Nothing important was ever accomplished without chutzpah. Columbus had chutzpah. The signers of the Declaration of Independence had chutzpah. Don't ever aim doubt at yourself. Laugh at yourself, but don't doubt yourself. Alan Alda More Quotes by Alan Alda More Quotes From Alan Alda I play tennis non-obsessively. I seem to beat people I play a lot or half the time, so I guess I gravitate to people who are as bad as I am. Alan Alda tennis play people There are two things that I get a lot of pleasure from in my life, and that is, doing what I know how to do well - that really makes me happy. The other one, and probably an equal pleasure, is finding out how I can be helpful and then really being helpful. Alan Alda helpful pleasure two I'm in this wonderful position where I can do what interests me. And whatever comes along that interests me, I do. The rest of the time I bother scientists about communicating. Alan Alda scientist interest wonderful The one hour live debate in the West Wing that we did was one of the most exciting times for me on stage or on camera, because anything could go wrong. Alan Alda debate hours exciting I'm very interested in the improvisation because one of the things I do is to help train scientists to communicate in a better way and more personal way when they're making a presentation, and I use improvisation to do that. Alan Alda use helping way My relationship with science is as someone who's curious and hungry to know, hungry to understand. So all I have to offer is my ignorance and my curiosity, which is a good combination, as long as they come together. Alan Alda curiosity ignorance long It's a funny feeling to work with people who you consider your colleagues and to realize that they actually are young enough to be your children. Alan Alda you work funny children Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in while, or the light won't come in. Alan Alda your own light world The meaning of life is life. Alan Alda meaning meaning-of-life life When I am at a dinner table, I love to ask everybody, 'How long do you think our species might last?' I've read that the average age of a species, of any species, is about two million years. Is it possible we can have an average life span as a species? And do you picture us two million years more or a million and a half years, or 5,000? Alan Alda i-am age love life I love oatmeal. To me, it's not boring. I agree that ordinary oatmeal is very boring, but not the steel-cut Irish kind - the kind that pops in your mouth when you bite into it in little glorious bursts like a sort of gummy champagne. Alan Alda me you food love The idea that the brain is not fully formed until you are almost 30 years old has already been introduced, and the Supreme Court already has based two rulings on it. Alan Alda old you brain two Begin challenging your assumptions. Your assumptions are the windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile or the light won't come in. Alan Alda assumptions your light world Marie Curie is my hero. Few people have accomplished something so rare - changing science. And as hard as that is, she had to do it against the tide of the culture at the time - the prejudice against her as a foreigner, because she was born in Poland and worked in France. And the prejudice against her as a woman. Alan Alda woman hero time science You can watch actors create their illusions, but if you don't see where they get the pigeons from, you don't really know how they're doing it. Alan Alda doing see know you My father sang well, and he was a handsome man. When he walked down the street, people sometimes mistook him for Cary Grant and asked for his autograph. Alan Alda man handsome father people Be fair with others, but then keep after them until they're fair with you. Alan Alda keep fair others you No, I never thought about my image. It interests me that there are people who do, that they seem to be methodical about it. Alan Alda never thought me people You can't be aware of everything. You'd fall down the stairs if you were aware of every intricate thing involved in going down stairs. Alan Alda down you stairs fall
