The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand.

—Lewis Thomas

About Lewis Thomas

Portrait of Lewis Thomas

Lewis Thomas (November 25, 1913 – December 3, 1993) was an American physician, poet, etymologist, essayist, administrator, educator, policy advisor, and biologist. He was a longtime contributor to The New England Journal of Medicine, and his essays were collected in several books. He received National Book Award in Arts and...

More quotations from Lewis Thomas

The only solid piece of scientific truth about which I feel totally confident is that we are profoundly ignorant about nature.

—Lewis Thomas

The cloning of humans is on most of the lists of things to worry about from Science, along with behaviour control, genetic engineering, transplanted heads, computer poetry and the unrestrained growth of plastic flowers.

—Lewis Thomas

We are, perhaps uniquely among the earth’s creatures, the worrying animal. We worry away our lives, fearing the future, discontent with the present, unable to take in the idea of dying, unable to sit still.

—Lewis Thomas

humanity life fear worrying discontent

More quotations tagged with “language”

Deeds, not words shall speak me.

—John Fletcher

For me, words are a form of action, capable of influencing change.

—Ingrid Bengis

Grasp the subject, the words will follow.

—Cato the Elder

High thoughts must have high language.

—Aristophanes

Let thy speech be short, comprehending much in a few words.

History

11 Jul 2015 Added