Foundation's Edge (Foundation, #4)

by Isaac Asimov

The individual human being is unpredictable, but the reactions of human mobs, Seldon found, could be treated statistically. The larger the mob, the greater the accuracy that could be achieved.

“Well, you know what Salvor Hardin used to say— ‘Never let your sense of morals keep you from doing what is right.’ ” “At the moment, I haven’t got a sense of morals,”

‘The closer to the truth, the better the lie, and the truth itself, when it can be used, is the best lie.’ ”

you are never too old to learn more than you already know and to become able to do more than you already can.

All humanity could share a common insanity and be immersed in a common illusion while living in a common chaos.

“I can contribute only so much. Each new individual is a reshuffling of molecules and genes into something new. New talents, new abilities, new contributions to Gaia. We must have them—and the only way we can is to make room.

“We abandoned the appearance of power to preserve the essence of it.”