Science is a way to not fool ourselves.
Carl SaganRead
The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be. Our feeblest contemplations of the Cosmos stir us -- there is a tingling in the spine, a catch in the voice, a faint sensation, as if a distant memory, of falling from a height. We know we are approaching the greatest of mysteries.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the vastness of the universe and our deep emotional connection to it.
Carl Sagan's quote encapsulates the profound wonder and awe that humans feel when contemplating the universe. It suggests that exploring the cosmos evokes a sense of both curiosity and a recognition of our own insignificance, highlighting the mystery of existence and our place within it. This emotional response is not just an intellectual one; it resonates with deep-seated feelings of connection to the universe, as if we are tapping into a shared human experience of awe and humility in the face of the unknown.
Themes
CosmosUniverseMysteryWonderCuriosity
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture about the universe, one might say this quote to evoke wonder among students.
More from Carl Sagan
All quotes →In more than one respect, the exploring of the Solar System and homesteading other worlds constitutes the beginning, much more than the end, of history.
Carl SaganRead
How smart does a chimpanzee have to be before killing him constitutes murder?
Carl SaganRead
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.
Carl SaganRead
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.
Carl SaganRead
The simplest thought, like the concept of the number one, has an elaborate logical underpinning.
Carl SaganRead
Similar quotes
There is nothing wrong with underlining personal agency, but there is something unfair about using personal responsibility as a basis for assigning blame while simultaneously denying those who are being blamed the opportunity to exert agency in their lives
Paul FarmerRead
Those who look for the laws of Nature as a support for their new works collaborate with the creator.
Antonio GaudiRead
I lay there silently, hoarding my small dignity. I did not ask about the gate or the closet. I did not question the bedtime ritual where, on the cold bathroom tiles, I was spread out daily and examined for flaws. I did not know that my bones, those solids, those pieces of sculpture would not splinter.
Anne SextonRead
God is not a static thing...but a dynamic, pulsating activity, a life, almost a kind of drama. Almost, if you will not think me irreverent, a kind of dance.
C. S. LewisRead
There are a lot of children in Afghanistan, but little childhood.
Khaled HosseiniRead
The only time laughter is wicked is when it is turned against Him Who gave it.
Fulton J. SheenRead