And if we must educate our poets and artists in science, we must educate our masters, labour and capital, in art.
John B. S. HaldaneRead
It wasn't until I had performed by first autopsy that I realized that even the drabest human exteriors could contain the most beautiful viscera. After that, I would console myself for the plainness of my fellow bus-riders by dissecting them in my imagination.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the hidden beauty of human beings beyond superficial appearances.
Haldane's quote suggests that true beauty lies beneath the surface of human exteriors. Through the metaphor of an autopsy, he illustrates how understanding the intricacies of life and the human body can change one's perception of others, prompting a deeper appreciation for their inner qualities rather than judging based on outward appearance.
Themes
BeautyAppearanceHumanityUnderstandingPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about beauty standards, one might reference Haldane's quote to illustrate that beauty exists beyond physical traits.
More from John B. S. Haldane
All quotes →An attempt to study the evolution of living organisms without reference to cytology would be as futile as an account of stellar evolution which ignored spectroscopy.
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Until politics are a branch of science, we shall do well to regard political and social reforms as experiments rather than short-cuts to the millennium.
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A time will however come (as I believe) when physiology will invade and destroy mathematical physics, as the latter has destroyed geometry.
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My final word, before I'm done, Is "Cancer can be rather fun"- Provided one confronts the tumour with a sufficient sense of humour. I know that cancer often kills, But so do cars and sleeping pills; And it can hurt till one sweats, So can bad teeth and unpaid debts. A spot of laughter, I am sure, Often accelerates one's cure; So let us patients do our bit To help the surgeons make us fit.
John B. S. HaldaneRead
My practise as a scientist is atheistic. That is to say, when I set up an experiment I assume that no god, angel, or devil is going to interfere with its course; and this assumption has been justified by such success as I have achieved in my professional career. I should therefore be intellectually dishonest if I were not also atheistic in the affairs of the world. And I should be a coward if I did not state my theoretical views in public.
John B. S. HaldaneRead
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