Carl Friedrich Gauss

One should never try to prove something that is not almost obvious.

The charm of mathematics appears only to those who have the courage to go more deeply into it.

It is not the possession of truth, but the success which attends the seeking after it, that enriches the seeker and brings happiness to him.

The study of mathematics, from the earliest stages, requires a certain asceticism of thought which is not without its own charm.

I have had my best ideas while lying in bed in the morning in a state of semi-consciousness.

The dignity of the scientist lies in his duty to study nature not for any practical end, but for the love of truth.

It is the duty of every true man to prefer the truth to his friends.

The mind of man is more intuitive than logical, and comprehends more than it can demonstrate.

A mathematical problem should be difficult in order to entice us, yet not completely inaccessible, lest it mock at our efforts.

The greatest mathematicians, as Archimedes, Newton, and Gauss, always united theory and applications in equal measure.

I am never in a hurry; I work with the deliberation and caution of a medieval alchemist.

The discovery which has been pointed to by theory is always one of the most important steps in scientific progress.

The world of ideas is not revealed to us in one stroke; we must both consecrate ourselves to the service of truth and ready ourselves for a progressive revelation.

It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.

The pleasure we obtain from a scientific discovery is not in the mere fact of knowing, but in the act of learning.

I have sometimes thought that the way to make mathematics more attractive would be to emphasize its human aspect, its history, and the lives of its creators.

The solution of a difficult problem in mathematics is a source of immense delight.