WIST Quotations

Feynman, Richard -- Speech (1955-11), “The Value of Science,” National Academy of Sciences Autumn Meeting, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena

Dave — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 22:31:53 +0000

If we want to solve a problem that we have never solved before, we must leave the door to the unknown ajar.

Richard Feynman (1918-1988) American physicist
Speech (1955-11), “The Value of Science,” National Academy of Sciences Autumn Meeting, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
(Source)

Reprinted in What Do You Care What Other People Think? (1988).

Feyman used this general construction on multiple occasions, e.g., in a speech (1964-09), "What Is and What Should Be the Role of Scientific Culture in Modern Society," Galileo Symposium, Florence, Italy (reprinted in The Pleasure of Finding Things Out, ch. 4 (1999) [ed. Jeffrey Robbins]):

In order to make progress, one must leave the door to the unknown ajar -- ajar only.

Martin, Graham Dunstan -- Shadows in the Cave (1990)

Dave — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 14:42:54 +0000

Dogma thinks it knows. Belief knows it does not. Dogma is credulous. Belief is sceptical, but forever open-minded.

Graham Dunstan Martin (1932-2021) British author, translator, philologist
Shadows in the Cave (1990)

Stephens, Bret -- “The Dying Art of Disagreement,” Lecture, Lowy Institute Media Award dinner, Sydney (23 Sep 2017)

Dave — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 15:47:01 +0000

To disagree well you must first understand well. You have to read deeply, listen well, watch closely. You need to grant your adversary moral respect; give him the intellectual benefit of doubt; have sympathy for his motives and participate empathically with his line of reasoning. And you need to allow for the possibility that you might yet be persuaded of what he has to say.

Bret Stephens (b. 1973) American journalist, editor, columnist
“The Dying Art of Disagreement,” Lecture, Lowy Institute Media Award dinner, Sydney (23 Sep 2017)
(Source)

Reprinted in the New York Times (24 Sep 2017)

Franklin, Benjamin -- Letter to Josiah and Abiah Franklin (13 Apr 1738)

Dave — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 14:57:31 +0000

But since it is no more in a Man’s Power to think than to look like another, methinks all that should be expected from me is to keep my Mind open to Conviction, to hear patiently and examine attentively whatever is offered me for that end; and if after all I continue in the same Errors, I believe your usual Charity will induce you rather to pity and excuse than blame me.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
Letter to Josiah and Abiah Franklin (13 Apr 1738)
(Source)

His parents.

Nash, Ogden -- “Seeing Eye to Eye is Believing,” Good Intentions (1942)

Dave — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 16:46:23 +0000

Everybody has something about which they are proud to be broad-minded but they also have other things about which you would be wasting your breath if you tried to convince them that they were a bigot.

Ogden Nash (1902-1971) American poet
“Seeing Eye to Eye is Believing,” Good Intentions (1942)
(Source)

~Other -- “Cutler Webster’s Law,” in P. Dickson (ed.), The Official Rules (1978)

Dave — Wed, 20 May 2020 20:26:22 +0000

There are two sides to every argument, unless a person is personally involved, in which case there is only one.

(Other Authors and Sources)
“Cutler Webster’s Law,” in P. Dickson (ed.), The Official Rules (1978)

Harris, Sydney J. -- Pieces of Eight (1982)

Dave — Mon, 27 May 2019 18:56:01 +0000

Youth finds no value in the views it disagrees with, but maturity includes discovering that even an opinion contrary to ours may contain a vein of truth we could profitably assimilate to our own views.

Sydney J. Harris (1917-1986) Anglo-American columnist, journalist, author
Pieces of Eight (1982)
(Source)

Pratchett, Terry -- Bromeliad No. 2, Diggers, ch. 3 (1990)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.

Terry Pratchett (1948-2015) English author
Bromeliad No. 2, Diggers, ch. 3 (1990)
(Source)