"Comparing what we're looking for misses the point. It's wanting to know that makes us matter. Otherwise we're going out the way we came in. That's why you can't believe in the afterlife, Valentine. Believe in the after, by all means, but not the life. Believe in God, the soul, the spirit, the infinite, believe in angels if you like, but not in the great celestial get-together for an exchange of views. If the answers are in the back of the book I can wait, but what a drag. Better to struggle on knowing that failure is final."

Inquiry, Meaning, Curiosity, Existence, Philosophy

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"Comparing what we're looking for misses the point. It's wanting to know that makes us matter. Otherwise we're going out the way we came in. That's why you can't believe in the afterlife, Valentine. Believe in the after, by all means, but not the life. Believe in God, the soul, the spirit, the infinite, believe in angels if you like, but not in the great celestial get-together for an exchange of views. If the answers are in the back of the book I can wait, but what a drag. Better to struggle on knowing that failure is final."

Exlpore more Inquiry quotes

"Use 'Why?' to help you follow the breadcrumbs back to the source of the problem."

Stephen Richards, British Author

Inquiry, Why, Breadcrumbs, Problem, Source

"For it is owing to their wonder that men both now begin and at first began to philosophize."

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Inquiry, Philosophy, Wonder, Knowledge, Curiosity

"If you want to be sure of unusual thing such as aliens or UFOs, then you have to think about it from an unusual way of thinking."

Toba Beta, Indonesian Author

Inquiry, Curiosity, Truth, Wisdom, Power

"The only debatable issue, it seems to me, is whether it is more ridiculous to turn to experts in social theory for general well-confirmed propositions, or to the specialists in the great religions and philosophical systems for insights into fundamental human values."

Noam Chomsky, American Activist

Inquiry, Experts, Theory, Values, Insight

"Do you train for passing tests or do you train for creative inquiry?"

Noam Chomsky, American Activist

Inquiry, Learning, Creativity, Education

"Ask questions. The secrets of life are hidden in questions, so ask wisely."

Mensah Oteh, Nigerian Author

Inquiry, Question, Curiosity, Life, Truth

"In philosophy it is always good to put a question instead of an answer to a question. For an answer to the philosophical question may easily be unfair, disposing of it by means of another question is not."

Ludwig Wittgenstein, Austrian Philosopher

Inquiry, Philosophy, Question, Reason

"Carter and Helene still ask questions. I used to ask questions, and I got the answer: nothing. The answer is 'nothing."

Joan Didion, American Author

Inquiry, Question, Knowledge, Observation, Truth

"The simplest questions are the most difficult."

William S. Burroughs, American Writer

Inquiry, Question, Wisdom, Curiosity

"Readers who think I have answers when all I have are a few pointed questions."

Erica Jong, American Novelist

Inquiry, Question, Curiosity, Humility, Reflection

Explore more quotes by Tom Stoppard

"My whole life is waiting for the questions to which I have prepared answers."

Life

"Life in a box is better than no life at all... I expect."

Life

"It is not hard to understand modern art. If it hangs on a wall it's a painting, and if you can walk around it it's a sculpture."

Art

"Carnal embrace is sexual congress, which is the insertion of the male genital organ into the female genital organ for purposes of procreation and pleasure. Fermat's last theorem, by contrast, asserts that when x, y and z are whole numbers each raised to power of n, the sum of the first two can never equal the third when n is greater than 2."

Knowledge

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