Shocking Sayings

4,673 sayings found

Category

All Controversial Humorous Philosophical Shocking Strange & Unusual

Era

All Eras Ancient Contemporary Early Modern Medieval Modern

I demand of you, and of the whole world, that you show me a generic character... by which to distinguish between Man and Ape. I myself most assuredly know of none. But perhaps I should still do it according to the rules of science.

— Carl Linnaeus 1747
Shocking

Homo Sapiens. Diurnus; varians cultura, loco. Europaeus albus, Asiaticus luridus, Africanus niger, Americanus rufus.

— Carl Linnaeus 1758 (10th edition of Systema Naturae)
Shocking

To live by medicine is to live horribly.

— Carl Linnaeus Undetermined, 18th Century
Shocking

What remains to be said is of so novel and unheard of a character that I not only fear injury to myself from the envy of a few, but I tremble lest I have mankind at large for my enemies, so much to wont and custom that become as another nature, and d…

— William Harvey 1628
Shocking

I have often wondered and even laughed at those who fancied that everything had been so consummately and absolutely investigated by an Aristotle or a Galen or some other mighty name, that nothing could by any possibility be added to their knowledge.

— William Harvey Undetermined, likely early 17th Century
Shocking

Those by nature overweight, die earlier than the slim.

— Hippocrates c. 460–370 BCE (approximate)
Shocking

To eat when you are sick, is to feed your sickness.

— Hippocrates c. 460–370 BCE (approximate)
Shocking

The most damaging phrase in the language is: 'It's always been done that way.'

— Grace Hopper Late 20th century (often cited in articles from the 1980s)
Shocking

You don't manage people; you manage things. You lead people.

— Grace Hopper Late 20th century (often cited in articles from the 1980s)
Shocking

They told me computers could only do arithmetic.

— Grace Hopper Mid-20th century, often recounted in later interviews.
Shocking

Developing a compiler was a logical move; but in matters like this, you don't run against logic — you run against people who can't change their minds.

— Grace Hopper Mid-to-late 20th century, recounted in interviews.
Shocking

If one ox could not do the job they did not try to grow a bigger ox, but used two oxen. When we need greater computer power, the answer is not to get a bigger computer, but... to build systems of computers and operate them in parallel.

— Grace Hopper Late 20th century, recounted in interviews.
Shocking

The most important thing I've accomplished, other than building the compiler, is training young people.

— Grace Hopper Late 20th century (often cited)
Shocking

I've always been more interested in the future than in the past.

— Grace Hopper Late 20th century (often cited)
Shocking

At any given moment, there is always a line representing what your boss will believe. If you step over it, you will not get your budget. Go as close to that line as you can.

— Grace Hopper Late 20th century, recounted in interviews.
Shocking

You don't teach people how to be curious. You give them the tools through which they can express their curiosity.

— Grace Hopper Late 20th century (often cited)
Shocking

The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping from the old ones.

— Grace Hopper Late 20th century (often cited)
Shocking

Anyone who attempts to generate random numbers by deterministic means is, of course, living in a state of sin.

— John von Neumann Mid-20th century
Shocking

I am thinking about something much more important than bombs. I am thinking about computers.

— John von Neumann Mid-20th century
Shocking

It is just as foolish to complain that people are selfish and treacherous as it is to complain that the magnetic field does not increase unless the electric field has a curl. Both are laws of nature.

— John von Neumann Mid-20th century
Shocking