Unanswerable Questions Quotes

#1. Fabricating answers to unanswerable questions is the domain of religion. A deity model is not the default alternative to a scientific mystery. #Quote by Graham Kendall

#2. Those meaningless and unanswerable questions the minds keep returning to, like a tongue exploring a broken tooth. #Quote by Arthur C. Clarke

#3. To deny our errors is to deny ourself, for to be human is to be imperfect, somehow error - prone. To be human is to ask unanswerable questions, but to persist in asking them, to be broken and ache for wholeness, to hurt and to try to find a way to healing through the hurt...Spirituality accepts that "If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly. #Quote by Ernest Kurtz

#4. Salem is in part a story of what happens when a set of unanswerable questions meets a set of unquestioned answers. #Quote by Stacy Schiff

#5. I've always been a deep thinker. Since I was a kid I was delving into the very depths of why we existed, often driving my parents crazy with unanswerable questions. #Quote by Missy Higgins

#6. That philosophy died yesterday, since Hegel or Marx, Nietzsche, or Heidegger - and philosophy should still wander toward the meaning of its death - or that it has always lived knowing itself to be dying ... that philosophy died one day, within history, or that it has always fed on its own agony, on the violent way it opens history by opposing itself to nonphilosophy, which is its past and its concern, its death and wellspring; that beyond the death, or dying nature, of philosophy, perhaps even because of it, thought still has a future, or even, as is said today, is still entirely to come because of what philosophy has held in store; or, more strangely still, that the future itself has a future - all these are unanswerable questions. By right of birth, and for one time at least, these are problems put to philosophy as problems philosophy cannot resolve. #Quote by Jacques Derrida

#7. Life is full of unanswerable questions including how to live and what to live for. It takes extreme courage to live honestly by a person's beliefs and never rest until a person achieves the type of life that he or she envisions. #Quote by Kilroy J. Oldster

#8. One of the first unanswerable questions I asked was when I was eight years old. Some cousins of mine always said a prayer before eating:
God is kind,
God is good,
And we thank him
For our food.
At that time we always heard the children in Europe were starving, therefore we should not waste any food. Two questions arose in my mind. First, what I knew about poetry was that it had to rhyme, and 'food' and 'good' didn't rhyme, so I always said 'Fud' with a silent sneer, and made it rhyme.

Second: I once asked my aunt if god is good and we thank him for our Fud, why are the kids in Europe starving? I asked her if the kids in Europe were all bad. I remember her saying, 'Be thankful that you have food,' but, of course, she couldn't deal with the rest of it.

I never accepted religion so I had nothing to reject as such. The history of 'Christiansanity' (my own coinage of which I am proud!) is so brutal of mind, emotions, freedom, progress, science, and all that I hold precious, that by any standards of justice its leaders in almost any given period would be incarcerated for life, or worse! #Quote by Madison Arnold

#9. A sense of accomplishment. It is the most important ingredient in any rational being's formula of happiness. It is the element that builds confidence and allows us to go on to other, greater tasks. It is the item that promotes a sense of self-worth, that allows any person to believe there is value in life itself, that gives a sense of purpose to bolster us as we face life's unanswerable questions. #Quote by R.A. Salvatore

#10. The inexorable search for a stanza of meaning hangs like a thundercloud over the troposphere of humankind's prosaic existence. A dithering sense of loss engulfs us. Humankind's unattainable desire to achieve a slice of perfection generates a suspenseful haze of doom. A lingering stab of incompleteness coupled with the tantalizing riddles of fate are inalterably interlinked and imbued in all thinking people's tormented soul. This cross coalescence of unattainable longing melds with the mystic tinged edges of uncertainty, spawned by the unanswerable questions posed by fate, fomenting a dialectical dissonance that distinguishes and ultimately exemplifies the arc of humankind's plaintive subsistence. #Quote by Kilroy J. Oldster

