“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day.

—”Old Man’s Advice to Youth: ‘Never Lose a Holy Curiosity.'” LIFE Magazine (2 May 1955) p. 64”

“Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.”

“Remember when you tried to convince me to feed a poultry pie to the mallards in the park to see if you could breed a race of cannibal ducks?”

“They ate it too,” Will reminisced. “Bloodthirsty little beasts. Never trust a duck.”

“Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope.”

“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”

“Many people, myself among them, feel better at the mere sight of a book.”

“I don’t know the question, but sex is definitely the answer.”

“When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

“You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.”

“Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.”