Conversation of 1930, in Personal Recollections (1981) by Rush Rhees, Ch. 6
Variant: Philosophy is like trying to open a safe with a combination lock: each little adjustment of the dials seems to achieve nothing, only when everything is in place does the door open.
Source: 1930s-1951, Philosophical Occasions 1912-1951 (1993), Ch. 9 : Philosophy, p. 175
“Now all of us can talk to the NSA—just by dialing any number.”
On the National Security Agency's eavesdropping program, on The Late Show with David Letterman, monologue (25 January 2006).
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David Letterman 12
American comedian and actor 1947Related quotes
When asked to estimate the number of casualties terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, at a news conference (11 September 2001) http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0109/11/bn.42.html; this is often misquoted as "More than we can bear."
Edward Snowden
“I dialed the number slowly, wanting to get it right. Two rings, and he picked up.”
What Happened To Goodbye (2011)
A Description of Helioscopes, and Some Other Instruments https://books.google.com/books?id=KQtPAAAAcAAJ (1676)
Interview with Glenn Greenwald, 6 June 2013, Part 1
“Dude, you’re a genius!
http://splitsider.com/2013/02/the-annotated-wisdom-of-louis-c-k/
“Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What's a sun-dial in the shade? ”