It is an error to imagine that evolution signifies a constant tendency to increased perfection. That process undoubtedly involves a constant remodelling of the organism in adaptation to new conditions but it depends on the nature of those conditions whether the directions of the modifications effected shall be upward or downward.

Thomas Huxley

Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.

Thomas Huxley

educational witty graduation

It is not who is right, but what is right, that is of importance.

Thomas Huxley

argument dignity humility

Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not. It is the first lesson that ought to be learned and however early a man's training begins, it is probably the last lesson that he learns thoroughly.

Thomas Huxley

education success life

The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of childhood into maturity.

Thomas Huxley

success life children

The foundation of all morality is to have done, once and for all, with lying; to give up pretending to believe that for which there is no evidence, and repeating unintelligible propositions about things beyond the possibilities of knowledge.

Thomas Huxley

giving-up believe lying

God give me strength to face a fact though it slay me.

Thomas Huxley

faces giving facts

Science is simply common sense at its best.

Thomas Huxley

math motivational science

It is far better for a man to go wrong in freedom than to go right in chains.

Thomas Huxley

freedom inspiring men

And you very soon find out, if you have not found it out before, that patience and tenacity of purpose are worth more than twice their weight of cleverness.

Thomas Huxley

patience inspirational life

The thief and the murderer follow nature just as much as the philanthropist.

Thomas Huxley

murderer thieves mankind

The great tragedy of science - the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.

Thomas Huxley

education beautiful beauty

Science commits suicide when it adopts a creed.

Thomas Huxley

suicide science believe

The man of science has learned to believe in justification, not by faith, but by verification.

Thomas Huxley

faith science believe

Science is simply common sense at its best, that is, rigidly accurate in observation, and merciless to fallacy in logic.

Thomas Huxley

common-sense logic science

In the world of letters, learning and knowledge are one, and books are the source of both; whereas in science, as in life, learning and knowledge are distinct, and the study of things, and not of books, is the source of the latter.

Thomas Huxley

book world knowledge

The improver of natural knowledge absolutely refuses to acknowledge authority, as such. For him, skepticism is the highest of duties; blind faith the one unpardonable sin.

Thomas Huxley

sin blind science

The results of political changes are hardly ever those which their friends hope or their foes fear.

Thomas Huxley

liberty politics political

Agnosticism, in fact, is not a creed, but a method, the essence of which lies in the rigorous application of a single principle. ... Positively the principle may be expressed: In matters of the intellect, follow your reason as far as it will take you, without regard to any other consideration. And negatively: In matters of the intellect, do not pretend that conclusions are certain which are not demonstrated or demonstrable.

Thomas Huxley

principles essence lying

The Bible account of the creation of Eve is a preposterous fable.

Thomas Huxley

fables creation bible

Proclaim human equality as loudly as you like, Witless will serve his brother.

Thomas Huxley

human-equality equality brother