"Suppose you meet a man who asks you what your field of endeavor is and you tell him that you are the world's greatest living vertebrate paleontologist, which is, of course, what you are. And suppose that, on hearing this, the man you meet fixes you with a glittering eye and proceeds to lecture you for five hours on vertebrate paleontology, getting all his facts wrong, yet somehow leaving you unable to argue them. You will then have met Campbell."
React to this quote
More by John W. Campbell
See allResonant Thoughts
"Even with this abbreviated sketch of the process of fertilization, one thing is obvious. When biologists object to statements about life beginning at conception, they are not splitting hairs or being …"
Explore Further
Related Quotes
"I am sufficiently intelligent to be able to differentiate between real falsehood, which is aimed at hurting…"
— Stig Dagerman"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be."
— Kurt Vonnegut Jr."Life teaches us the right path is rarely the easy one."
— Roy T. Bennett"Knowledge is employed in the service of the necessity of life and primarily in the service of the instinct …"
— Miguel de Unamuno"As you grow up, always tell the truth, do no harm to others, and don't think you are the most important bei…"
— Harper Lee"I'd like to think I was reborn May 27, 1999 . Everything changed once I held in my arms, and those innocent…"
— Johnny Depp