In the history of the world the prize has not gone to those species which specialized in methods of violence, or even in defensive armor. In fact, nature began with producing animals encased in hard shells for defense against the ill of life. But smaller animals, without external armor, warm-blooded, sensitive, alert, have cleared those monsters off the face of the earth.

The great achievements of the past were the adventures of the past. Only the adventurous can understand the greatness of the past.

The merely well-informed man is the most useless bore on God's earth.

The vitality of thought is in adventure. Ideas won't keep. Something must be done about them. When the idea is new, its custodians have fervor, live for it, and if need be, die for it.

On the ostensible exactitude of certain branches of human knowledge, including mathematics. The exactness is a fake.

Philosophy begins in wonder. And, at the end, when philosophic thought has done its best, the wonder remains.

Vigorous societies harbour a certain extravagance of objectives.