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

Trust

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Insight & Reflection

This reflection on trust by Carl Sagan resonates across generations. It highlights a fundamental truth about human nature: our continuous search for meaning in trust is what ultimately defines our character and our path forward.

About Carl Sagan

Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, planetary scientist and science communicator. Initially an assistant professor at Harvard, Sagan later moved to Cornell, where he was the David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences and directed the Laboratory for Planetary Studies. He played an active role in the Mariner, Viking and Voyager programs. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and several popular science books, starting with The Cosmic Connection. He won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction for The Dragons of Eden.

More quotes by Carl Sagan  ’
Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the Quotes Archive Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by Carl Sagan

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

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"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."

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

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More about Trust

"Confidence... thrives on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection and on unselfish performance. Without them it cannot live."

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"I like women, but you can't always trust them. Some of them are big liars, like this one woman I met who had a dog. I asked her her dog's name and then I asked, 'Does he bite?' and she said, 'No.' And I said, 'So how does he eat?' Liar!"

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