Humphry Davy Quotes

Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles and kindness, and small obligations given habitually, are what preserve the heart and secure comfort.

The most important of my discoveries have been suggested to me by failures.

I have learned more from my mistakes than from my successes.

Experimental science hardly ever affords us more than approximations to the truth; and whenever many agents are concerned we are in great danger of being mistaken.

Nothing tends so much to the advancement of knowledge as the application of a new instrument.

We must reason in natural philosophy not from what we hope, or even expect, but from what we perceive.

Language is not only the vehicle of thought, it is a great and efficient instrument in thinking.

By science calmed, over the peaceful soul, Bright with eternal Wisdom's lucid ray, Peace, meek of eye, extends her soft control, And drives the puny Passions far away.

Consistency in opinion is the slow poison of intellectual life, the destroyer of its vividness and energy.

When two elements combine and form more than one compound, the masses of one element that react with a fixed mass of the other are in the ratio of small whole numbers.

Profound minds are the most likely to think lightly of the resources of human reason, and it is the superficial thinker who is generally strongest in every kind of unbelief.

The art galleries of Paris contain the finest collection of frames I ever saw.

There are very few persons who pursue science with true dignity.

The ideal life is that which has few friends, but many acquaintances.

It must always be borne in mind that the assumption of woman's social superiority lies at the root of these rules of conduct.

The ready apology covers a multitude of social sins.