In any war there are always more of the enemy than you think, and there are always allies you never knew you had.
—John M. Ford (1957–2006) American Novelist, Writer, Poet
Philosophy is the art of asking the wrong questions.
—Unknown
Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.
—Philip K. Dick (1928–82) American Novelist, Essayist, Short Story Writer
When I consider the short duration of my life, swallowed up in the eternity before and after, the little space which I fill and even can see, engulfed in the infinite immensity of spaces of which I am ignorant and which know me not, I am frightened and am astonished at being here rather than there; for there is no reason why here rather than there, why now rather than then… The eternal silence of these infinite spaces frightens me.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
Perfection is our goal, excellence will be tolerated.
—Unknown
We were supremely lucky to be born into this precise moment in history. It is with an ever-cresting crescendo of wonder and enthusiasm that I commend you to the great adventure and the great adventure to you.
—Unknown
Faith is Hope given too much credit.
—Unknown
I found one day in school a boy of medium size ill-treating a smaller boy. I expostulated, but he replied: ‘The bigs hit me, so I hit the babies; that’s fair.’ In these words he epitomized the history of the human race.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
You know you’ve achieved perfection in design, not when you have nothing more to add, but when you have nothing more to take away.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900–44) French Novelist, Aviator
Things only get weirder the longer they go on.
—Tonbo
In both poker and life, you can’t read people any better than they can read themselves. You can, if you’re good, very accurately determine if they think their hand is good, or if they think they know the answer to your legal question. But you can’t be sure if reality differs from their perception.
—Unknown
Mystical explanations are considered deep. The truth is that they are not even superficial.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
You are only as strong as your weakest delusion.
—Unknown
How many legs does a dog have, if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
Morality is objective within a given frame of reference.
—Unknown
There’s no such thing as a human who doesn’t commit sin. It’s not like the world is divided into sinners and the innocent. There are only people who can and who cannot atone for their sins.
—Unknown
My father said whoever tells the longest story is always the liar. The truth isn’t that complicated.
—Bill Joy (b.1954) American Computer Engineer, Investor
I feel more like I do now than I did a while ago.
—Unknown
People want to think there is some huge conspiracy run by evil geniuses. The reality is actually much more horrifying. The people running the show aren’t evil geniuses. They are just as stupid as the rest of us.
—Unknown
My experience tells me that in this complicated world the simplest explanation is usually dead wrong. But I’ve noticed that the simplest explanation usually sounds right and is far more convincing than any complicated explanation could hope to be.
—Scott Adams (b.1957) American Cartoonist
I know of no law of logic demanding that every event have a cause.
—Unknown
Determined efforts are better than a miracle.
—Tonbo
So often when one level of delusion goes away, another one more subtle comes in its place.
—Buddhist Teaching
Rule of thumb: Be skeptical of things you learned before you could read. E.g., religion.
—Ben Casnocha (b.1988) American Entrepreneur
The longer I live the more I see that I am never wrong about anything, and that all the pains that I have so humbly taken to verify my notions have only wasted my time.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
A wizard may have subtle ways of telling the truth, and may keep the truth to himself, but if he says a thing the thing is as he says. For that is his mastery.
—Ursula K. Le Guin (b.1929) American Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer
If you’re capable of understanding the world, you have a moral obligation to become rational.
—Charlie Munger (b.1924) American Investor, Philanthropist
Make changes based on your strongest opportunities, not your most convenient ones.
—Unknown
Destiny always has been something that you tear open with your own hands.
—Unknown
We take almost all of the decisive steps in our lives as a result of slight inner adjustments of which we are barely conscious.
—Unknown