Carl Sagan Quotes, Self Quotes, Deception Quotes

Human beings have a demonstrated talent for self-deception when their emotions are stirred.

5 years ago

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Self Quotes , Deception Quotes

The significance of our lives and our fragile planet is then determined only by our own wisdom and courage. We are the custodians of life's meaning. We long for a Parent to care for us, to forgive us our errors, to save us from our childish mistakes. But knowledge is preferable to ignorance. Better by far to embrace the hard truth than a reassuring fable. If we crave some cosmic purpose, then let us find ourselves a worthy goal.

5 years ago

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Mistake Quotes , Ignorance Quotes

A general problem with much of Western theology in my view is that the god portrayed is too small. It is a god of a tiny world and not a god of a galaxy much less of a universe.

5 years ago

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Views Quotes , World Quotes

The difference between physics and metaphysics is not that the practitioners of one are smarter than the practitioners of the other. The difference is that the metaphysicist has no laboratory.

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Differences Quotes , Physics Quotes

Curiosity and the urge to solve problems are the emotional hallmarks of our species.

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Emotional Quotes , Curiosity Quotes

There is a reward structure in science that is very interesting: Our highest honors go to those who disprove the findings of the most revered among us. So Einstein is revered not just because he made so many fundamental contributions to science, but because he found an imperfection in the fundamental contribution of Isaac Newton.

5 years ago

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Science Quotes , Interesting Quotes

We have heard the rationales offered by the nuclear superpowers. We know who speaks for the nations. But who speaks for the human species? Who speaks for Earth?

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Nuclear Quotes , Earth Quotes

Discussing the possibilities of extraterrestrial life: I would love it even if they were short, sullen, grumpy and sexually obsessed. But there just isn't any good evidence.

5 years ago

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Life Quotes , Sullen Quotes

Life is but a momentary glimpse of the wonder of this astonishing universe, and it is sad to see so many dreaming it away on spiritual fantasy.

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Dream Quotes , Spiritual Quotes

The hole in the ozone layer is a kind of skywriting. At first it seemed to spell out our continuing complacency before a witch's brew of deadly perils. But perhaps it really tells of a newfound talent to work together to protect the global environment.

5 years ago

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Ozone Layer Quotes , Together Quotes

In the way that scepticism is sometimes applied to issues of public concern, there is a tendency to belittle, to condescend, to ignore the fact that, deluded or not, supporters of superstition and pseudoscience are human beings with real feelings, who, like the sceptics, are trying to figure out how the world works and what our role in it might be. Their motives are in many cases consonant with science. If their culture has not given them all the tools they need to pursue this great quest, let us temper our criticism with kindness. None of us comes fully equipped.

5 years ago

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Kindness Quotes , Fear Quotes

There is today-in a time when old beliefs are withering-a kind of philosophical hunger, a need to know who we are and how we got here. It is an on-going search, often unconscious, for a cosmic perspective for humanity

5 years ago

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Philosophical Quotes , Perspective Quotes

The nuclear arms race is like two sworn enemies standing waist deep in gasoline, one with three matches, the other with five.

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Two Quotes , Race Quotes

My deeply held belief is that if a god of anything like the traditional sort exists, our curiosity and intelligence is provided by such a God. We would be unappreciative of that gift if we suppressed our passion to explore the universe and ourselves.

5 years ago

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , God Quotes , Passion Quotes

We seem, these days, much more willing to recognize the perils before us than we were even a decade ago. The newly recognized dangers threaten all of us, equally. No one can say how it will turn out down here. But this is also, we may note, the first time that a species has become able to journey to the planets and the stars. Sailors on a becalmed sea, we sense a stirring of the breeze.

5 years ago

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Stars Quotes , Journey Quotes

Our ancestors lived out of doors. They were as familiar with the night sky as most of us are with our favorite television programs.

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Night Quotes , Doors Quotes

The open road still softly calls.

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Stills Quotes , Sedentary Quotes

Cutting off fundamental, curiosity-driven science is like eating the seed corn. We may have a little more to eat next winter but what will we plant so we and our children will have enough to get through the winters to come?

5 years ago

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Children Quotes , Cutting Quotes

If we're capable of conjuring up terrifying monsters in childhood, why shouldn't some of us, at least on occasion, be able to fantasize something similar, something truly horrifying, a shared delusion, as adults?

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Atheist Quotes , Childhood Quotes

National boundaries are not evident when we view the Earth from space. Fanatical ethnic or religious or national chauvinisms are a little difficult to maintain when we see our planet as a fragile blue crescent fading to become an inconspicuous point of light against the bastion and citadel of the stars.

5 years ago

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Tags : Carl Sagan Quotes , Religious Quotes , Stars Quotes