There are many things that people do happily that I can't imagine why they would do it... But I have to say that even though I am critical or judgmental of society at large I'm not critical of people individually. We are who we are.

Although images of perfection in people's personal lives can cause unhappiness images of perfect societies - utopian images - can cause monstrous evil. In fact forcefully changing society to conform to societal images was the greatest cause of evil in the twentieth century.

The most unpardonable sin in society is independence of thought.

Similarly thought is a system. That system not only includes thought and feelings but it includes the state of the body it includes the whole of society - as thought is passing back and forth between people in a process by which thought evolved from ancient times.

One of the marks of a truly vigorous society is the ability to dispense with passion as a midwife of action - the ability to pass directly from thought to action.

Although I don't have a prescription for what others should do I know I have been very fortunate and feel a responsibility to give back to society in a very significant way.

A society made up of individuals who were all capable of original thought would probably be unendurable.

Perhaps in time the so-called Dark Ages will be thought of as including our own.

I think I've always had a certain amount of skepticism of this whole 'shut up and smile' theory. I haven't ever swallowed that pill so easily although I tried.

Go forget me - why should sorrow O'er that brow a shadow fling? Go forget me - and tomorrow brightly smile and sweetly sing. Smile - though I shall not be near thee Sing - though I shall never hear thee.

The man who can smile when things go wrong has thought of someone else he can blame it on.

Remember even though the outside world might be raining if you keep on smiling the sun will soon show its face and smile back at you.

I dig science fiction though it was never really my thing.

Anthropologists are a connecting link between poets and scientists though their field-work among primitive peoples has often made them forget the language of science.

Beyond that I seem to be compelled to write science fiction rather than fantasy or mysteries or some other genre more likely to climb onto bestseller lists even though I enjoy reading a wide variety of literature both fiction and nonfiction.

The virtues of science are skepticism and independence of thought.

As a kid I wanted to write science fiction and I was never without a book. Later I really got into being a scientist and never thought I'd be writing novels.