Bertrand Russell on Mythology

“There is something feeble and a little contemptible about a man who cannot face the perils of life without the help of comfortable myths.”

“If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance with his instincts, he will accept it even on the slenderest evidence. The origin of myths is explained in this way.”