A scientist may not be sure of the answer, but he’s often sure he can find one. And that’s a condition which is clearly not enjoyed by philosophy.
B. F. SKINNERChaos breeds geniuses. It offers a man something to be a genius about.
More B. F. Skinner Quotes
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The real question is not whether machines think but whether men do. The mystery which surrounds a thinking machine already surrounds a thinking man.
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We are only just beginning to understand the power of love because we are just beginning to understand the weakness of force and aggression.
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…not everyone is willing to defend a position of ‘not knowing.’ There is no virtue in ignorance for its own sake.
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Society already possesses the psychological techniques needed to obtain universal observance of a code – a code which would guarantee the success of a community or state. The difficulty is that these techniques are in the hands of the wrong people-or, rather, there aren’t any right people.
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If the world is to save any part of its resources for the future, it must reduce not only consumption but the number of consumers.
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If freedom is a requisite for human happiness, then all that’s necessary is to provide the illusion of freedom.
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The consequences of an act affect the probability of its occurring again.
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Give me a child and I’ll shape him into anything.
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A person’s genetic endowment, a product of the evolution of the species, is said to explain part of the workings of his mind and his personal history the rest.
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Somehow people get the idea I think we should be given gumdrops whenever we do anything of value.
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A permissive government is a government that leaves control to other sources.
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When we say that a man controls himself, we must specify who is controlling whom.
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A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying.
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Science is a willingness to accept facts even when they are opposed to wishes.
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Let men be happy, informed, skillful, well behaved, and productive.
B. F. SKINNER







