Georg C. Lichtenberg Quotes about Math

All Georg C. Lichtenberg Quotes Age Art Blame Character Children Creation Desire Devil Doubt Earth Education Effort Exercise Fame Feelings Genius Giving God Hate Heart Heaven Inspirational Judging Judgment Life Love Lying Mankind Math quotes Morality Motivational Nature Peace Philosophy Pleasure Progress Reading Reflection Religion Science Soul Time Truth Understanding Virtue Weakness Wisdom Writing

I have often noticed that when people come to understand a mathematical proposition in some other way than that of the ordinary demonstration, they promptly say, Oh, I see. That's how it must be. This is a sign that

I have often noticed that when people come to understand a mathematical proposition in some other way than that of the ordinary demonstration, they promptly say, "Oh, I see. That's how it must be." This is a sign that they explain it to themselves from within their own system.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Math, People, Understanding

So-called professional mathematicians have, in their reliance on the relative incapacity of the rest of mankind, acquired for themselves a reputation for profundity very similar to the reputation for sanctity possessed by theologians.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Math, Reputation, Sanctity

"Aphorisms". Book by Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. Notebook K 52, 1799.

In mathematical analysis we call x the undetermined part of line a: the rest we don't call y, as we do in common life, but a-x. Hence mathematical language has great advantages over the common language.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Life, Math, Lines

All mathematical laws which we find in Nature are always suspect to me, in spite of their beauty. They give me no pleasure. They are merely auxiliaries. At close range it is all not true.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Beauty, Nature, Math

"Lichtenberg: A Doctrine of Scattered Occasions". Book by Joseph Peter Stern, p. 84, 1959.