Ceaseless optimism about the future only makes for a greater shock when things go wrong; by fighting to maintain only positive beliefs about the future, the positive thinker ends up being less prepared, and more acutely distressed, when things eventually happen that he can’t persuade himself to believe are good.

— Oliver Burkeman, The Antidote

If she thinks this formula is beautiful: eπi + 1 = 0, it is probably because there is no obvious reason why five of the most important constants in the universe should appear in the same equation.

— Francis Su, Mathematics for Human Flourishing

It is no longer a case of thinking for oneself, but rather of placing trust in another. And in that, no doubt, lies the most profound and significant difference between philosophy and religion.

— Luc Ferry, A Brief History of Thought

Worshipping rationality won’t make you sane any more than worshipping gravity enables you to fly.

— Eliezer Yudkowsky, How to Actually Change Your Mind

If conceptual integrity is the final goal, negotiation among peers is the classic recipe for bloated products! The result is design by committee, where none dare say “No” to another’s suggestion.

— Frederick P. Jr. Brooks, The Design of Design