Skepticism: the mark and even the pose of the educated mind.

Skepticism: the mark and even the pose of the educated mind.

I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it, and while our soldiers can stand and fight, I read more

I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it, and while our soldiers can stand and fight, I can stand and feed and nurse them.

Teach thy tongue to say I do not know and thou shalt progress.

Teach thy tongue to say I do not know and thou shalt progress.

In cities no one is quiet but many are lonely; in the country, people are quiet but few are lonely.

In cities no one is quiet but many are lonely; in the country, people are quiet but few are lonely.

A deadline is negative inspiration. Still, it's better than no inspiration at all.

A deadline is negative inspiration. Still, it's better than no inspiration at all.

Terror is as much a part of the concept of truth as runniness is of the concept of jam. We read more

Terror is as much a part of the concept of truth as runniness is of the concept of jam. We wouldn't like jam if it didn't, by its very nature, ooze. We wouldn't like truth if it wasn't sticky, if, from time to time, it didn't ooze blood.

Argument is conclusive... but... it does not remove doubt, so that the mind may rest in the sure knowledge of read more

Argument is conclusive... but... it does not remove doubt, so that the mind may rest in the sure knowledge of the truth, unless it finds it by the method of experiment. For if any man who never saw fire proved by satisfactory arguments that fire burns. his hearer's mind would never be satisfied, nor would he avoid the fire until he put his hand in it that he might learn by experiment what argument taught.

I think it's only in a crisis that Americans see other people. It has to be an American crisis, of read more

I think it's only in a crisis that Americans see other people. It has to be an American crisis, of course. If two countries fight that do not supply the Americans with some precious commodity, then the education of the public does not take place. But when the dictator falls, when the oil is threatened, then you turn on the television and they tell you where the country is, what the language is, how to pronounce the names of the leaders, what the religion is all about, and maybe you can cut out recipes in the newspaper of Persian dishes.

Failure is an event, never a person.

Failure is an event, never a person.