We shall assume that what each man does is based not on direct and certain knowledge, but by pictures made read more

We shall assume that what each man does is based not on direct and certain knowledge, but by pictures made by himself or given to him. If his atlas tells him the world is flat he will not sail near what he believes to be the edge of our planet for fear of falling off. If his maps include a fountain of eternal youth, a Ponce de Leon will go off in quest of it. If someone digs up yellow dirt that looks like gold, he will for a time act exactly as if he has found gold. The way in which the world is imagined determines at any particular moment what men will do. It does not determine what they will achieve. It determines their effort, their feelings, their hopes, not their accomplishments and results.

He who will not reason, is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool; and he who dares not is read more

He who will not reason, is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool; and he who dares not is a slave.

The revolutions of thought which shape the basic outlook of an age are not disseminated through text-books- they spread like read more

The revolutions of thought which shape the basic outlook of an age are not disseminated through text-books- they spread like epidemics, through contamination by invisible agents and innocent germ carriers, by the most varied forms of contact, or simply by breathing the common air.

It is a juvenile notion that a society needs a lofty purpose and a shining vision to achieve much. Both read more

It is a juvenile notion that a society needs a lofty purpose and a shining vision to achieve much. Both in the marketplace and on the battlefield men who set their hearts on toys have often displayed unequal initiative and drive. And one must be ignorant of the creative process to look for a close correspondence between motive and achievement in the world of thought and imagination.

The power of habit and the charm of novelty are the two adverse forces which explain the follies of mankind.

The power of habit and the charm of novelty are the two adverse forces which explain the follies of mankind.

A kiss to or from a woman we love is a far too delicate pledge of affection to bear the read more

A kiss to or from a woman we love is a far too delicate pledge of affection to bear the gaze of strangers.

You want to hear about insanity? I was found running naked through the jungles in Mexico. At the Mexico City read more

You want to hear about insanity? I was found running naked through the jungles in Mexico. At the Mexico City airport, I decided I was in the middle of a movie and walked out on the wing on takeoff. My body... my liver... okay, my brain... went.

The wise man doesn't give the right answers, he poses the right questions.

The wise man doesn't give the right answers, he poses the right questions.

Perhaps even these things, one day, will be pleasing to remember. - Aenid.

Perhaps even these things, one day, will be pleasing to remember. - Aenid.