B.F. Skinner

"Humor arises when expectations are violated in a safe way."

"Technology amplifies human nature, both good and bad."

"Motivation is not something inside people; it is about arranging the world around them."

"A culture is judged by how it treats those who cannot contribute to it economically."

"The study of behavior is the study of cause and effect."

"We often punish the behaviors we want to eliminate, which only teaches evasion."

"Creativity flourishes when constraints are well understood."

"The person who first said 'Know thyself' was not referring to introspection."

"Love is nothing mysterious; it is simply positive reinforcement made personal."

"Success is not a destination; it is a series of reinforced behaviors."

"Education should teach people to think, not what to think."

"The best way to predict the future is to understand what reinforces behavior now."

"Sadness is often the result of loss of reinforcing conditions."

"Wisdom is knowing which battles to fight based on understanding consequences."

"The myth of free will keeps us from understanding ourselves."

"Perseverance is what happens when you understand the contingencies of success."

"Kindness can be taught through proper reinforcement."

"Truth is not something you believe; it is something you can verify."

"Change happens not through willpower but through changing the environment."

"The ultimate goal of behavior science is to help people live better lives."

"Everything we are comes from our reinforcement history, not our intentions."

"The illusion of freedom is maintained by not asking difficult questions about control."

"Learning is not the absorption of knowledge but the change in behavior."

"Consciousness is not necessary to explain behavior."

"A good life is one where reinforcing activities are abundant and accessible."

"The most important thing is to know what you want to achieve and to work systematically toward that goal."

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."

"We are not going to change the world by trying to change it with the same mindset that created the problems we seek to solve."

"The test of whether you understand a theory is whether you can explain it to someone else."

"Freedom is what people want, but what they need is order and discipline."