Quote by Alfred North Whitehead

Necessity is the mother of invention is a silly proverb. Necessity is the mother of futile dodges is much closer to the truth. The basis of growth of modern invention is science, and science is almost wholly the outgrowth of pleasurable intellectual curiosity.

Necessity is the mother of invention is a silly proverb. Nec

Summary

This quote challenges the popular saying "necessity is the mother of invention." Instead, it argues that necessity merely leads to "futile dodges." The quote suggests that the true driving force behind inventions and human progress is pleasurable intellectual curiosity, rather than mere necessity. It emphasizes the importance of scientific exploration and curiosity as the foundation for modern inventions, highlighting the role of curiosity-driven scientific inquiry in fostering growth and innovation.

Topics

Curiosity

By Alfred North Whitehead

Liked the quote? Share it with your friends.

Random Quotations

Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, riches take wing, a

Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, riches take wing, and only character endures.

Character

I can't eat whatever I want, definitely not. I'm always cont

I can't eat whatever I want, definitely not. I'm always controlled because I do a lot of fitness and triathlons, not just Formula One, so I always make sure I eat the right things.

Fitness

It's not like I had big dreams to go to California and becom

It's not like I had big dreams to go to California and become an actor. I loved doing my shows at school and community theater, and I probably would have settled in New York because it was closer. I was going to go to NYU.

Christine Taylor

Dreams

Every society and religion has rules, for both have moral la

Every society and religion has rules, for both have moral laws. And the essence of morality consists, as in art, of drawing the line somewhere.

Religion

Faith is a living and unshakable confidence, a belief in the

Faith is a living and unshakable confidence, a belief in the grace of God so assured that a man would die a thousand deaths for its sake

Martin Luther King Jr.

Faith

Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolong

Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man.

Friedrich Nietzsche

Hope

There is but one rule of conduct for a man _ to do the right

There is but one rule of conduct for a man _ to do the right thing. The cost may be dear in money, in friends, in influence, in labor, in a prolonged and painful sacrifice, but the cost not to do right is far more dear: You pay in the integrity of your manhood, in your honor, in strength of character; and, for a timely gain, you barter the infinite.

Archer G. Jones

Humanity

Wine comes in at the mouth And love comes in at the eye That

Wine comes in at the mouth And love comes in at the eye That's all we shall know for truth Before we grow old and die.

William Butler Yeats

Food brings people together on many different levels. It's n

Food brings people together on many different levels. It's nourishment of the soul and body it's truly love.

Giada De Laurentiis

Food

If you're not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go

If you're not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Intelligence entails a strong mind, but genius entails a hea

Intelligence entails a strong mind, but genius entails a heart of a lion in tune with a strong mind.

Mind Power Courage Intelligence Motivational Inspirational Genius Heart Determination Commitment Mind Conviction Lion Entail

Whoever approaches Me walking, I will come to him running; a

Whoever approaches Me walking, I will come to him running; and he who meets Me with sins equivalent to the whole world, I will greet him with forgiveness equal to it.

Mishkat Almasabih

Forgiveness