“This leads me to a bold assertion—though it's my opinion, not a scientific measurement—that we sleep because we must dream. Yes, sleep has metabolic benefits, but a crucial aspect seems to be that our neurons need to dream to maintain their capabilities.”— Rahul Jandial
The quote archive
A growing archive of 3,000+ moments, drawn from every interview.
Magic is this incredibly weird bondage and discipline you make where you say to someone, 'do this thing to me that's morally wrong… you have my consent…' – once you give your consent, the morality changes.
— Penn JilletteMagician, Illusionist & Half of Penn & Teller Duo
There's an old adage that the boxer is the last one to know – it's not true, he's the first one to know, but the last to acknowledge it. You can learn from defeat – it's not the end of the world, but you have to learn from it.
— Frank WarrenFounder of PostSecret, anonymous confessions project & book series
Anyone can have a good trainer; you can learn the moves and get fit. Any boxer or athlete can get super fit – the edge is mental ability – It's having the self-belief. If you're not right in the head? You'll never do it.
— Frank WarrenFounder of PostSecret, anonymous confessions project & book series
To be a great fighter you obviously have to have talent, but what really matters is dedication and discipline. I've seen so many guys with talent where I've thought, 'this guy's going to be a world champion...' but they've not had the dedication. You can't just succeed with talent.
— Frank WarrenFounder of PostSecret, anonymous confessions project & book series
We can take a hell of a lot more stress than we believe we can. We should learn how to fight not flight. And fight doesn't have to be a physical thing – it can be that you feel something's going to be uncomfortable 'okay well let's avoid it'. No, go through with it but go through with it in a progressive manner.
— John KavanaghBoxing coach of Conor McGregor at Straight Blast Gym Dublin
If you want to grow, you need to go through something uncomfortable and come out the other end. If you want to grow, you have to go forward in progressive steps. It should always be a little bit uncomfortable because otherwise there's no growth.
— John KavanaghBoxing coach of Conor McGregor at Straight Blast Gym Dublin
Fear depends on your context, and how much you think you have to lose. You may be young or broke and have nothing to lose. In that case? Either you figure out a way to get something, or you don't get it. Simple.
— Mark CubanBillionaire Investor, Shark Tank Investor & Dallas Mavericks Owner
We can expand our circle of sympathy – we can employ the logic of impartiality, and the emotional prompts of human contact and vicarious experience, and expand our fellow-feeling from our family to our clan, our nation, tribe, and from there to all of humanity and even other sentient beings.
— Steven PinkerCognitive Scientist & Psychologist Known for Research on Language and Human Nature
Our capacity to reason is recursive, combinatorial – we can reason about our reason – we can argue, criticise and develop tools that enhance our reason thanks to language and communication. We have the power to build on our reason, to enhance it.
— Steven PinkerCognitive Scientist & Psychologist Known for Research on Language and Human Nature
I cannot argue that my own interests are special simply because I'm me and you're not and expect that you will take me seriously. The nature of logic forces us to cede our own pre-eminence, because there is nothing in the pronoun 'you' or 'he' or 'she' which confers some special status.
— Steven PinkerCognitive Scientist & Psychologist Known for Research on Language and Human Nature
There has never been a time at which Enlightenment values predominated in any culture. They have always faced pushback from forces that are embedded in human nature – tribalism, deference to authority, magical thinking, vulnerability to cognitive illusions and biases.
— Steven PinkerCognitive Scientist & Psychologist Known for Research on Language and Human Nature
All you've got to do is- to their face- call yourself every name that they are harbouring about you, it's that simple; it means you're demonstrating understanding. The thing is, it may sound easy- but it's hard to do- but if you can do it- it can unlock a situation in a heartbeat.
— Chris VossFormer FBI Hostage Negotiator & Author of "Never Split the Difference
Mirroring is a crazy skill, it's so insanely effective. Just repeating the last 3 words of what someone said or picking out 1-3 words from the middle of the statement, can get you the outcome you need. Using mirroring, you feel like you can work Jedi mind tricks!
— Chris VossFormer FBI Hostage Negotiator & Author of "Never Split the Difference
Fundamentally; negotiation is about gathering information and processing it to be able to exert influence on an outcome. The best negotiators can do this in real-time through communication.
— Chris VossFormer FBI Hostage Negotiator & Author of "Never Split the Difference
An actor who isn't acting becomes a sort of non-person. If you're not acting, what are you?
— Sam NeillActor best known for Jurassic Park and The Piano films
There's also a danger in acting of identifying yourself as an actor. We have to try to identify ourselves as human beings first, and our jobs second. I'm Sam, I act sometimes… not I am Sam, I am an actor.
— Sam NeillActor best known for Jurassic Park and The Piano films