“Nothing inspires more reverence and awe in me than an old man who knows how to change his mind.”

“Any man could, if he were so inclined, be the sculptor of his own brain.”

“Heroes and scholars represent the opposite extremes... The scholar struggles for the benefit of all humanity, sometimes to reduce physical effort, sometimes to reduce pain, and sometimes to postpone death, or at least render it more bearable. In contrast, the patriot sacrifices a rather substantial part of humanity for the sake of his own prestige. His statue is always erected on a pedestal of ruins and corpses... In contrast, all humanity crowns a scholar, love forms the pedestal of his statues, and his triumphs defy the desecration of time and the judgment of history.”

“As long as our brain is a mystery, the universe, the reflection of the structure of the brain will also be a mystery.”

“I won't ask you to tell me who has spoken ill of me, but I would like to know who has spoken favorably.”

“I used to think all drunks were idiots, but I don't anymore; I've changed my mind about idiots.”

“How can you know what you're capable of if you don't embrace the unknown?”