#11. Myths, whether in written or visual form, serve a vital role of asking unanswerable questions and providing unquestionable answers. Most of us, most of the time, have a low tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty. We want to reduce the cognitive dissonance of not knowing by filling the gaps with answers. Traditionally, religious myths have served that role, but today - the age of science - science fiction is our mythology. #Quote by Michael Shermer

#12. Only a sense of humor can help each of us face those great unanswerable questions: Why was I born? Why am I here? Why must I die? What must I do to make my life a triumph? - #Quote by George Sheehan

#13. Our Last Will and Testament, providing for the only future of which we can be reasonably certain, namely our own death, shows thatthe Will's need to will is no less strong than Reason's need to think; in both instances the mind transcends its own natural limitations, either by asking unanswerable questions or by projecting itself into a future which, for the willing subject, will never be. #Quote by Hannah Arendt

#14. Perhaps it was true a century ago - I deeply regret that it is no longer true - but the United States criminal justice system long ago lost any legitimate claim to the loyal cooperation of American citizens. You cannot write tens of thousands of criminal statutes, including many touching upon conduct that is neither immoral nor dangerous, write those laws as broadly as you can imagine, scatter them throughout the thousands of pages of the United States Code - and then expect decent law-abiding, unsuspecting citizens to cooperate with an investigation into whether they may have violated some law they have never even heard about. The next time some police officer or government agent asks you whether you would be willing to answer a few questions about where you have been and what you have been doing, you must respectfully but very firmly decline. #Quote by James Duane

#15. I love being coached. I get angry when I'm not coached. I ask a lot of questions and certainly appreciate any insight and feedback. I think if you ever stop listening to coaching or stop asking questions, you probably need to be doing something else. #Quote by Peyton Manning

#16. The quality of my life was the quality of my questions. #Quote by Tony Robbins

#17. Siri, what is the meaning of life? She answers: To think about questions like this. Huh. Good one. #Quote by Kim Wright

#18. Usually when a song comes to me, I don't ask a lot of questions; I hear something, and I just let it out in song. It's like making a salad. Everything I hear, and everything I am, I mix together in a different way in each song. #Quote by Yael Naim

#19. I'm homosexual ... How and why are idle questions. It's a little like wanting to know why my eyes are green. #Quote by Jean Genet

#20. All this was very loose guessing, and I don't pretend it was ingenious or scientific. I wasn't any kind of Sherlock Holmes. But I have always fancied I had a kind of instinct about questions like this. I don't know if I can explain myself, but I used to use my brains as far as they went, and after they came to a blank wall I guessed, and I usually found my guesses pretty right. #Quote by John Buchan

#21. Certainty is the place where questions go to die. #Quote by Dee Hock

#22. You read my Cosmo?"
"I read all of your magazines. I took all the love quizzes and pretended I was you answering the questions."
"How did I do?"
"You cheated," I said. #Quote by Michael Chabon

#23. I understand why you and Boris need time with just the two of you. It's different."
"It is," Thomas agreed. "Do you want this to happen again? Just you and me?"
"Definitely. It was wonderful."
"Do you mind if I ask what it's like with only you and Boris?"
That was a potential minefield. "You have a knack for asking questions most people avoid."
"Do I?" Thomas laughed. "Well, you don't have to tell me. I wasn't looking for reassurance about my own lovemaking. I just wondered if your experience with him was similar to mine."
"He's very intense. It's like hurtling through the sky with him until you crash down to earth together #Quote by Jamie Fessenden

#24. You must learn that it is not important for you to ask questions. Nobody needs for you to ask questions. Your job is to follow procedure. Following procedure does not require questions. #Quote by Noah Cicero

#25. When asked why you include Jesus in everything, remind that person that, after all, He included you in everything! #Quote by Mary Kate

#26. They become more personable as you head south, the people. You sit in a diner and, along with your coffee and your food, they bring you comments, questions, smiles, and nods. #Quote by Neil Gaiman

