Sapere Aude! Dare to know! Have the courage to use your own intelligence! The motto of the Enlightenment
“I used to think that I was stupid. Later I decided I was normal.” — Paul Halmos
“I feel that my main responsibility as a teacher isn’t to convey facts, but to rekindle that lost enthusiasm for asking questions.” Max Tegmark
“Train hard, fight easy.” — Generalissimo Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov — The Science of Victory
“Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.” Benjamin Franklin as quoted by a Masterchef finalist
“The biggest mistake you can make is being afraid to make one.” The voice of experience
“Fear of mistakes guarantees mistakes.” Garry Kasparov in conversation with Lex Fridman
“Mathematics is not a spectator sport” — an observation made by many teachers of mathematics
Μη είναι βασιλικήν ατραπόν επί γεωμετρίαν — “there is no royal trail (shortcut) towards geometry” Euclid’s reply to Ptolemy I, when the latter asked if there was a quicker route to learning than study of The Elements
Norbert Wiener titled his autobiography I Am a Mathematician; Paul Halmos chose I Want to Be a Mathematician. While both titles are apt, I find myself more aligned with the sentiment behind Halmos’—it conveys humility, an essential quality in all meaningful pursuits, plus the desire to know more and to grow in ability.