Science is a way to not fool ourselves.
Carl SaganRead
Personally, I would be delighted if there were a life after death, especially if it permitted me to continue to learn about this world and others, if it gave me a chance to discover how history turns out.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a desire for life after death as a means to further explore knowledge and the unfolding of history.
In this quote, Carl Sagan reflects on the concept of life after death, suggesting that he would find great joy in the possibility of continuing his quest for knowledge beyond this life. He emphasizes the importance of learning and discovery, not just about our own world, but also about the mysteries of the universe and the outcomes of historical events, highlighting a deep curiosity and a longing for understanding.
Themes
LifeDeathKnowledgeLearningHistoryCuriosity
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the afterlife at a philosophical gathering.
More from Carl Sagan
All quotes βIn 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 an ineffable mystery that underlies ourselves and the world. It is the darkness from which the light shines. When you recognize the integrity of the universe and that death is as certain as birth, then you can relax and accept that this is the way it is. There is nothing else to do.
Alan WattsRead
I came to Party Crashing because accidents happen. People you love will die. Nothing you treasure will last forever. And I need to accept and embrace that fact.
Chuck PalahniukRead
Every breath you take, you are getting closer to the grave. But every breath you take, you can also get closer to your liberation.
Jaggi VasudevRead
When I tell the truth, it is not for the sake of convincing those who do not know it, but for the sake of defending those that do.
William BlakeRead
Advertising is an environmental striptease for a world of abundance.
Marshall McluhanRead
Everyone succumbs to finitude. I suspect I am not the only one who reaches this pluperfect state. Most ambitions are either achieved or abandoned; either way, they belong to the past. The future, instead of the ladder toward the goals of life, flattens out into a perpetual present.
Paul KalanithiRead