#27. One last thing," he said. "Stop looking for me."
"I'm not looking for you." I scoffed.
He touched his index finger to my forehead, my skin absurdly warming under his touch. It didn't escape me that he couldn't seem to stop finding reasons to touch me. Nor did I miss that I didn't want him to stop. "Under all the layers, a part of you remembers. It's the part that came looking for me tonight. It's that part that's going to get you killed, if you're not careful."
We stood face-to-face, both of us breathing hard. The sirens were so close now.
"What am I supposed to tell the police?" I said.
"You're not going to talk to the police."
"Oh, really? Funny, because I plan on telling them exactly how you rammed that tire iron into Gabe's back. Unless you answer my questions."
He gave an ironic snort. "Blackmail? You've changed, Angel. #Quote by Becca Fitzpatrick

#28. The coaching process is unique in how it accomplishes leadership development. The coach works not by providing answers per se but by asking questions through which the leader gains new insights and takes new actions. #Quote by Aubrey Malphurs

#29. The recent upsurge of public concern over environmental questions reflects a belated recognition that man has been too cavalier in his relations with nature. Unless we arrest the depredations that have been inflicted so carelessly on our natural systems-which exist in an intricate set of balances-we face the prospect of ecological disaster. #Quote by Richard M. Nixon

#30. Church and State, will, of course, go on for ever, in spite of the fact that it is impossible for them to mingle, and that the confusion of these elements cannot lead to any consistent or even normal results, for there is falsity at the very foundation of it. Compromise between the Church and State in such questions as, for instance, jurisdiction, is, to my thinking, impossible in any real sense. My clerical opponent maintains that the Church holds a precise and defined position in the State. I maintain, on the contrary, that the Church ought to include the whole State, and not simply to occupy a corner in it, and, if this is, for some reason, impossible at present, then it ought, in reality, to be set up as the direct and chief aim of the future development of Christian society! #Quote by Anton Chekhov

#31. Darius held Stark back from launching himself at Neferet, and Duantia spoke quickly into the rising tension. 'Neferet, I think we can all agree that there are many unanswered questions about the tragedy that occured on our island today. Stark, we also understand the passion and rage you feel at the loss of your Priestess. it is a hard blow for a Warrior to-'
Duantia's wisdom was cut off by the sound of Aretha Franklin belting out the chorus from "Respect," which was coming from the little Coach purse Aphrodite had slung over her shoulder.
Oopsie, um, sorry 'bout that.' Aphrodite frantically unzipped her purse and dug for her iPhone. #Quote by P.C. Cast

#32. As he responded to the essay questions, Mitchell kept bending his answers toward their practical application. He wanted to know why he was here, and how to live. It was the perfect way to end your college career. Education had finally led Mitchell out into life. #Quote by Jeffrey Eugenides

#33. Recognize the Costs of Avoiding Feedback

When people avoid feedback, they miss out on benefits (covered earlier) and incur costs. For example, you might worry for longer than you need to about how your work will be perceived. Do you tend to think about the potential pain of getting feedback more than you think about the costs of avoiding it? If yes, you can consciously correct for this thinking bias. You might notice that this bias is another example of a principle we discussed earlier, in the chapter on hesitation: Anxious people tend to think about the potential harm of acting more than the potential harm of not acting.
Experiment: To get some big-picture perspective on what avoiding feedback has cost you, try answering the following questions. Write down one specific example of each. If you can't think of answers, let the questions marinate for a day or two.

