Some Amusing Quotes about Quantities

I am on vacation this week, so let me offer some more from my lifetime collection of quotes, these mostly about quantities.

Yogi Berra, when asked if he would like his pizza cut into four or six pieces, said: “You’d better make it four. I don’t think I can eat six pieces.”

“It is very dangerous to try to leap a chasm in two bounds.” (Chinese Proverb)

“A long range weather forecast should be obtained before leaving, as weather conditions are extremely unpredictable.” (Natal Daily News, June 16, 1982)

Researcher in British Foreign Office from 1903 to 1950: “Year after year the worriers and fretters would come to me with awful predictions of the outbreak of war. I denied it each time. I was only wrong twice.”

“I stood up to be counted and they told me to take a number.”

Tomas (age 7): “How do you become a millionaire?” Laura (age 9): “Millionaires don’t have jobs. Their job is a millionaire.”

“It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter’s Law.” (Hofstadter’s Law)

“When in doubt, use a bigger hammer.” (Dobbins’ Law)

“I am now at my full height, which is not very imposing (it is five feet six inches). Fortunately, these are houses of debate where the measurement is from the shoulders up, rather than from the shoulders down.” (Tommy Douglas in the Canadian House of Commons)

“He flung himself from the room, flung himself upon his horse, and rode madly off in all directions.”(Stephen Leacock)

“The Clairvoyant Society of Bristol regrets that due to unforeseen events the meeting for tomorrow evening must be cancelled.” (newspaper announcement)

Collection not content  © Henry Mintzberg 2015