“I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.”

“The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe.”

“When I am judging a theory, I ask myself whether, if I were God, I would have arranged the world in such a way.”

“When I was a fairly precocious young man I became thoroughly impressed with the futility of the hopes and strivings that chase most men restlessly through life. Moreover, I soon discovered the cruelty of that chase, which in those years was much more carefully covered up by hypocrisy and glittering words than is the case today. By the mere existence of his stomach everyone was condemned to participate in that chase. The stomach might well be satisfied by such participation, but not man insofar as he is a thinking and feeling being.”

“A man's ethical behaviour should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.”

“When Albert Einstein was asked what he would really like to know about the Universe he replied,'is it friendly?”

“I don't pretend to understand the universe — it's much bigger than I am.”