Jean Rostand Quotes - Page 3

Beauty in art is often nothing but ugliness subdued.

My pessimism extends to the point of even suspecting the sincerity of other pessimists.

We bestow on others praise in which we do not believe, on condition that in return they bestow upon us praise in which we do.

Already at the origin of the species man was equal to what he was destined to become.

There are certain moments when we might wish the future were built by men of the past.

In art as in life the valid sacrifices are those that bring no income.

One must either take an interest in the human situation or else parade before the void.

To love an idea is to love it a little more than one should.

One must credit an hypothesis with all that has had to be discovered in order to demolish it.

It is sometimes well for a blatant error to draw attention to overmodest truths.

It is not easy to imagine how little interested a scientist usually is in the work of any other, with the possible exception of the teacher who backs him or the student who honors him.

Theories pass. The frog remains.

Think? Why think! We have computers to do that for us.

Far too often the choices reality proposes are such as to take away one's taste for choosing.

One kills a man, one is an assassin; one kills millions, one is a conqueror; one kills everybody, one is a god.

When a scientist is ahead of his times, it is often through misunderstanding of current, rather than intuition of future truth. In science there is never any error so gross that it won't one day, from some perspective, appear prophetic.

It takes a very deep-rooted opinion to survive unexpressed.

There are big and little truths, but all belong to the same race.

What scientist would not long to go on living, if only to see how the little truths he has brought to light will grow up?

I prefer the honest jargon of reality to the outright lies of books.

Quotations--always inexact. I don't trust people who cannot even copy out.

Never feel remorse for what you have thought about your wife; she has thought much worse things about you.

Whether man is disposed to yield to nature or to oppose her, he cannot do without a correct understanding of her language

It may offend us to hear our own thoughts expressed by others: we are not sure enough of their souls.

In order to remain true to oneself one ought to renounce one's party three times a day.