Quotes from Charles Darwin

Life is nearly over with me. I have taken no pains about my style of writing.

On your life, underestimating the proclivities of finches is likely to lead to great internal hemorrhaging.

At no time am I a quick thinker or writer: whatever I have done in science has solely been by long pondering, patience and industry.

At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilized races of man will almost certainly exterminate, and replace the savage races throughout the world.

Thomson's views on the recent age of the world have been for some time one of my sorest troubles.

The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.

Man himself cannot express love and humility by external signs, so plainly as does a dog, when with drooping ears, hanging lips, flexuous body, and wagging tail, he meets his beloved master.

Even the humblest mammal's strong sexual, parental, and social instincts give rise to 'do unto others as yourself' and 'love thy neighbor as thyself'.

Much love much trial, but what an utter desert is life without love.

The mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble by us; and I for one must be content to remain an agnostic.

An American monkey, after getting drunk on brandy, would never touch it again, and thus is much wiser than most men.

A novel according to my taste, does not come into the moderately good class unless it contains some person whom one can thoroughly love - and if a pretty woman, all the better.

The season of love is that of battle. The roots of these fights run deep.

What wretched doings come from the ardor of fame; the love of truth alone would never make one man attack another bitterly.

But then with me the horrid doubt always arises whether the convictions of man's mind, which has been developed from the mind of the lower animals, are of any value or at all trustworthy.

I have called the principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved by the term of Natural Selection.

I see no good reasons why the views given in this volume should shock the religious views of anyone.

Man in his arrogance thinks himself a great work, worthy of the interposition of a deity. More humble, and I believe truer, to consider him created from animals.

There is no fundamental difference between man and animals in their ability to feel pleasure and pain, happiness, and misery.

for the shield may be as important for victory, as the sword or spear.

Freedom of thought is best promoted by the gradual illumination of men's minds which follows from the advance of science.

To kill an error is as good a service as, and sometimes even better than, the establishing of a new truth or fact.

It is always advisable to perceive clearly our ignorance.

I am not the least afraid to die