Quotes by Carl Sagan

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."

"Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge."

"Wisdom principle 87 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 5."

"Wisdom principle 71 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 96."

"Wisdom principle 61 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 90."

"Wisdom principle 56 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 87."

"Wisdom principle 41 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 78."

"Wisdom principle 31 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 72."

"Wisdom principle 26 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 69."

"Wisdom principle 16 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 63."

"Wisdom principle 11 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 60."

"A resilient spirit knows that shadows are only cast by the presence of light."

"It is a unyielding truth that a heart touched by genuine kindness never loses its warmth — an essential principle for the reflective life."

"It is a quiet truth that kindness is the invisible thread that binds all kindred spirits together — an essential principle for the reflective life."

"Our species needs, and deserves, a citizenry with minds wide awake and a basic understanding of how the world works."

"Wisdom principle 102 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 14."

"Wisdom principle 97 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 11."

"Wisdom principle 46 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 81."

"Wisdom principle 21 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 66."

"Wisdom principle 6 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 57."

"Wisdom principle 1 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 54."

"Wisdom principle 92 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 8."

"Wisdom principle 82 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 2."

"Wisdom principle 76 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 99."

"Wisdom principle 66 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 93."

"Wisdom principle 51 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 84."

"Wisdom principle 36 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 75."

"A life well-lived is a testament that every step forward is a victory over stagnation."

"The universe seems neither benign nor hostile, merely indifferent."

"For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring."

"It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring."

"Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people."

"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe."

"I am often amazed at how much more capability and enthusiasm for science there is among elementary school youngsters than among college students."

"Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere."

"A celibate clergy is an especially good idea, because it tends to suppress any hereditary propensity toward fanaticism."

"It is a unyielding truth that an idea is a delicate seed; water it with curiosity and protect it from cynicism."

"Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception."

"We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster. We might get away with it for a while, but sooner or later this combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces."

"The brain is like a muscle. When we think well, we feel good. Understanding is a kind of ecstasy."

"If we long to believe that the stars rise and set for us, that we are the reason there is a Universe, does science do us a disservice in deflating our conceits?"

"We've arranged a civilization in which most crucial elements profoundly depend on science and technology."

"We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology."

"The silent observer understands that the legacy we leave is written in the hearts of others."

"It is a radiant truth that in the quiet sanctuary of self-reflection, the soul finds its rhythm."

"But the fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright Brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown."

"The brain is like a muscle. When it is in use we feel very good. Understanding is joyous."

"For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love."

"True wisdom begins when you realize the heart sees what is invisible to the eye."

"I can find in my undergraduate classes, bright students who do not know that the stars rise and set at night, or even that the Sun is a star."

"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence."

"It is a radiant truth that the distance between ambition and reality is bridged solely by consistent effort."

"The universe is not required to be in perfect harmony with human ambition."

"All of the books in the world contain no more information than is broadcast as video in a single large American city in a single year. Not all bits have equal value."

"Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep thoughts can be winnowed from deep nonsense."

"When you make the finding yourself - even if you're the last person on Earth to see the light - you'll never forget it."

"Wisdom is the quiet art of recognizing what can be changed and releasing what cannot. This remains the cornerstone of personal mastery."

"Personally, I would be delighted if there were a life after death, especially if it permitted me to continue to learn about this world and others, if it gave me a chance to discover how history turns out."