B. F. Skinner

B. F. Skinner

7 quotes

American psychologist and social philosopher B. F. Skinner has a gift for language that makes complex ideas feel instantly clear. The range of their thinking — from Technology to Society — speaks to an intellectual restlessness that shows in every quote. Discover 10 of B. F. Skinner's most memorable quotes, ranging across Technology, Society, Positive, Life, and Failure. A favorite of many readers: "Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten."

“Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.”

— B. F. Skinner

Education

All Quotes by B. F. Skinner

“If you're old, don't try to change yourself, change your environment.”

— B. F. Skinner

Age

“I did not direct my life. I didn't design it. I never made decisions. Things always came up and made them for me. That's what life is.”

— B. F. Skinner

Design

“Society attacks early, when the individual is helpless.”

— B. F. Skinner

Society

“Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.”

— B. F. Skinner

Education

“The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.”

— B. F. Skinner

Technology

“A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying.”

— B. F. Skinner

Best

“The way positive reinforcement is carried out is more important than the amount.”

— B. F. Skinner

Positive