Neil deGrasse Tyson

Astrophysicist, science communicator

Contemporary influential 195 sayings

Sayings by Neil deGrasse Tyson

I often think about how small we are in the grand scheme of things, and it makes me feel both humbled and empowered.

2015 — Speech
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I'm not a fan of dogma. I prefer to let the evidence speak for itself.

2016 — Interview
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The universe doesn't care about your feelings. It just is.

2013 — Twitter
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I'm not a fan of people who try to cram their beliefs down your throat. I prefer to share information, and let people make up their own minds.

2017 — Interview
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The most important thing is to never stop asking questions.

2014 — Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I think the universe is a lot weirder than we give it credit for.

2018 — Interview
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I'm not a fan of people who think they have all the answers. The universe is too vast and complex for anyone to have all the answers.

2019 — Interview
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

My ideal day involves a lot of reading, a lot of thinking, and a lot of looking up at the stars.

2014 — Reddit AMA
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I think the best way to learn is to teach.

2020 — Interview
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I'm glad to be alive to see the universe unfold.

2014 — Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.

2013 — Interview with Inc. Magazine
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The more I learn about the universe, the less convinced I am that there’s some sort of benevolent intelligence behind it.

2014 — Interview with The Guardian
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I'm often asked whether I believe in God. I'm an agnostic.

2012 — Interview with Big Think
Controversial Unverifiable

You know, the nice thing about science is that it’s an equal-opportunity destroyer of belief systems.

2014 — Interview on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Controversial Unverifiable

Intelligent design, as I understand it, means that you have an intelligent designer somewhere. And the problem with that is, if you’re going to invoke an intelligent designer, you have to ask, 'Who designed the intelligent designer?'

2007 — Interview on PBS NewsHour
Controversial Unverifiable

When you look at the universe, and you have no idea what it is, then you turn to superstition.

2012 — Interview with Big Think
Controversial Unverifiable

I'm not a fan of people who say, 'I believe in science.' Science is not a belief system. Science is a method.

2017 — Twitter
Controversial Unverifiable

The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.

Unknown, widely circulated — Attributed, often shared online
Controversial Unverifiable

If you are scientifically literate, the world looks very different to you, and that difference, I think, is a difference for the better.

2014 — Interview with BillMoyers.com
Controversial Unverifiable

My goal is to get people to think — to understand that the universe is larger than them and their problems.

2014 — Interview with The Daily Beast
Controversial Unverifiable