Jack McDevitt Quotes - Page 2

Quotes about:

• Courage is perhaps our most admirable trait. The man, or woman, who possesses it is able to plunge ahead, despite dangers, despite warnings, despite hazards of all kinds, to attack the task at hand. Often, it is indistinguishable from stupidity.

  Jack McDevitt

  Men, Hands, Stupidity

  Jack McDevitt (2013). “Odyssey (Academy - Book 5): Academy -”, p.251, Hachette UK

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• There is no justice. There are occasional acts of vengeance, or regret, but there's no real justice. In the natural scheme of things, it is not possible.

  Jack McDevitt

  Regret, Real, Justice

  Jack McDevitt (2013). “Odyssey (Academy - Book 5): Academy -”, p.410, Hachette UK

  4 Copy quote

• Katie commented that Americans had lost the ability to enjoy themselves. "We watch television," Dave said.

  Jack McDevitt

  Watches, Television, Dave

  "Time Travelers Never Die". Book by Jack McDevitt, 2009.

  4 Copy quote

• The Peacekeepers had a tradition that every problem had a solution. It was a nice slogan. Wasn't true, but it sounded good.

  Jack McDevitt

  Nice, Problem, Tradition

  "Chindi". Book by Jack McDevitt, 2002.

  4 Copy quote

• If you want data to survive, carve it in rock.

  Jack McDevitt

  Rocks, Data, Want

  Jack McDevitt (2013). “Cauldron (Academy - Book 6): Academy -”, p.268, Hachette UK

  4 Copy quote

• The uplifters are forever running around telling blockheads they would do better if they would believe in themselves. But they already do. That is why they are blockheads.

  Jack McDevitt

  Running, Believe, Forever

  "Odyssey". Book by Jack McDevitt, 2006.

  16 Copy quote

• But, come to think of it, there was no need to wait. Time travelers don't have to wait for anybody.

  Jack McDevitt

  Thinking, Waiting, Needs

  Jack McDevitt (2009). “Time Travelers Never Die”, p.50, Penguin

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• I'm prepared to concede that stupidity does not help survival. One must after all understand not to poke a tiger with a stick. But intelligence leads to curiosity, and curiosity has never been a quality that helps one pour his or her genes into the pool. The truth must lie somewhere between. Whatever the reason, it is clearly mediocrity, at best, that lives and breeds.

  Jack McDevitt

  Lying, Stupidity, Survival

  4 Copy quote

• Boundaries have no existence save on charts or in small minds. Nature does not draw lines.

  Jack McDevitt

  Mind, Doe, Lines

  Jack McDevitt (2013). “A Talent for War (Alex Benedict - Book 1): Alex Benedict -”, p.331, Hachette UK

  5 Copy quote

• People tend to believe that good fortune consists of equal parts talent, hard work, and sheer luck. It's hard to deny the roles of the latter two. As to talent, I would only say it consists primarily in finding the right moment to step in.

  Jack McDevitt

  Believe, Hard Work, Two

  Jack McDevitt (2003). “Chindi”, p.27, Penguin

  4 Copy quote

• The secret to a successful career in virtually any field is good public relations. Forget results. Forget the facts. Perception is all that matters.

  Jack McDevitt

  Successful, Careers, Perception

  4 Copy quote

• Solitude is only a good idea if you have the right people along to share it.

  Jack McDevitt

  Ideas, People, Solitude

  4 Copy quote

• There's not much to be said for sightseeing. You go somewhere that has a waterfall. You have a beer, watch the water go over the edge, and move on. Tours are all the same. In the end, the only thing that matters is the beer.

  Jack McDevitt

  Moving, Beer, Water

  Jack McDevitt (2013). “Odyssey (Academy - Book 5): Academy -”, p.172, Hachette UK

  23 Copy quote

• Certain types of decisions can be safely ignored. Some issues will go away with the passage of time, others will be so slow developing that the decision-makers will depart before the results of their neglect becomes manifest. Which brings us to the environment.

  Jack McDevitt

  Issues, Decision, Going Away

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• Intelligence is like pornography. I can't define it, but I know if when I see it.

  Jack McDevitt

  Pornography, Knows, Ifs

  Jack McDevitt (2013). “Odyssey (Academy - Book 5): Academy -”, p.151, Hachette UK

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• Most of us sleepwalk through our lives. We take all its glories, its wine, food, love, and friendship, its sunsets and its stars, its poetry and fireplaces and laughter, for granted. We forget that experience is not, or should not be, a casual encounter, but rather an embrace. Consequently, for too many of us, when we come to the end, we wonder where the years have gone. And we suspect we have not lived.

  Jack McDevitt

  Stars, Laughter, Wine

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• All of the important things ... will turn out to be universally shared. It's why there will be no true aliens.

  Jack McDevitt

  Important, Aliens, Turns

  Jack McDevitt (1995). “The Engines of God”, p.99, Penguin

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• Technological civilizations don't last long. You're all right until you get a printing press. Then a race starts between technology and common sense. And maybe technology always wins.

  Jack McDevitt

  Winning, Technology, Civilization

  Jack McDevitt (2007). “Cauldron”, p.247, Penguin

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• One could not always put safety up front as the prime goal. Do that, and who would ever achieve anything of note?

  Jack McDevitt

  Safety, Goal, Achieve

  Jack McDevitt (2003). “Chindi”, p.269, Penguin

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• What would happen is that people like Geroge and Alyx would grow old and die chasing a dream. Although there were probably worse things to do with one's life.

  Jack McDevitt

  Dream, People, Chasing

  Jack McDevitt (2003). “Chindi”, p.236, Penguin

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• So long as you believe in some truth you do not believe in yourself. You are a servant. A man of faith.

  Jack McDevitt

  Believe, Men, Long

  Jack McDevitt (2003). “Chindi”, p.225, Penguin

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• The cultures we can look at had already grasped the essential unity of nature. No board of gods can survive that knowledge.

  Jack McDevitt

  Unity, Essentials, Boards

  Jack McDevitt (1995). “The Engines of God”, p.99, Penguin

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• We could never know who we truly were until we heard the whispers of the stars.

  Jack McDevitt

  Stars, Heard, Knows

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• It can provide horrendous weapons to idiots.

  Jack McDevitt

  Weapons, Idiot

  Jack McDevitt (2007). “Cauldron”, p.241, Penguin

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• Truth, beaten down, may well rise again. But there's a reason it gets beaten down. Usually, we don't like it very much.

  Jack McDevitt

  May, Reason, Wells

  "Odyssey (Academy, Book 5)". Book by Jack McDevitt, September 2006.

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