Stimulating Discussion Quotes

Hypothetical questions are good because they're usually on the mark.

If you aim to be controversial for the sake of it you'd end up with a very thin and meaningless show.

It is not what we learn in conversation that enriches us. It is the elation that comes of swift contact with tingling currents of thought.

I think ideas should be flying about and banging into each other. It is a kind of energy. If you occupy static positions, then things sort of ossify.

I don't want them to read what I'm writing and say, 'I think that's right,' and agree with me. I want them to read something and then walk away and be haunted by it.

The lecturer should give the audience full reason to believe that all his powers have been exerted for their pleasure and instruction.

I like to write about things that fascinate me because I believe that they will also fascinate my readers as well.

I find my readers to be very smart, and there is no reason to write dumb.

The best books are the ones that ask the most questions.

I want to make art that is helpful, that's useful to people, that starts fruitful conversations. That makes you think about a question that you hadn't considered before.

I just like making people laugh, and buried in that I like to bring up topics and start discussions.

Leary can get a part of my mind that's kind of rusted shut grinding again, just by being around him and talking.

Reading a book should not be a passive exercise, but rather a raucous conversation.

My worst date would be with someone nervous who has nothing to say. I like people who inspire me.

I feel like it's always a good sign when you find yourself talking for hours about every topic ever. It's best when you just find the person interesting for no apparent reason.

Usually if nobody hates a piece, nobody loves it, either; and a magazine which sets itself the goal of provoking thought is not doing its job if everybody agrees with what it does.

Between cultivated minds the first interview is the best.

I don't think all comedy should be mindless. Have something that's thoughtful. Maybe some things are tongue-in-cheek; maybe some things are very direct. I like that people have to think about things. That excites me. Because if you say certain things, it starts a dialogue. Even if you disagree, it's still a dialogue.

I don't feel that an atmosphere of debate and total disagreement and argument is such a bad thing. It makes for a vital and alive field.

I like to challenge the audience. I want people to feel discomfort.

All I have to do is find someone who has something to say that will enrich my life and they can't get rid of me.

Brilliant opinion. I’m looking forward to reading it.

We don't need to dumb down our stuff. And it's important to know how far we can push readers.

In all of my work I'm trying to create a dialogue, in which I want to provoke the recipients, stimulate them to use their own imaginations. I don't just say things recipients want to hear, flatter their egos or comfort them by agreeing with them. I have to provoke them, to take them as seriously as I take myself.

I want to create situations that give people something to think about.