Diane Ackerman Quotes

What is the answer? In that case, what is the question?

The answer is never the answer. What's really interesting is the mystery.

Our ignorance can be divided into problems and mysteries. When we face a problem, we may not know its solution, but we have insight, increasing knowledge, and an inkling of what we are looking for. When we face a mystery, however, we can only stare in wonder and bewilderment, not knowing what an explanation would even look like.

Childhood has its secrets and its mysteries; but who can tell or who can explain them!

Why you do something is always kind of a mystery to me.

Try to guess my answer to that question, however temptingly you pose it.

The scientist should treasure the riddles he can't solve, not explain them away at the outset.

Mystery is something that appeals to most everybody.

Mystics exult in mystery and want it to stay mysterious. Scientists exult in mystery for a different reason: It gives them something to do.

I try to give'em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason.

The question that haunted every investigation was 'why'.

Mystery is underrated, and understanding is overrated.

Mystery is delightful, but unscientific, since it depends upon ignorance.

I cannot exaggerate the effect of this marvelous sight on my childish imagination. Day after day I asked myself what is electricity and found no answer. Eighty years have gone by since and I still ask the same question, unable to answer it.

A picture can be an answer as well as a question but if you can't answer your question try to question your question... There can be questions without answers but no answers without questions.

No wonder is greater than any other wonder, and if once explained ceases to be a wonder.

I love to lose myself in a mystery to pursue my reason to an O altitudo.

Reason is Life's sole arbiter, themagic Laby'rinth's single clue.

I think of how and why and what happened and the thoughts come easily, but the answers don't.

We take comfort, however, that mystery is not a synonym for contradiction.

The job is to seek mystery, evoke mystery, plant a garden in which strange plants grow and mysteries bloom. The need for mystery is greater than the need for an answer.

Mystery is more important than knowledge.

The need for mystery is greater than the need for an answer.

Mystery is the number one conjurer of ideas.

The first thing we see about a short story is its mystery. And in the best short stories, we return at the last to see mystery again