--Have you avoided seeking feedback early on only to later realize that earlier feedback would've saved you from continuing down the wrong track for so long? When?
--Have you avoided feedback only to later realize your fears of negative feedback were unjustified? How long did you worry unnecessarily? What was that like for you?
--Have you had times when your predictions of negative feedback came true, but it was a much milder experience than you'd anticipated? Have you had an experience where you realized that making the required changes was much easier than you thought, and you ha #Quote by Alice Boyes

#34. There was a time in South Africa that people would put flaming tires around peoples' necks if they dis-sented. And in some ways the fear is that you will be necklaced here, you will have a flaming tire of lack of patriotism put around your neck. Now it is that fear that keeps journalists from asking the toughest of the tough questions ... And again, I am humbled to say, I do not except myself from this criticism. #Quote by Dan Rather

#35. Knotty theological questions are the least worrying of problems to me. Why? Because they will be resolved in the hereafter, and meanwhile they can be safely shelved. #Quote by Ken Follett

#36. He would have to ask questions constantly, take nothing for granted. There would be so many opportunities to miss the obvious, so many chances to misunderstand, so many ways of taking the wrong path. 11 #Quote by Isaac Asimov

#37. Finally, at every opportunity you have to move someone - from traditional sales, like convincing a prospect to buy a new computer system, to non-sales selling, like persuading your daughter to do her homework - be sure you can answer the two questions at the core of genuine service. If the person you're selling to agrees to buy, will his or her life improve? When your interaction is over, will the world be a better place than when you began? If the answer to either of these questions is no, you're doing something wrong. #Quote by Daniel H. Pink

#38. I tried to use the questions and answers as an armature on which to build a sculpture of genuine conversation. #Quote by Clifton Fadiman

#39. I am amazed that people want to ask me questions about God's work in my life. The interviews are a great way to share God's life-changing message and I pray that God continues to open this door for Christians. #Quote by Joyce Meyer

#40. To listen with an open heart and ask questions to better help us understand the other person is a spiritual exercise, in the truest sense of the word. #Quote by Harriet Lerner

#41. Don't underestimate questions from the crowd; technology has made voters more informed than ever. #Quote by Ron Fournier

#42. Although his intimacy with Stephen Maturin did not allow him to ask questions that might be judged impertinent, it was of such a rare kind that he could ask for money without the least hesitation. "Have you any money, Stephen?" he said, the Marine having vanished in the trees. "How I hope you have. I shall have to borrow the Marine's guinea from you, and a great deal more besides, if his message is what I dearly trust. My half-pay is not due until the month after next, and we are living on credit."
"Money, is it?" said Stephen, who had been thinking about lemurs. There were lemurs in Madagascar: might there not be lemurs on Reunion? Lemurs concealed among the forests and the mountains of the interior? "Money? Oh, yes, I have money galore." He felt in his pockets. "The question is, where is it?" He felt again, patted his bosom, and brought out a couple of greasy two pound notes on a country bank. "That is not it," he muttered, going through his pockets again. "Yet I was sure--was it in my other coat? did I perhaps leave it in London?--you are growing old, Maturin--ah, you dog, there you are!" he cried triumphantly, returning to the first pocket and drawing forth a neat roll, tied with tape. "There. I had confused it with my lancet-case. It was Mrs Broad of the Grapes that did it up, finding it in a Bank of England wrapper that I had--that I had neglected. A most ingenious way of carrying money, calculated to deceive the pick-pocket. I hope it will suffice."
"How much #Quote by Patrick O'Brian

#43. Ah, yeah. Yeah, tis awful all right. Well, your Mam wanted me to talk to you about it, but…'
He stopped; he didn't know what else to say.
'Yeah? Ah, I know the score, Dad. She wants me to be careful, is it?'
'Ah, no. Well, yeah; there's that, of course. No, she wanted… well, if you'd any questions, you
know?' I wasn't sure if he wanted me to say yes, or if he just wanted me to say no, and save him
having to be awkward. He looked lost. I felt like I wanted to save him
'No, I've no questions, Dad. It's all right, shur.' He looked at me then. His eyes went wet, like
he was going to start bawling. If we were in a film, he might have hugged me. But we were in
Limerick, so he just said:
'Well, so,' and put his one glove back on.

