Here are 30 Charles Darwin Quotes That You Should Not Miss. Sorted from where it was said:
- “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” – “On the Origin of Species”, 1859
- “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” – Letter to his sister Catherine, 1836
- “I am not apt to follow blindly the lead of other men.” – “The Voyage of the Beagle”, 1839
- “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.” – “The Descent of Man”, 1871
- “In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” – “The Descent of Man”, 1871
- “The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.” – “The Descent of Man”, 1871
- “I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term of Natural Selection.” – “On the Origin of Species”, 1859
- “We stopped looking for monsters under our bed when we realized that they were inside us.” – “The Voyage of the Beagle”, 1839
- “A scientific man ought to have no wishes, no affections, – a mere heart of stone.” – Letter to Francis Galton, 1863
- “I have steadily endeavored to keep my mind free so as to give up any hypothesis, however much beloved, as soon as facts are shown to be opposed to it.” – Letter to Charles Lyell, 1861
- “Man tends to increase at a greater rate than his means of subsistence.” – “On the Origin of Species”, 1859
- “The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.” – “The Descent of Man”, 1871
- “Blushing is the most peculiar and most human of all expressions.” – “The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals”, 1872
- “In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment.” – “On the Origin of Species”, 1859
- “Freedom of thought is best promoted by the gradual illumination of men’s minds which follows from the advance of science.” – “Autobiography”, 1879
- “I see no good reason why the views given in this volume should shock the religious feelings of anyone.” – “On the Origin of Species”, 1859
- “We are not here concerned with hopes or fears, only with truth as far as our reason permits us to discover it.” – “On the Origin of Species”, 1859
- “If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.” – “Autobiography”, 1879
- “I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of Caterpillars.” – Letter to Asa Gray, 1860
- “The mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble by us; and I for one must be content to remain an agnostic.” – “Autobiography”, 1876
- “A fair result can be obtained only by fully stating and balancing the facts and arguments on both sides of each question.” – “On the Origin of Species”, 1859
- “False facts are highly injurious to the progress of science, for they often endure long; but false views, if supported by some evidence, do little harm, for everyone takes a salutary pleasure in proving their falseness.” – “The Descent of Man”, 1871
- “I am convinced that natural selection has been the main but not exclusive means of modification.” – “On the Origin of Species”, 1859
- “The very essence of instinct is that it is followed independently of reason.” – “On the Origin of Species”, 1859
- “In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” – “The Descent of Man”, 1871
- “The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.” – “The Descent of Man”, 1871
- “To kill an error is as good a service as, and sometimes even better than, the establishing of a new truth or fact.” – “Autobiography”, 1879
- “In conclusion, it appears that nothing can be more improving to a young naturalist, than a journey in a distant country.” – “The Voyage of the Beagle”, 1839
- “There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.” – “On the Origin of Species”, 1859
- “A moral being is one who is capable of reflecting on his past actions and their motives — of approving of some and disapproving of others.” – “The Descent of Man”, 1871