? Am I answerable for the conduct of other countries as well as for that of my own?"

"Admitting, however, for the sake of argument, that I am prime and sole minister in this country, am I, therefore, prime and sole minister of all Europe? Am I answerable for the conduct of other countries as well as for that of my own?"

Robert Walpole, British Statesman

Argument, Countries, Country, Europe

37

"Don't forget your great guns, which are the most respectable arguments of the rights of kings."

"Don't forget your great guns, which are the most respectable arguments of the rights of kings."

Frederick The Great, German Royalty

Argument, Arguments, Forget, Rights, Kings

36

"When you let someone else win an argument, often you both end up winners."

"When you let someone else win an argument, often you both end up winners."

Richard Carlson, American Author

36

"Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute."

"Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute."

Josh Billings, American Comedian

Argument, Arguments, Silence

35

"AIDS is an absolutely tragic disease. The argument about AIDS' being some kind of divine retribution is crap."

"AIDS is an absolutely tragic disease. The argument about AIDS' being some kind of divine retribution is crap."

Calvin Klein, American Designer

Argument, Being, Disease

35

"Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they do not understand enough the scope of the justification."

"Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they do not understand enough the scope of the justification."

Michael Servetus, Spanish Scientist

Argument, Arguments, Justification, Mistakes, Value

35

"The irrationality of a thing is no argument against its existence, rather a condition of it."

"The irrationality of a thing is no argument against its existence, rather a condition of it."

Friedrich Nietzsche, German Philosopher

Argument, Existence

34

"I have found you an argument; I am not obliged to find you an understanding."

"I have found you an argument; I am not obliged to find you an understanding."

James Boswell, Scottish Lawyer

Argument, Understanding

34

"Behind every argument is someone's ignorance."

"Behind every argument is someone's ignorance."

Robert Benchley, American Comedian

Argument, Ignorance

34

"Bigotry and intolerance, silenced by argument, endeavors to silence by persecution, in old days by fire and sword, in modern days by the tongue."

"Bigotry and intolerance, silenced by argument, endeavors to silence by persecution, in old days by fire and sword, in modern days by the tongue."

Charles Simmons, American Author

Argument, Bigotry, Fire, Intolerance

34

"What convinces is conviction. Believe in the argument you're advancing. If you don't you're as good as dead. The other person will sense that something isn't there, and no chain of reasoning, no matter how logical or elegant or brilliant, will win your case for you."

"What convinces is conviction. Believe in the argument you're advancing. If you don't you're as good as dead. The other person will sense that something isn't there, and no chain of reasoning, no matter how logical or elegant or brilliant, will win your case for you."

Lyndon B. Johnson, American President

Argument, Conviction, Sense, Will

33

"Similes prove nothing, but yet greatly lighten and relieve the tedium of argument."

"Similes prove nothing, but yet greatly lighten and relieve the tedium of argument."

Robert South, English Clergyman

Argument, Nothing

33

"As for the assertion that nuclear weapons prevent wars, how many more wars are needed to refute this arguments? Tens of millions have died in the many wars that have taken place since 1945."

"As for the assertion that nuclear weapons prevent wars, how many more wars are needed to refute this arguments? Tens of millions have died in the many wars that have taken place since 1945."

Joseph Rotblat, Polish Physicist

Argument, Arguments, Weapons

33

"Argument is to me the air I breathe. Given any proposition, I cannot help believing the other side and defending it."

"Argument is to me the air I breathe. Given any proposition, I cannot help believing the other side and defending it."

Gertrude Stein, American Author

33

"Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand."

"Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand."

Colin Powell, American Statesman

Argument, Debate, Doubt, Leaders

33

"To make the argument that the media has a left- or right-wing, or a liberal or a conservative bias, is like asking if the problem with Al-Qaeda is do they use too much oil in their hummus."

"To make the argument that the media has a left- or right-wing, or a liberal or a conservative bias, is like asking if the problem with Al-Qaeda is do they use too much oil in their hummus."

Al Franken, American Comedian

Argument, Conservative, Liberal, Media

32

"The long term versus the short term argument is one used by losers."

"The long term versus the short term argument is one used by losers."

Lord Acton, British Historian

32

"One could drive a prairie schooner through any part of his argument and never scrape against a fact."

"One could drive a prairie schooner through any part of his argument and never scrape against a fact."

David F. Houston, American Politician

32

"The most important thing in an argument, next to being right, is to leave an escape hatch for your opponent, so that he can gracefully swing over to your side without too much apparent loss of face."

"The most important thing in an argument, next to being right, is to leave an escape hatch for your opponent, so that he can gracefully swing over to your side without too much apparent loss of face."

Sydney J. Harris, American Journalist

Argument, Being, Loss, Right

31

"When blithe to argument I come, Though armed with facts, and merry, May Providence protect me from The fool as adversary, Whose mind to him a kingdom is Where reason lacks dominion, Who calls conviction prejudice And prejudice opinion."

"When blithe to argument I come, Though armed with facts, and merry, May Providence protect me from The fool as adversary, Whose mind to him a kingdom is Where reason lacks dominion, Who calls conviction prejudice And prejudice opinion."

Phyllis McGinley, American Author

Argument, Conviction, Facts, Fool

31

"I remember having an argument with Alan, I said the Queen's not just going to call the guy up and send him out to do it. And Alan says, well, how would a monarch give orders to her assassin."

"I remember having an argument with Alan, I said the Queen's not just going to call the guy up and send him out to do it. And Alan says, well, how would a monarch give orders to her assassin."

Eddie Campbell, Scottish Artist

Argument, Queen

31

"He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak."

"He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak."

Michel de Montaigne, French Philosopher

Argument, Reason

31

"Neither irony or sarcasm is argument."

"Neither irony or sarcasm is argument."

Samuel Butler, British Poet

Argument, Irony, Sarcasm

31

"Arguments are healthy. They clear the air."

"Arguments are healthy. They clear the air."

John Deacon, British Musician

Argument, Arguments

30

"First of all, you can make the argument that there's no such thing as the past. Nobody lived in the past."

"First of all, you can make the argument that there's no such thing as the past. Nobody lived in the past."

David McCullough, American Historian

Argument, First, Past

30

"Arguments, like children, should be like the subject that begets them."

"Arguments, like children, should be like the subject that begets them."

Thomas Dekker, English Dramatist

Argument, Arguments, Children

30

"Every argument on lynching in the South gets back sooner or later to the question of rape."

"Every argument on lynching in the South gets back sooner or later to the question of rape."

Ray Stannard Baker, American Journalist

Argument, Question

30

"Lincoln had no such person that he could talk with. Often, as a result, he debated with himself, and he would draw up a kind of list of the pros and cons of an argument, and carefully figure them out, and he might test them in public."

"Lincoln had no such person that he could talk with. Often, as a result, he debated with himself, and he would draw up a kind of list of the pros and cons of an argument, and carefully figure them out, and he might test them in public."

David Herbert Donald, American Historian

Argument, Public, Result, Talk

29

"They believed that Britain was in Ireland defending their own interests, therefore the Irish had the right to use violence to put them out. My argument was that that type of thinking was out of date."

"They believed that Britain was in Ireland defending their own interests, therefore the Irish had the right to use violence to put them out. My argument was that that type of thinking was out of date."

John Hume, Irish Politician

Argument, Ireland, Right

29

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