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Douglas Hofstadter Quotes


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Quotes by Douglas Hofstadter

Showing 1-10 of 10 Quotes by Douglas Hofstadter

For 13 to be unlucky would require there to be some kind of cosmic intelligence that counts things that humans count and that also makes certain things happen on certain dates or in certain places according to whether the number 13 'is involved' or not (whatever 'is involved' might mean).

~Douglas Hofstadter

Topics: According Also Certain Certain Things Cosmic Count Counts Dates Happen Humans Intelligence Involved Kind Makes Mean Might Number Places Require Some Things Things Happen Unlucky Whatever Whether Would

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If a mosquito has a soul, it is mostly evil. So I don't have too many qualms about putting a mosquito out of its misery. I'm a little more respectful of ants.

~Douglas Hofstadter

Topics: About Ants Evil Little Many Misery More Mosquito Mostly Out Putting Respectful Soul Too

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We all have heard it claimed that 13 is an 'unlucky number.' Indeed, there are many hotels in America that for this very reason claim not to have a 13th floor, in the sense that there is no button bearing the label '13' in their elevators (I recently stayed in one in New York, in fact).

~Douglas Hofstadter

Topics: America Bearing Button Claim Claimed Fact Floor Heard Hotels In Fact Indeed Label Many New New York Number Reason Recently Sense Stayed Unlucky Very York

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You can imagine a soul as being a detailed, elaborate pattern that exists very clearly in one brain. When a person dies, the original is no longer around. But there are other versions of it in other people's brains. It's a less detailed copy, it's coarse-grained.

~Douglas Hofstadter

Topics: Around Being Brain Brains Clearly Copy Detailed Dies Elaborate Exists Imagine Less Longer Original Other Pattern People Person Soul Versions Very You

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This sentence contradicts itself - no actually it doesn't.

~Douglas Hofstadter

Topics: Actually Itself Sentence

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It always takes longer than you expect, even if you take Hofstadter's Law into account.

~Douglas Hofstadter

Topics: Account Always Even Expect Law Longer Take Takes Than You

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There has to be a common sense cutoff for craziness, and when that threshold is exceeded, then the criteria for publication should get far, far more stringent.

~Douglas Hofstadter

Topics: Common Common Sense Craziness Criteria Exceeded Far Get More Publication Sense Should Then Threshold

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Many people believe that our lives end not when we die but when the very last person who knew us dies. Memory is part of it, yes, but I think it's much more than memory.

~Douglas Hofstadter

Topics: Believe Die Dies End Knew Last Lives Many Memory More Much Our Our Lives Part People Person Than Think Us Very Who Yes I Think

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I don't feel I have the right to snuff the lives of chicken and fish.

~Douglas Hofstadter

Topics: Chicken Feel Fish Lives Right

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You make decisions, take actions, affect the world, receive feedback from the world, incorporate it into yourself, then the updated 'you' makes more decisions, and so forth, 'round and 'round.

~Douglas Hofstadter

Topics: Actions Affect Decisions Feedback Forth Incorporate Make Makes More Receive Round Take Then Updated World You Yourself

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Biography

Nationality: American

Type: Writer

Born: February 15th, 1945

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