Everything in nature is the result of fixed laws.
Charles DarwinRead
I have been speculating last night what makes a man a discoverer of undiscovered things. As far as I can conjecture the art consists in habitually searching for the causes and meaning of everything which occurs.
Interpretation
The essence of discovery lies in a persistent quest for understanding the causes and meanings behind events.
In this quote, Charles Darwin reflects on the nature of discovery, suggesting that it is not merely a matter of chance but rather a dedication to seeking out the underlying causes and meanings of occurrences. This mindset of inquiry and curiosity is what distinguishes a discoverer, highlighting the importance of continuous learning and critical thinking in the pursuit of knowledge.
In practice
During a lecture on scientific exploration, this quote can be used to inspire students about the importance of curiosity.
Everything in nature is the result of fixed laws.
The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.
I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science....It is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many flaw[s] & holes as sound parts.
We cannot fathom the marvelous complexity of an organic being; but on the hypothesis here advanced this complexity is much increased. Each living creature must be looked at as a microcosm--a little universe, formed of a host of self-propagating organisms, inconceivably minute and as numerous as the stars in heaven.
I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term of Natural Selection.
we are always slow in admitting any great change of which we do not see the intermediate steps
I'm merely trying to give you the sort of argument that would appeal to your intelligence.
"He sido un hombre afortunado en la vida, nada me ha sido facil." "I've been a fortunate man in life, nothing has come easy"
Our wise old church...has discovered that if you will act as if you believed belief will be given to you; if you pray with doubt, but pray with sincerity, your doubt will be dispelled; if you will surrender yourself to the beauty of that liturgy the power of which over the human spirit has been proved by the experience of the ages, peace will descend upon you.
When you have to prove the value of your ideas by persuading other people to pay for them, it clears out an awful lot of woolly thinking.
First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.
Do more than be fair: be kind.
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