Civilization will reach maturity only when it learns to value diversity of character and of ideas. Arthur C. Clarke More Quotes by Arthur C. Clarke More Quotes From Arthur C. Clarke All human plans [are] subject to ruthless revision by Nature, or Fate, or whatever one preferred to call the powers behind the Universe. Arthur C. Clarke revision ruthless fate One of the great tragedies of mankind is that morality has been hijacked by religion. So now people assume that religion and morality have a necessary connection. But the basis of morality is really very simple and doesn't require religion at all. Arthur C. Clarke tragedy simple people People go through four stages before any revolutionary development: 1. It's nonsense, don't waste my time. 2. It's interesting, but not important. 3. I always said it was a good idea. 4. I thought of it first. Arthur C. Clarke change people ideas What was more, they had taken the first step toward genuine friendship. They had exchanged vulnerabilities. Arthur C. Clarke taken steps firsts Religion is a byproduct of fear. Arthur C. Clarke The greatest tragedy in mankind's entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion. Arthur C. Clarke tragedy atheist religion It will be possible in a few more years to build radio controlled rockets which can be steered into such orbits beyond the limits of the atmosphere and left to broadcast scientific information back to the Earth. A little later, manned rockets will be able to make similar flights with sufficient excess power to break the orbit and return to Earth. (1945) [Predicting communications satellites.] Arthur C. Clarke communication science years How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean. Arthur C. Clarke nautical ocean interesting A wise man once said that all human activity is a form of play. And the highest form of play is the search for Truth, Beauty and Love. What more is needed? Should there be a ‘meaning’ as well, that will be a bonus? If we waste time looking for life’s meaning, we may have no time to live — or to play. Arthur C. Clarke beauty-and-love wise men As our own species is in the process of proving, one cannot have superior science and inferior morals. The combination is unstable and self-destroying. Arthur C. Clarke ethics self science Finally, I would like to assure my many Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim friends that I am sincerely happy that the religion which Chance has given you has contributed to your peace of mind (and often, as Western medical science now reluctantly admits, to your physical well-being). Perhaps it is better to be un-sane and happy, than sane and un-happy. But it is the best of all to be sane and happy. Whether our descendants can achieve that goal will be the greatest challenge of the future. Indeed, it may well decide whether we have any future. Arthur C. Clarke buddhist goal christian If we have learned one thing from the history of invention and discovery, it is that, in the long run-and often in the short one-the most daring prophecies seem laughably conservative. Arthur C. Clarke running discovery science Only feeble minds are paralyzed by facts. Arthur C. Clarke feeble-minds mind facts Across the gulf of centuries, the blind smile of Homer is turned upon our age. Along the echoing corridors of time, the roar of the rockets merges now with the creak of the wind-taut rigging. For somewhere in the world today, still unconscious of his destiny, walks the boy who will be the first Odysseus of the Age of Space. Arthur C. Clarke future destiny boys And because, in all the Galaxy, they had found nothing more precious than Mind, they encouraged its dawning everywhere. They became farmers in the fields of stars; they sowed, and sometimes they reaped. And sometimes, dispassionately, they had to weed. Arthur C. Clarke weed stars mind You will find men like him in all of the world's religions. They know that we represent reason and science, and, however confident they may be in their beliefs, they fear that we will overthrow their gods. Not necessarily through any deliberate act, but in a subtler fashion. Science can destroy a religion by ignoring it as well as by disproving its tenets. No one ever demonstrated, so far as I am aware, the nonexistance of Zeus or Thor, but they have few followers now. Arthur C. Clarke fashion men religion When beauty is universal, it loses its power to move the heart, and only its absence can produce any emotional effect. Arthur C. Clarke heart beauty moving We over estimate technology in the short term and under estimate technology in the long term. Arthur C. Clarke term technology long The best measure of a man's honesty isn't his income tax return. It's the zero adjust on his bathroom scale. Arthur C. Clarke funny-life zero business If children have interests, then education happens. Arthur C. Clarke interest happens children
