The sudden hunch, the creative leap of mind that "sees" in a flash how to solve a problem in a simple way, is something quite different from general intelligence.

In many cases a dull proof can be supplemented by a geometric analogue so simple and beautiful that the truth of a theorem is almost seen at a glance.

All mathematicians share... a sense of amazement over the infinite depth and the mysterious beauty and usefulness of mathematics.

The last level of metaphor in the Alice books is this: that life, viewed rationally and without illusion, appears to be a nonsense tale told by an idiot mathematician.

Mathematics is not only real, but it is the only reality.

A surprising proportion of mathematicians are accomplished musicians. Is it because music and mathematics share patterns that are beautiful?

As Bertrand Russell once wrote, two plus two is four even in the interior of the sun.

In no other branch of mathematics is it so easy for experts to blunder as in probability theory.

The universe is almost like a huge magic trick and scientists are trying to figure out how it does what it does.

A god whose creation is so imperfect that he must be continually adjusting it to make it work properly seems to me a god of relatively low order, hardly worthy of any worship.

Mathemagical mathematics combines the beauty of mathematical structure with the entertainment value of a trick.

Only bad books have good endings.If a book is any good, it's ending is always bad - because you don't want the book to end.

The great leaders are like the best conductors - they reach beyond the notes to reach the magic in the players.

Learning how to learn is the most precious thing we have in life.

The great thing about suicide is that it's not one of those things you have to do now or you lose your chance. I mean, you can always do it later.

When you see how the President makes political or policy decisions, you see who he is. The essence of the Presidency is decision-making.

The superior man limits his achievements.

You make each day a special day. You know how, by just your being you.

I look for every opportunity to mix comedy and horror and tragedy. I love catching audiences off-guard.

A lot of people have strong beliefs, but they don't have the confidence to really stick to them. I really respect Kanye [West] for that.

I'm pretty much of the Shakespearean school. Dialogue is character. How we speak is who we are.