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At this very moment enormous numbers of intelligent men and women of goodwill are trying to build a better world. But problems are born faster than they can be solved.

B. F. Skinner

To say that behaviors have different ‘meanings’ is only another way of saying that they are controlled by different variables.
B. F. SKINNER

Control Deep Different Way
Give me a child and I’ll shape him into anything.
B. F. SKINNER

Children Education Himself Myself
A fourth-grade reader may be a sixth-grade mathematician. The grade is an administrative device which does violence to the nature of the developmental process.
B. F. SKINNER

Development Mathematics Nature Process Reading Violence
We have not yet seen what man can make of man.
B. F. SKINNER

Change Men Science See Transformation
We admire people to the extent that we cannot explain what they do, and the word ‘admire’ then means ‘marvel at.’
B. F. SKINNER

Admire Explanation Extent People Word
That’s all teaching is; arranging contingencies which bring changes in behavior.
B. F. SKINNER

Behavior Change Teaching Transformation
To say that behaviors have different ‘meanings’ is only another way of saying that they are controlled by different variables.
B. F. SKINNER

Control Deep Different Way
Do not intervene between a person and the consequences of their own behavior.
B. F. SKINNER

Attitude Judgement Person
When we say that a man controls himself, we must specify who is controlling whom.
B. F. SKINNER

Control Himself Men
A first principle not formally recognized by scientific methodologists: when you run into something interesting, drop everything else and study it.
B. F. SKINNER

Principle Recognition Run Study Yourself
A piece of music is an experience to be taken by itself.
B. F. SKINNER

Experience Music Pieces
The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.
B. F. SKINNER

Problem Reality Science Technology
No one asks how to motivate a baby. A baby naturally explores everything it can get at, unless restraining forces have already been at work. And this tendency doesn’t die out, it’s wiped out.
B. F. SKINNER

Baby Curiosity Death Education Force Motivational Work
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.
B. F. SKINNER

Education Failure Give Up Inspirational Mistake Perseverance Reality Stop Try
The way positive reinforcement is carried out is more important than the amount.
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Carry Important Positive Reality Way
We do not choose survival as a value, it chooses us.
B. F. SKINNER

Choice Survive Value

At this very moment enormous numbers of intelligent men and women of goodwill are trying to build a better world. But problems are born faster than they can be solved.

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At this very moment enormous numbers of intelligent men and women of goodwill are trying to build a better world. But problems are born faster than they can be solved.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More B. F. Skinner Quotes