“Yes, we have to divide up our time like that, between our politics and our equations. But to me our equations are far more important, for politics are only a matter of present concern. A mathematical equation stands forever.”

“To refuse awards is another way of accepting them with more noise than is normal.”

“To avoid situations in which you might make mistakes may be the biggest mistake of all.”

“Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, and small people talk about wine.”

“Let us make a special effort to stop communicating with each other, so we can have some conversation.”

“All successful newspapers are ceaselessly querulous and bellicose. They never defend anyone or anything if they can help it; if the job is forced on them, they tackle it by denouncing someone or something else.”

“Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so.”

“My definition of a free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular.”

“I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it.”

“One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say.”