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B. F. Skinner Quotes

Psychologist

B. F. Skinner was an American psychologist known for his work on operant conditioning and behavior modification. He developed the science of behaviorism and his research had a significant impact on education, psychology, and other fields.

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All Men Behavior Behaviorism Education Language Way Has Beens May People Persons Doe Ifs World Facts Humans Practice Problem Teacher Consequence Environment

Famous B. F. Skinner Quotes

“The alphabet was a great invention, which enabled men to store and to learn with little effort what others had learned the hard way-that is, to learn from books rather than from direct, possibly painful, contact with the real world.”

Men World Way Littles Book Real Hard Language Effort Direct Painful Stores Invention Contact Real World Alphabet Hard Way Great Inventions

Author:B. F. Skinner

“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.”

“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.”

Made Reality Life Is Language Decision Education Design Direct Behaviorism

Author:B. F. Skinner

“We shouldn't teach great books; we should teach a love of reading.”

“Give me a child and I'll shape him into anything.”

Giving Children Language Education Shapes Give Me Behaviorism

Author:B. F. Skinner

“Some of us learn control, more or less by accident. The rest of us go all our lives not even understanding how it is possible, and blaming our failure on being born the wrong way.”

Way Language Understanding Born Education Our Lives Blame Accidents Wrong Way Behaviorism

Book:WALDEN TWO

Source: WALDEN TWO

“A fourth-grade reader may be a sixth-grade mathematician. The grade is an administrative device which does violence to the nature of the developmental process.”

May Doe Language Process Education Violence Reader Grades Devices Fourth Mathematician Administrative Developmental Sixth Grade Fourth Grade Behaviorism

Book:WALDEN TWO

Source: WALDEN TWO

“No one asks how to motivate a baby. A baby naturally explores everything it can get at, unless restraining forces have already been at work. And this tendency doesn't die out, it's wiped out.”

Dies Asks Language Force Education Baby Curiosity Tendencies Restraining Behaviorism

Book:WALDEN TWO

Source: WALDEN TWO

“The only geniuses produced by the chaos of society are those who do something about it. Chaos breeds geniuses. It offers a man something to be a genius about.”

Men Language Education Genius Offers Chaos Behaviorism

Book:WALDEN TWO

Source: WALDEN TWO

“Death does not trouble me. I have no fear of supernatural punishments, of course, nor could I enjoy an eternal life in which there would be nothing left for me to do, the task of living having been accomplished.”

Doe Would Be Courses Left Language Enjoy Education Trouble Eternal Tasks Punishment Accomplished No Fear Eternal Life Have No Fear Behaviorism

Author:B. F. Skinner

“An important fact about verbal behavior is that speaker and listener may reside within the same skin.”

May Important Facts Language Education Behavior Skins Speakers Listeners Behaviorism

Book:Verbal Behavior

Source: Verbal Behavior

“Science, not religion, has taught me my most useful values, among them intellectual honesty. It is better to go without answers than to accept those that merely resolve puzzlement.”

Values Language Answers Education Accepting Honesty Taught Intellectual Resolve Behaviorism Intellectual Honesty

Author:B. F. Skinner

“The human species took a crucial step forward when its vocal musculature came under operant control in the production of speech sounds. Indeed, it is possible that all the distinctive achievements of the species can be traced to that one genetic change.”

Humans Language Sound Education Steps Speech Achievement Species Productions Crucial Vocal Distinctive Steps Forward Human Species Behaviorism

Author:B. F. Skinner

“The simplest and most satisfactory view is that thought is simply behavior - verbal or nonverbal, covert or overt. It is not some mysterious process responsible for behavior but the very behavior itself in all the complexity of its controlling relations.”

Language Process Views Education Behavior Relation Responsible Mysterious Complexity Simplest Covert Nonverbal Behaviorism

Author:B. F. Skinner

“The problem of far greater importance remains to be solved. Rather than build a world in which we shall all live well, we must stop building one in which it will be impossible to live at all.”

World Wells Problem Language Education Greater Impossible Building Importance Remains Live Well Behaviorism

Author:B. F. Skinner

About the Author

Born: March 20, 1904
Died: August 18, 1990
Known for: Psychologist
Quotes: 108

Books & Sources

WALDEN TWORelated source material

Science And Human BehaviorRelated source material

Cumulative Record: Definitive EditionRelated source material

Contingencies of ReinforcementRelated source material

The Behavior of Organisms: An Experimental AnalysisRelated source material

The Technology of TeachingRelated source material

Verbal BehaviorRelated source material

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