But space travel can't ease the pressure on a planet grown too crowded not even with today's ships and probably not with any future ships-because stupid people won't leave the slopes of their home volcano even when it starts to smoke and rumble. What space travel does do is drain off the best brains: those smart enough to see a catastrophe before it happens, and with the guts to pay the price-abandon home, wealth, friends, relatives, everything-and go. That's a tiny fraction of one percent. But that's enough.
Robert A. HeinleinTake sides! Always take sides! You will sometimes be wrong - but the man who refuses to take sides must always be wrong.
Robert A. HeinleinThe two highest achievements of the human mind are the twin concepts of "loyalty" and "duty". Whenever these twin concepts fall into disrepute, get out of there fast! You may possibly save yourself, but it is too late to save that society. It is doomed.
Robert A. HeinleinNever do today what you can put off till tomorrow if tomorrow might improve the odds.
Robert A. Heinlein