Isaac Asimov's most famous quotes
The top 3 according to 3 votes from people: A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. · Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. · Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right.. (Updated May 22, 2023.)
From the First Law of Robotics and 'violence is the last refuge of the incompetent' to the 'cult of ignorance': Isaac Asimov's lines with their source, from the Foundation books to his memoirs, plus the 'That's funny…' one, which has no solid source.
Automatically translated (original in Português). See the original
Top 12
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1
A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
First Law of Robotics, in the story 'Runaround' (1942), later in I, Robot.
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2
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.
Foundation (1951), Salvor Hardin.
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3
Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right.
Foundation (1951).
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4
You can prove anything you want by coldly logical reason, if you pick the proper postulates.
I, Robot (1950).
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5
The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.
Isaac Asimov's Book of Science and Nature Quotations (1988).
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6
There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been.
'A Cult of Ignorance', Newsweek, 21 January 1980.
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7
Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is.
'Science Past, Science Future' (1975).
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8
Ideas are cheap. It's only what you do with them that counts.
'The Secrets of the Universe' (1989).
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9
If anyone can be considered the greatest writer who ever lived, it is Shakespeare.
Asimov's Chronology of the World (1991).
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10
'Type faster.'
Asimov Laughs Again (1992): his answer to Barbara Walters on what he'd do with six months to live; he complained people quoted it as 'six minutes'.
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11
The most exciting phrase to hear in science is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny…'
Attributed: it turns up in 1987 in the Fortune computer program, with no source in his work.
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12
Writing is hard work. The fact that I love doing it doesn't make it less hard work.
In Joy Still Felt (1980), memoirs.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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