From The Boys of Summer #Quote by Ciarán West

#44. Here's how it works: If you answer yes to ten or more questions, then you should read this book. If you don't, then buy it anyway and give it to the coolest person you know. This author needs money to eat her feelings. Does your college degree hang over your head like a rain cloud made of student loans, false hopes, #Quote by Alida Nugent

#45. In major movies these days, the fine details of music, instrumentation and sound design are lost. This is a shame, and it is one of the various reasons that make me not want to be part of the entertainment business. Although I have done it in the past, finally I know that I'm not here to create industry products. Music is more than images, it's more than language ... it's the medium that's capable of communicating the answers to the Big Questions. #Quote by Julius Dobos

#46. Three questions," I said, ticking them off on my fingers as I spoke. "One: do you have a car? Two: do you have plans tonight? And three: how fast can you drive? #Quote by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

#47. In America, after 9/11, and after the death of bin Laden, and after two wars, one of them fought, a lot of people think, on false pretenses, and definitely post the Patriot Act, there are a lot of these questions about what can we do to our citizens in order to prevent the next attack. #Quote by Gideon Raff

#48. If you view terrorism in Syria from one perspective and terrorism outside Syria from another perspective, it can create problems. If you view terrorism in categories such as good terrorism and bad terrorism, that too can create its own challenges.I think we should not look at these questions individually. #Quote by Narendra Modi

#49. The questions that we have to ask and to answer about that procession during this moment of transition are so important that they may well change the lives of men and women forever. For we have to ask ourselves, here and now, do we wish to join that procession, or don't we? On what terms shall we join that procession? Above all, where is it leading us, the procession of educated men? ... Let us never cease from thinking
what is this "civilisation" in which we find ourselves? What are these ceremonies and why should we take part in them? What are these professions and why should we make money out of them? Where in short is it leading us, the procession of the sons of educated men? #Quote by Virginia Woolf

#50. I'm not a nosy person, but I'm always thinking 'I wonder why he did that? I wonder why this week he was this much better than last week?' I'm always wanting to ask questions of people. I think my advice would be get involved locally and see where it takes you. #Quote by Jill Douglas

#51. I was trained as a philosopher never to put philosophers and their ideas into historical contexts, since historical context has nothing to do with the validity of the philosopher's positions. I agree that assessing validity and contextualizing historically are two entirely distinct matters and not to be confused with one another. And yet that firm distinction doesn't lead me to endorse the usual way in which history of philosophy is presented. ... The philosophers talk across the centuries exclusively to one another, hermetically sealed from any influences derived from non-philosophical discourse. The subject is far more interesting than that.

... When you ask why did some particular question occur to a scientist or philosopher for the first time, or why did this particular approach seem natural, then your questions concern the context of discovery. When you ask whether the argument the philosopher puts forth to answer that question is sound, or whether the evidence justifies the scientific theory proposed, then you've entered the context of justification. Considerations of history, sociology, anthropology, and psychology are relevant to the context of discovery, but not to justification. You have to keep them straight.... ...(T)he assessment of those intuitions in terms of the argument's soundness isn't accomplished by work done in the context of discovery. And conversely, one doesn't diminish a philosopher's achievement, and doesn't undermine its soundness, by s #Quote by Rebecca Goldstein

#52. Should I peel a cap or should I let him survive? #Quote by Ice Cube

#53. My head questions everything and believes nothing."
"So your head wants proof and your heart wants reassurance? #Quote by J. Sterling

#54. Overcome Shyness

Here are some tips for overcoming shyness:
• Work on your listening and communications skills.
• Learn more about reading nonverbal communication, such as body language
and facial expressions.
• Let others take the lead in conversations, then jump in after the discussion
has begun.
• Observe others in environments that elicit shyness in you.
• Learn to smile. It's an ice-breaker.
• Learn to ask questions. That starts conversations. #Quote by Robert Dittmer

#55. He never answered questions
but when one flushes does that not mean "Yes"? #Quote by Antoine De Saint Exupery