Jonas Salk: Quotes about thinking

“I think of evolution as an error-making and error-correcting process, and we are constantly learning from experience.”

Jonas Salk

Academy of Achievement interview (1991)
Context: The idea of being constructive, creative, positive, in trying to bring out the best in one's own self and the best in others follows from what I've just been saying. Again, I repeat my belief in us, in ourselves, as the product of the process of evolution, and part of the process itself. I think of evolution as an error-making and error-correcting process, and we are constantly learning from experience. It's the need to dedicate one's self in that way, to one's own self, and to choose an activity or life that is of value not only to yourself but to others as well.

Error , Thinking , Learning

“I speak about universal evolution and teleological evolution, because I think the process of evolution reflects the wisdom of nature.”

Jonas Salk

Academy of Achievement interview (1991)
Context: I speak about universal evolution and teleological evolution, because I think the process of evolution reflects the wisdom of nature. I see the need for wisdom to become operative. We need to try to put all of these things together in what I call an evolutionary philosophy of our time.

Wisdom , Nature , Thinking , Universe

“I am interested in a phase that I think we are entering. I call it "teleological evolution," evolution with a purpose.”

Jonas Salk

Academy of Achievement interview (1991)
Context: I am interested in a phase that I think we are entering. I call it "teleological evolution," evolution with a purpose. The idea of evolution by design, designing the future, anticipating the future. I think of the need for more wisdom in the world, to deal with the knowledge that we have. At one time we had wisdom, but little knowledge. Now we have a great deal of knowledge, but do we have enough wisdom to deal with that knowledge?

Thinking

“My attitude was always to keep open, to keep scanning. I think that's how things work in nature. Many people are close-minded, rigid, and that's not my inclination.”

Jonas Salk

Academy of Achievement interview (1991)

People , Nature , Thinking

“I see weeds and flowers. I think of it in those terms, and we have to discriminate and distinguish between the two, to recognize and encourage those human qualities and attributes that are the more positive.”

Jonas Salk

Academy of Achievement interview (1991)

Flowers , Thinking

“You have to develop a thick skin in life. Its not in this field only. You might think of the ideal of the scientists, the ivory tower, the idealist. That's true of some. And I wouldn't guess as to what proportion. But there are some who are of that character, and there are some who are not.”

Jonas Salk

Academy of Achievement interview (1991)