“I have been trying to point out that in our lives chance may have an astonishing influence and, if I may offer advice to the young laboratory worker, it would be this—never neglect an extraordinary appearance or happening. It may be—usually is, in fact—a false alarm that leads to nothing, but may on the other hand be the clue provided by fate to lead you to some important advance.”

— Alexander Fleming

Lecture at Harvard University. Quoted in Joseph Sambrook, David W. Russell, Molecular Cloning (2001), Vol. 1, 153.
biographyonline.net http://www.biographyonline.net/scientists/alex-fleming.html

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Alexander Fleming 5

Scottish biologist, pharmacologist and sexiest man 1881–1955

Jude Deveraux (1947) American writer

“My advice to all students is to question everything! You never know where a "silly question" may lead you.”

Derek Abbott (1960) Physicist, engineer

Statement in his Introductory profile at The University of Adelaide http://www.eleceng.adelaide.edu.au/people/profiles/academic.html#abbott.

“If I try to be or do something noble that has nothing to do with who I am, I may look good to others and to myself for a while. But the fact that I an exceeding my limits will eventually have consequences. I will distort myself, the other, and our relationship—and may end up doing more damage than if I had never set out to do this particular “good.””

Parker Palmer (1939) American theologian

Source: Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation (1999), p. 47

“What we may do
To-morrow may perhaps decide our fate.
We may have said but yesterday some word
Which may not be recalled.”

Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802–1838) English poet and novelist

Corinne’s Chant in the Vicinity of Naples
Translations, From the French

“We can say with some assurance that, although children may be the victims of fate, they will not be the victims of our neglect.”

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) 35th president of the United States of America

"Remarks upon signing the Maternal and Child Health and Mental Retardation Planning Bill (434)" (24 October 1963)]
1963

“A technology that by chance gains an early lead in adoption may eventually 'corner the market' of potential adopters, with the other technologies becoming locked out.”

W. Brian Arthur (1946) American economist

Source: Competing Technologies, Increasing Returns and Lock-in by Historical Events, (1989), p. 116

“Since there is no telling in advance where it may lead, reflection can be seen as dangerous.”

Simon Blackburn (1944) British academic philosopher

Introduction, p. 11
Think (1999)

“Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I'll lead you all in the Dance, said he.”

Sydney Carter (1915–2004) British musician and poet

Lord of the Dance (1963)

“When just starting out on a new journey it's only natural to feel vulnerable. After all it may seem that you have much to lose. But may I remind you that never again at any other point in the same journey will you have so much to gain.”

Mike Dooley (1961) American writer

“There are two morals to the story. The first is: avoid giving false alarms. The second is: in the end, the wolf came, so do not be misled by previous false alarms into thinking that the latest alarm is false, too. Of these two morals, the second one is more significant. Believing false alarms wastes time, but can lead to some helpful advice for apprentice shepherds; disbelieving all alarms can lead to a local lad being eaten, for starters.”

David Fleming (1940–2010) British activist

Third Annual FEASTA Lecture - The Lean Economy: A Vision of Civility for a World in Trouble (2001) http://www.feasta.org/documents/review2/fleming.htm

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