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Isaac Asimov Quotes - Page 3

All Quotes Army Art Atheism Atheist Business Change Children Choices Coincidence Creativity Curiosity Death Democracy Desire Diversity Dying Earth Education Effort Evolution Fear Feelings Fighting Funny Future Giving Heart Heaven History Humanity Ignorance Imagination Insecurity Inspirational Intuition Knowledge Learning Life Literature Love Lying Math Memories Moon Motivational Overpopulation Past Peace Philosophy Prophet Rage Rain Reading Reality Rejection Religion Running School Science Sleep Speed Stupidity Suffering Technology Today Truth Understanding Universe War Winning Wisdom Work Out Writing

Uncertainty that comes from knowledge (knowing what you don't know) is different from uncertainty coming from ignorance.

Uncertainty that comes from knowledge (knowing what you don't know) is different from uncertainty coming from ignorance.

Ignorance, Knowing, Deep Life

Isaac Asimov (2002). “It's Been a Good Life”, Pyr Books

There seems to be a feeling that anything that is natural is good. Strychnine is natural.

Nature, Feelings, Natural

Once, when a religionist denounced me in unmeasured terms, I sent him a card saying, "I am sure you believe that I will go to hell when I die, and that once there I will suffer all the pains and tortures the sadistic ingenuity of your deity can devise and that this torture will continue forever. Isn't that enough for you? Do you have to call me bad names in addition?"

Pain, Believe, Names

Isaac Asimov (2009). “I, Asimov: A Memoir”, p.330, Bantam

They won't listen. Do you know why? Because they have certain fixed notions about the past. Any change would be blasphemy in their eyes, even if it were the truth. They don't want the truth; they want their traditions.

Eye, Past, Would Be

Isaac Asimov (1979). “The far ends of time and earth”

If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success - but only if you persist.

Inspirational, Persistence, Rejection

Increasingly, our leaders must deal with dangers that threaten the entire world, where an understanding of those dangers and the possible solutions depends on a good grasp of science. The ozone layer, the greenhouse effect, acid rain, questions of diet and heredity. All require scientific literacy. Can Americans choose the proper leaders and support the proper programs if they themselves are scientifically illiterate? The whole premise of democracy is that it is safe to leave important questions to the court of public opinion - but is it safe to leave them to the court of public ignorance?

Rain, Ignorance, Science

"Combatting U.S. Scientific Illiteracy" by Isaac Asimov, articles.latimes.com. March 31, 1989.

Intelligence is an accident of evolution, and not necessarily an advantage.

Funny, Science, Evolution

The soft bonds of love are indifferent to life and death. They hold through time so that yesterday’s love is part of today’s and the confidence in tomorrow’s love is also part of today’s. And when one dies, the memory lives in the other, and is warm and breathing. And when both die - I almost believe, rationalist though I am - that somewhere it remains, indestructible and eternal, enriching all of the universe by the mere fact that once it existed.

Memories, Believe, Love Is

Isaac Asimov (2002). “It's Been a Good Life”, Pyr Books

I have been told that a young would-be composer wrote to Mozart asking advice about how to compose a symphony. Mozart responded that a symphony was a complex and demanding form and it would be better to start with something simpler. The young man protested, 'But, Herr Mozart, you wrote symphonies when you were younger than I am now.' Mozart replied, 'I never asked how.

Men, Symphony, Advice

Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived.

Death, Atheist, If There Is A God

Isaac Asimov (1995). “Yours, Isaac Asimov: A Lifetime of Letters”, Doubleday Books

Part of the inhumanity of the computer is that, once it is competently programmed and working smoothly, it is completely honest.

Honesty, Technology, Computer

"Biography/Personal Quotes". www.imdb.com.

The first law of dietetics seems to be: if it tastes good, it's bad for you.

Funny, Food, Law

When I read about the way in which library funds are being cut and cut, I can only think that American society has found one more way to destroy itself.

Ignorance, Cutting, Science

Isaac Asimov (2009). “I, Asimov: A Memoir”, p.54, Bantam

The bible must be seen in a cultural context. It didn't just happen. These stories are retreads. But, tell a Christian that -- No, No! What makes it doubly sad is that they hardly know the book, much less its origins.

Christian, Book, Stories

There’s nothing to it. All you have to do is take a close look at yourself and you will understand everyone else. We’re in no way different ourselves... You show me someone who can’t understand people and I’ll show you someone who has built up a false image of himself.

People, Different, Looks

Isaac Asimov (2012). “Foundation's Edge”, p.209, Spectra

Jokes of the proper kind, properly told, can do more to enlighten questions of politics, philosophy, and literature than any number of dull arguments.

Wise, Philosophy, Numbers

Isaac Asimov (1991). “Isaac Asimov's Treasury of Humor: A Lifetime Collection of Favorite Jokes, Anecdotes, and Limericks with Copious Notes on how to Tell Them and why”, p.9, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

My feeling is, quite simply, that if there is a God, He has done such a bad job that he isn't worth discussing.

Jobs, If There Is A God, Feelings

Dreams may be impossible, yet still be dreamed.

Dream, May, Impossible

Isaac Asimov (2012). “Foundation and Earth”, p.120, Spectra

Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome.

Sympathy, Death, Depressing

Isaac Asimov (1988). “Fantastic voyage II: destination brain”

The world of A.D. 2014 will have few routine jobs that cannot be done better by some machine than by any human being. Mankind will therefore have become largely a race of machine tenders.

Jobs, Race, Routine

You don't have to be able to lay eggs to know when one of them is rotten.

Eggs, Rotten, Able

Isaac Asimov (2009). “I, Asimov: A Memoir”, p.308, Bantam

I am not a speed reader. I am a speed understander.

Inspirational, Life, Science

Isaac Asimov (1995). “Yours, Isaac Asimov: A Lifetime of Letters”, Doubleday Books

Boasts are wind and deeds are hard.

Wind, Deeds, Bragging

Isaac Asimov (1986). “Foundation Trilogy”, Del Rey

A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value.

Encouragement, Truth, Mistake

Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is.

Inspirational, Trust, Education

Isaac Asimov (1975). “Science Past, Science Future”, Doubleday Books

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