Myth as the enemy of truth

For the great enemy of truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived and dishonest – but the myth – persistent, persuasive and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinions without the discomfort of thougt.

John F. Kennedy – American politician, 1961-63 35th president (1917-1963), during a speech at the Yale University on June 11th, 1962, Quotations book 2005