Flattery is useful when dealing with youngsters.
Interpretation
Flattery can be an effective tool for influencing and guiding young people.
Isaac Asimov's quote suggests that when interacting with children or young individuals, using flattery can be a beneficial approach. It implies that compliments or praise can help in gaining their trust and encouraging positive behaviors, as young minds are often more receptive to kind words. This tactic can foster a supportive environment conducive to learning and growth.
In practice
A teacher using compliments to encourage students to participate more in class.
Democracy cannot survive overpopulation. Human dignity cannot survive it. Convenience and decency cannot survive it. As you put more and more people into the world, the value of life not only declines, but it disappears. It doesn't matter if someone dies.
Science does not promise absolute truth, nor does it consider that such a thing necessarily exists. Science does not even promise that everything in the Universe is amenable to the scientific process.
Democracy cannot survive overpopulation.
Although the time of death is approaching me, I am not afraid of dying and going to Hell or (what would be considerably worse) going to the popularized version of Heaven. I expect death to be nothingness and, for removing me from all possible fears of death, I am thankful to atheism.
A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value.
During the century after Newton, it was still possible for a man of unusual attainments to master all fields of scientific knowledge. But by 1800, this had become entirely impracticable.
No books ever go into my laboratory. The thing I am to do and the way are revealed to me the moment I am inspired to create something new. Without God to draw aside the curtain, I would be helpless. Only alone can I draw close enough to God to discover His secrets.
Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.
You clearly hate to yield, but you will regret it when your anger has passed. Such natures are justly the hardest for themselves to bear.
It's our challenges and obstacles that give us layers of depth and make us interesting. Are they fun when they happen? No. But they are what make us unique. And that's what I know for sure... I think.
No degree of knowledge attainable by man is able to set him above the want of hourly assistance.
The largest question facing the human race is not when will you learn, but when will you act on what you've already learned.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.