Interesting Quotes

The following is a list of quotes that I find insightful, provocative, amusing, irritating, irrational, silly, true, somewhat true, false or very false. As with most everything, each quote can be taken in many different ways, some I might agree with, some I do not. Some I agree strongly with one interpretation, while disagreeing strongly with a different interpretation. But I think they are all worthwhile if you are willing to give some thought to them. I especially like the ones I disagree with, because they may be well thought out and intelligent, and this forces me to think through it myself to see exactly why I disagree and what I think their flaws may be.

I have removed the authors' names from these quotes intentionally. This is for two main reasons. One, when hearing an idea that you want to test for yourself as valid or not, it doesn't matter who said it. The idea should stand on it's own. Einstein was a brilliant man because his ideas can stand on their own, and I think we should let them continue to do so. I don't think it is wise to believe what he said just because he's Einstein and he's always right. He's not. And for that matter, we should not be predisposed to reject ideas if we already dislike the author or his/her political motives. Our preconceived notions should not cloud our assessment of anyone's ideas. Second, quotes are very often attributed to the wrong person. Many times people are credited with (or have to defend themselves against) quotes that are not their own. Besides, even if the quote is their own, this does not mean that they were actually the first person on the whole planet to ever think that way. They may have just been the first one to have their name attached to it. Anyway, all this takes the focus away from the ideas, which is my main issue here, and so I have simply removed any authors' names. If you want to know who google thinks gave the quote you can look it up yourself.

Quotes

In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.

As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.

People who make no mistakes lack boldness and the spirit of adventure. They are the brakes on the wheels of progress.

He who asks a question may be a fool for five minutes, but he who never asks a question remains a fool forever.

Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on.

Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light.

Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow; don't walk behind me, I may not lead; walk beside me, and just be my friend.

Happiness is a butterfly which when pursued is just out of grasp... But if you will sit down quietly, it may alight upon you.

At any cost I will break this lie which binds me and confess everything, and will tell everybody the truth, and act the truth.

Man discovers truth by reason only, not by faith.

Martha: Truth and illusion, George. You don't know the difference.

George: No, but we must carry on as though we did.

Martha: Amen.

Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.

The more we come to know, the greater our contact with the unknown.

Poincare goes on to argue that logic and intuition play complementary roles in mathematics. Logic provides rigor and certainty by substituting precise notions for vague and ambiguous ones and by moving in sure, syllogistic steps. Logic, however, does not perceive goals and does not grasp that which motivates and organizes our mathematical activity. We may follow the logical trail through an argument yet fail to see the idea in it. For this we need intuition, which provides insight, purpose, and direction. But intuition is sometimes ambiguous, and sometimes it even deceives. So ultimately it is only by the combination of logic and intuition that mathematics advances.

It is the work of a committee rather than of an individual. It has no voice, and it has no soul. It is afraid to say anything and therefore errs on the side of vapidity. Or else it says nothing.

Until man duplicates a blade of grass, nature can laugh at his so-called scientific knowledge.

If it's important, learn it twice.

Students, and most people for that matter, are quite satisfied to be able to jump over a bar that has been lowered for them.

First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the mote out of your brother's eye.

Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices, but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence.

Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.

Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.

The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking.

If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?

I think that a particle must have a separate reality independent of the measurements. That is, an electron has spin, location and so forth even when it is not being measured. I like to think that the moon is there even if I am not looking at it.

As far as I'm concerned, I prefer silent vice to ostentatious virtue.

It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated.

The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.

The ideals which have always shone before me and filled me with the joy of living are goodness, beauty, and truth. To make a goal of comfort or happiness has never appealed to me; a system of ethics built on this basis would be sufficient only for a herd of cattle.

Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.

Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler.

Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age 18.

Try not to become a man of success, but rather to become a man of value.

Perfection of means and confusion of ends seem to characterize our age.

Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.

It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder.

Never regard study as a duty, but as the enviable opportunity to learn, to know the liberating influence of beauty in the realm of the spirit for your own personal joy and to the profit of the community to which your later work belongs.

Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding.

Telling someone the truth is a loving act.

Whenever you have truth it must be given with love, or the message and the messenger will be rejected.

Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold.

If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true is really true, there would be little hope of advance.

Seek and you will find.

Truth has no special time of its own. Its hour is now--always

It is all in the details.

Be silent, heart, Be patient, humble, hold thy peace.

Trust, but verify.

Faith: not wanting to know what is true.

Music is the voice of all humanity, of whatever time or place. In its presence we are one.

I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives.

How is it that music can, without words, evoke our laughter, our tears, our highest aspiration?

No matter what you believe, it doesn't change the facts.

If ever we hear a case of lying, we must look for severe parents. A lie would have no sense unless the truth were felt as dangerous.

Truth is violated by falsehood, but outraged by silence.

A half truth is a whole lie.

Whenever people say 'We mustn’t be sentimental,' you can take it they are about to do something cruel. And if they add 'We must be realistic,' they mean they are going to make money out of it.

A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral.

He that is not against us, is for us.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

He that is not with us, is against us.

You can’t love anyone, unless you love everyone.

And what is good, Phaedrus,

And what is not good…

Need we ask anyone to tell us these things?

If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone.

If you have any quotes that you think I might like to add to this list, please send them to me at rstankewitz@bsu.edu