The temptation was great to muster what force we could and put up a fight. It's the easiest way out, and the most satisfactory to self-respect--but, nearly invariably, the stupidest. Isaac Asimov More Quotes by Isaac Asimov More Quotes From Isaac Asimov Having no unusual coincidence is far more unusual than any coincidence could possibly be. Isaac Asimov coincidence-in-life unusual coincidence One thought that occurs to me is that men will continue to withdraw from nature in order to create an environment that will suit them better. Isaac Asimov suits men order The advance of genetic engineering makes it quite conceivable that we will begin to design our own evolutionary progress. Isaac Asimov engineering progress design It's just science fiction so it's allowed to be silly, and childish, and stupid. It's just science fiction, so it doesn't have to make sense. It's just science fiction, so you must ask nothing more of it than loud noises and flashing lights. Isaac Asimov light stupid silly A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws. Isaac Asimov robots law long Custom is second nature. Be accustomed to a bald head, sufficiently accustomed, and hair on it would seem monstrous. Isaac Asimov accustomed seems hair The bible must be seen in a cultural context. It didn't just happen. These stories are retreads. But, tell a Christian that Isaac Asimov christian stories book The Tyranni rule fifty worlds; they are outnumbered hundreds to one. In such a position, simple force is insufficient. Devious methods, intrigue, assassination are their specialties. The net they weave across space is a wide one, and close-meshed. I can well believe that it extends across five hundred light-years to Earth. Isaac Asimov space simple believe How many people is the earth able to sustain? Isaac Asimov able earth people There is no right to deny freedom to any object with a mind advanced enough to grasp the concept and desire the state. -(from "The Bicentennial Man) story) Isaac Asimov mind desire men Saying something is 'too bad' is easy. You say you disapprove, which makes you a nice person, and then you can go about your business and not be interested anymore. It's a lot worse than 'too bad.' It's against everything decent and natural. Isaac Asimov nice natural easy Life would be impossible on such a planet. It wouldn't get enough heat and light, and if it rotated there would be total darkness half of every day. There wouldn't be any native inhabitants. You couldn't expect life - which is fundamentally dependent on light - to develop under such extreme conditions of light deprivation. Half of every axial rotation spent in Darkness! No, nothing could exist under conditions like that. Isaac Asimov light darkness would-be Why is it, I wonder, that anyone who displays superior athletic ability is an object of admiration to his classmates, while one who displays superior mental ability is an object of hatred? Isaac Asimov admiration athletic hatred It is the invariable lesson to humanity that distance in time, and in space as well, lends focus. It is not recorded, incidentally, that the lesson has ever been permanently learned. Isaac Asimov distance focus space They absorb carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide and give out oxygen. What could be more desirable? And they look good in the bargain. Stop chopping down the rain forests and plant more saplings, and we're on our way. Isaac Asimov oxygen rain giving Fifty years," I hackneyed, "is a long time." "Not when you're looking back at them," she said. "You wonder how they vanished so quickly. Isaac Asimov fifty long years To those who are trained in science, creationism seems a bad dream, a sudden coming back to life of a nightmare, a renewed march of an Army of the Night risen to challenge free thought and enlightenment. Isaac Asimov army dream night The spell of power never quite releases its hold. Isaac Asimov release never-quit power Although the time of death is approaching me, I am not afraid of dying and going to Hell or (what would be considerably worse) going to the popularized version of Heaven. I expect death to be nothingness and, for removing me from all possible fears of death, I am thankful to atheism. Isaac Asimov atheist suicide death There is not a discovery in science, however revolutionary, however sparkling with insight, that does not arise out of what went before. Isaac Asimov revolutionary doe discovery