B. F. Skinner Quotes

B. F. Skinner
B. F. Skinner
American Psychologist
Born: Mar 20, 1904
Died: Aug 18, 1990
Been Behavior Culture Environment People You
Related authors: Abraham Maslow Angela Duckworth Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Erich Fromm Erik Erikson Phil McGraw Thomas Szasz Wayne Dyer
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 Failure Mistake Circumstances Simply Always Real Trying May Stop
The way positive reinforcement is carried out is more important than the amount. B. F. Skinner
Positive Important Way Carried Out More Than Reinforcement Amount
A person who has been punished is not less inclined to behave in a given way; at best, he learns how to avoid punishment. B. F. Skinner
Best Way Punished Punishment Has-Been Given He Learns How Been Person Behave Avoid Less Who Inclined
The consequences of an act affect the probability of its occurring again. B. F. Skinner
Consequences Affect Probability Again Act
We shouldn't teach great books; we should teach a love of reading. B. F. Skinner
Love Great Reading Books Should Teach
Properly used, positive reinforcement is extremely powerful. B. F. Skinner
Positive Extremely Properly Powerful Used Reinforcement
Give me a child and I'll shape him into anything. B. F. Skinner
Me Give Give Me Shape Him Child Anything
When you run into something interesting, drop everything else and study it. B. F. Skinner
You Drop Else Everything Everything Else Run Something Study Interesting
I won't say that I'm an agnostic, since agnosticism maintains that one cannot know... but I'm not averse to the idea of some intelligence or some organizing force that set up the initial conditions of the universe in such a way that ultimately generated stars, planets and life. B. F. Skinner
Life Intelligence Space Stars Universe Way Say Some Idea Since Know Force Ultimately Conditions Up Cannot Planets Averse Organizing Agnostic Such A Way Agnosticism Initial Set
We have not yet seen what man can make of man. B. F. Skinner
Man Seen Make
If you insist that individual rights are the summum bonum, then the whole structure of society falls down. B. F. Skinner
You Rights Insist Down Society Structure Individual Individual Rights Falls Then Whole
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
Life Me Made My Life Design Direct Never Always Came Up Did Decisions Them Things
Society attacks early, when the individual is helpless. B. F. Skinner
Society Attacks Individual Helpless Early
The ideal of behaviorism is to eliminate coercion: to apply controls by changing the environment in such a way as to reinforce the kind of behavior that benefits everyone. B. F. Skinner
Benefits Behavior Changing Everyone Way Kind Environment Ideal Controls Such A Way Coercion Reinforce Eliminate Apply
The environment shapes people's actions. B. F. Skinner
People Shapes Environment Actions
Must we wait for selection to solve the problems of overpopulation, exhaustion of resources, pollution of the environment and a nuclear holocaust, or can we take explicit steps to make our future more secure? In the latter case, must we not transcend selection? B. F. Skinner
Future Wait Problems Our Resources Latter Secure Must Solve Case More Selection Take Environment Steps Make Exhaustion Overpopulation Transcend Pollution Explicit Holocaust Nuclear
What is sought can never produce the seeking. B. F. Skinner
Seeking Never Sought Produce
I have to tell people that they are not responsible for their behavior. They're not creating it; they're not initiating anything. It's all found somewhere else. That's an awful lot to relinquish. B. F. Skinner
People Behavior Somewhere Else Tell Responsible Relinquish Somewhere Else Lot Anything Creating Found Awful Awful Lot
The environment will continue to deteriorate until pollution practices are abandoned. B. F. Skinner
Will Abandoned Deteriorate Environment Until Practices Continue Pollution
I don't deny the importance of genetics. However, the fact that I might be altruistic isn't because I have a gene for altruism; the fact that I do something for my children at some cost to myself comes from a history that has operated on me. B. F. Skinner
Myself Me History Some Cost Gene Something Fact Genetics Importance Operated Because Altruism Altruistic However Deny Children Might
I never really expected to be controversial. B. F. Skinner
Never Expected Controversial Really
Even the mundane task of washing dishes by hand is an example of the small tasks and personal activities that once filled people's daily lives with a sense of achievement. B. F. Skinner
Daily Achievement People Example Sense Once Small Hand Task Personal Tasks Dishes Even Washing Filled Activities Lives Daily Lives Mundane
I believe that I have been basically anarchistic, anti-religion and anti-industry and business. In other words, anti-bureaucracy. I would like to see people behave well without having to have priests stand by, politicians stand by, or people collecting bills. B. F. Skinner
Business People Words Politicians Believe Other Collecting Would See Having Priests Like Well Without Been Behave In Other Words Stand Bills Basically
Reinforcement is being right. B. F. Skinner
Being Reinforcement Right
The people who control the condition in which we live have no reason to think beyond more than the next five or 10 years. B. F. Skinner
People Control Live Think More No Reason Beyond Years Condition Five Than Which Next Reason Who

No more B. F. Skinner quotes

Haven't find the right quote? Try quotes from authors related to B. F. Skinner.

About
Site pages
Top Quotes
Authors
Today's birthdays
Copyright © Quotesia 2025