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Descartes' classic quotes

   1. In truth, those who lack knowledge always love to criticize the ignorance of others, while those who are knowledgeable constantly discover their own ignorance.

  — Descartes, *Quotes from World-Famous Figures*
  2. I think, therefore I am.
  — Descartes, *Discourse on the Method*
  3. Conquer yourself, not the world.
  4. It is not enough to merely possess outstanding intelligence; the main question is how to use it effectively.
  5. Reading excellent books is like having a heart-to-heart talk with the most outstanding figures of the past.
  6. These three points correspond to three psychological functions: external ideas rely on sensation; fictional ideas rely on imagination; and innate ideas arise from pure reason.
  — Descartes, *Descartes' Philosophy of Man*
  7.
  Doubt is the origin of wisdom. — *Meditations on First Philosophy*
  8. The more one hopes to make good use of the time ahead, the more carefully one should plan and arrange it.
  9. Principles:
  1. Never accept as true anything that I do not clearly recognize as true; that is, carefully avoid hasty judgments and prejudices, and only place in my judgment those things that are perfectly clear and obvious before my mind, so that I cannot doubt them.
  2. Divide each problem I examine into as few parts as possible until it is suitable for a satisfactory solution.
  3. Guide my thoughts in order, starting with the simplest and easiest to know, and gradually ascending to the knowledge of complex objects, even those objects that do not have a natural order among themselves, I will assign them an order.
  4. List all cases as completely as possible, examine them as universally as possible, so that I am certain that nothing is omitted.
  —Descartes, *Discourse on the Method*

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