Quotes About Definition

I demand of you, and of the whole world, that you show me a generic character... by which to distinguish between Man and Ape. I myself most assuredly know of none.

The proper definition of a man is an animal that writes letters.

If you can't test it, it's not theorics -- it's metatheorics. A branch of philosophy. So, if you want to think of it this way, our test equipment is what defines the boundary separating theorics from philosophy.

There is one universe, by the definition of universe. It is not the cosmos we see through our eyes and our telescopes—that is but a single Narrative, a thread winding through a Hemn space shared by many other Narratives besides ours. Each Narrative looks like a cosmos alone, to any consciousness that partakes of it. The Geometers came from other Narratives—until they came here, and joined ours.

My colleague Bruce Sterling has defined a thriller as a science fiction novel that includes the President of the United States.

A straightforward way of defining metaphysics is as the set of assumptions and practices present in the scientist's mind before he or she begins to do science.

And it must be understood that the adjective "white" here means a true, blinding salt-white, and not the dirty beige that passes for white in poorly illuminated textile markets.

My colleague Bruce Sterling has defined a thriller as a science fiction novel that includes the President of the United States. If you agree with Bruce's definition, the size of the SF market suddenly becomes very much larger.

Every act is an act of self-definition.

What differentiates societies, and beings within societies, is what they define as pleasurable. If a society is structured largely around pleasures of the body, it is operating at a different level from a society structured around pleasures of the soul.

The meaning of everything is the meaning I give it

Can space exist in the absence of matter, if matter defines the edge of space?" Merlin

Enabling people to pursue happiness and work to fulfill their dreams (while allowing customers to define what works and what doesn't) has been the most powerful engine for economic success in world history.

He wanted to say that all this talk of feelings was irrelevant. That emotions come and go and can't be controlled, so there's no reason to worry about them. That in the end, people should be judged by their actions, since in the end, it was actions that defined everyone.

Maybe I'd like to be defined by what I am.

I don't know what normal really means. I think everyone has his own definition, and it's shaped by culture, by family and friends, by character and experience, by events and a thousand other things. What's normal for one person isn't normal for another

In California, we've had a series of millionaires and billionaires and CEOs and movie stars. We need to take a hard look at how we define legitimate and credible candidates.

Everybody has their own answer of what a catch should be. I say, secure the ball; if the ball is not moving, it's a dead ball, simple as that.

For some, a perfect body means having muscle mass and fat in proportion to one's height. For others, it may mean more than just muscle mass and body fat. For me, it's also about having amazing features.

When I backed off the cardio and refocused on strength training, the muscle definition came back.

I think my generation is defining themselves as Canadian artists.

I wanted to think about our creation myth; you know, what is the fundamental story that defines America. And it certainly is the West.

My definition of the blues is the naked cry of the human heart longing to be in union with God.

The exact meaning of irony is so narrow that the word is hardly worth using; in its broad, current definition, it's a euphemism for sarcasm. 'I'm not being sarcastic; I'm being ironic.' No, you're not. You're evading the responsibility for being sarcastic.