On Intelligence
The true test of intelligence is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don’t know what to do. — John Holt, in How Children Fail
On Limitless Stupidity
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former. — Albert Einstein
On Being Smart
Never seem more learned than the people you are with. Wear your learning like a pocket watch and keep it hidden. Do not pull it out to count the hours, but give the time when you are asked. — Lord Chesterfield
Do We Learn From Experience?
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. — Douglas Adams, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Foolproof? Impossible!
A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. — Douglas Adams, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy