Walt Whitman Quotes

Certainly Adam in Paradise had not more sweet and curious apprehensions of the world, than I when I was a child.

In mysteries what we know, and our realization of what we do not know, proceed together; the larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder. It is like the quantum world, where the more we understand its formalism, the stranger that world becomes.

Wonder is not precisely knowing.

But I should not have to explain to you how important it is for science and simplicity to coexist. One must not fear to be a little child again, when times of wonder are at hand.

Although our intellect always longs for clarity and certainty, our nature often finds uncertainty fascinating.

The learned is happy, nature to explore; The fool is happy, that he knows no more.

Fortunately, nature is as generous with its problems as Nobel with his fortune. The more we know, the more aware we are of what we know not.

For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.

Children are natural Zen masters; their world is brand new in each and every moment.

If there wasn't mystery, people wouldn't have anything to ponder. If you already knew everything, you wouldn't have anything to think about and life would just be really boring.

You always admire what you really don't understand.

The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery.

You can only maintain your interest if you're travelling more in ignorance than knowledge.

I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.

I wanted to know the name of every stone and flower and insect and bird and beast. I wanted to know where it got its color, where it got its life - but there was no one to tell me.

I'm not your expert on Africa or animals or whatever. I'm not a travel writer or maker of documentaries. I was someone who doesn't know very much, trying to communicate.

What you don't know intrigues you more than what you do know.

Knowledge is knowing that we cannot know.

Some things you'll never know, and some things you'll wish you never knew.

It is unwise to wish everything explained.

What you know is always a little less attractive to you than what you don't know.

I'll never know everything. My life would be a lot worse if there was nothing I knew the answers about - and if there was nothing I didn't know the answers about.

I adore kids. I enjoy everything that they bring to the party. They just say what they think.

Except for children (who don't know enough not to ask the important questions), few of us spendtime wondering why nature is the way it is . . .

I would sooner pluck one single brand from the burning than explain all mysteries.