--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the middle 1970s an astronomer I…" description: "\"In the middle 1970s an astronomer I admire put together a modest manifesto called \"Objections to Astrology\" and asked me to endorse it. I struggled wit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/carl-sagan-160_admire_in-the-middle-1970s-an-astronomer-i-admi_2822305.jpg" --- # In the middle 1970s an astronomer I admire put together a… ![“In the middle 1970s an astronomer I admire put together a modest manifesto called "Objections to Astrology" and asked me to endorse it. I struggled with his wording, and in the end found myself unable to sign, not because I thought astrology has any validity whatever, but because I felt (and still…” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/carl-sagan-160_admire_in-the-middle-1970s-an-astronomer-i-admi_2822305.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/carl-sagan-160_admire_in-the-middle-1970s-an-astronomer-i-admi_2822305.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/carl-sagan-160_admire_in-the-middle-1970s-an-astronomer-i-admi_2822305.jpg) > “In the middle 1970s an astronomer I admire put together a modest manifesto called "Objections to Astrology" and asked me to endorse it. I struggled with his wording, and in the end found myself unable to sign, not because I thought astrology has any validity whatever, but because I felt (and still feel) that the tone of the statement was authoritarian.” [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author rejected endorsing a statement because its tone seemed authoritarian, despite agreeing with its factual claim. **In simple terms:** Tone matters as much as content. Key Takeaway Seek respectful discourse. Themes critical thinking communication science skepticism Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - academic debates - public statements - scientific outreach Key Concepts authoritarianism tone ethical persuasion Questions to Reflect On - How can we critique ideas without sounding condescending? - What language fosters constructive dialogue? A Different Perspective Compromise may dilute scientific rigor. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Admire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admire/) [Astrology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astrology/) [Astrology Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astrology-asked-3599410/) [Astrology Validity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astrology-validity-3599411/) [Astronomers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomers/) [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Manifestos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manifestos/) [Middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle/) [Modest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modest/) [Objections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objections/) [Objections Astrology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objections-astrology-3599409/) [Positive atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-atheism/) [Statement Authoritarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statement-authoritarian-3599412/) [Statements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statements/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Thought Astrology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-astrology-2898615/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [Tone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tone/) [Validity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/validity/) [Wording](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wording/) ## Related quotes > [The atheist barista (who's obsessed with astrology) asked me, "So what's your sign?" 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The laws are written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/of-course-the-truth-is-that-the-congresspersons-are-too-busy-raising/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [ All science requires mathematics. \[Editors' summary of Bacon's idea, not Bacon's wording.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bacon/all-science-requires-mathematics-editors-summary-of-bacon-s-idea-not/) [Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bacon/) > [Avoid using the word 'very' because it's lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don't use very sad, use morose. Language…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/avoid-using-the-word-very-because-it-s-lazy-a-man-is-not-very-tired/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [I enjoy wording. Words for me are tangible bodies, visible sirens, incarnate sensualities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/i-enjoy-wording-words-for-me-are-tangible-bodies-visible-sirens/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [When someone isn’t smart enough to express their frustration, they use dirty words. Those are words that describe a lack of intelligence. Smart people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouman-ali-khan/when-someone-isn-t-smart-enough-to-express-their-frustration-they-use/) [Nouman Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouman-ali-khan/) > [Gospel songs to me are about the mansion in the sky, and washed in the blood of Christ's crimson blood, songs that are filled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-norman/gospel-songs-to-me-are-about-the-mansion-in-the-sky-and-washed-in-the/) [Larry Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-norman/) > [The only uncertainty surrounding the decision is the wording of the accompanying statement and, in particular, whether the assessment that 'some further policy firming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ashworth/the-only-uncertainty-surrounding-the-decision-is-the-wording-of-the/) [Paul Ashworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ashworth/) > [Look for all fancy wordings and get rid of themAvoid all terms and expressions, old or new, that embody affectation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/look-for-all-fancy-wordings-and-get-rid-of-themavoid-all-terms-and/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [Muddy language is not confined to policies alone. Each of you has seen replies to simple questions in which the meaning was lost through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-n-bradley/muddy-language-is-not-confined-to-policies-alone-each-of-you-has-seen/) [Omar N. Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-n-bradley/) > [Neither the wording of the amendment itself nor common practice challenged the widely held belief that government guaranteed freedom of religion, not freedom from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-chavez/neither-the-wording-of-the-amendment-itself-nor-common-practice/) [Linda Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-chavez/) ## More by Carl Sagan > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The prediction of nuclear winter is drawn not, of course, from any direct experience with the consequences of global nuclear war, but rather from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-prediction-of-nuclear-winter-is-drawn-not-of-course-from-any/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion or in politics, but it is not the path to knowledge; it has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-suppression-of-uncomfortable-ideas-may-be-common-in-religion-or/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Telepathy’ literally means to feel at a distance, just as ‘telephone’ is to hear at a distance and ‘television’ is to see at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/telepathy-literally-means-to-feel-at-a-distance-just-as-telephone-is/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“On the scale of worlds—to say nothing of stars or galaxies—humans are inconsequential, a thin film of life on an obscure and solitary lump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/on-the-scale-of-worlds-to-say-nothing-of-stars-or-galaxies-humans-are/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-one-of-us-is-in-the-cosmic-perspective-precious-if-a-human/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [In our time, we have sifted the sands of Mars, we have established a presence there, we have fulfilled a century of dreams!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/in-our-time-we-have-sifted-the-sands-of-mars-we-have-established-a/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ “\[ When a religious couple wrote to Sagan about fulfilled prophecies, he wrote back in May 1996 :\] If ‘fulfilled prophecy’ is your criterion,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/when-a-religious-couple-wrote-to-sagan-about-fulfilled-prophecies-he/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Don't judge everyone else by your own limited experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/don-t-judge-everyone-else-by-your-own-limited-experience/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Books permit us to voyage through time, to tap the wisdom of our ancestors. The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/books-permit-us-to-voyage-through-time-to-tap-the-wisdom-of-our/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [We live on a hunk of rock and metal that circles a humdrum star that is one of 400 billion other stars that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-live-on-a-hunk-of-rock-and-metal-that-circles-a-humdrum-star-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [A tiny blue dot set in a sunbeam. Here it is. That's where we live. That's home. We humans are one species and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/a-tiny-blue-dot-set-in-a-sunbeam-here-it-is-that-s-where-we-live-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Any sufficiently crisp question can be answered by a single binary digit-0 or 1, yes or no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/any-sufficiently-crisp-question-can-be-answered-by-a-single-binary/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Humans — who enslave, castrate, experiment on, and fillet other animals — have had an understandable penchant for pretending animals do not feel pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/humans-who-enslave-castrate-experiment-on-and-fillet-other-animals/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Every star may be a sun to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-star-may-be-a-sun-to-someone/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) [Explore all 1,043 Carl Sagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## More Admire quotes > [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I admire Serena Williams, because, I mean, who doesn't admire Serena Williams?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-konta/i-admire-serena-williams-because-i-mean-who-doesn-t-admire-serena/) [Johanna Konta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-konta/) > [How proud I am to be compared to Oprah. I really admire her. She's a minority woman and she's done all this by herself...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-saralegui/how-proud-i-am-to-be-compared-to-oprah-i-really-admire-her-she-s-a/) [Cristina Saralegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-saralegui/) > [I admire President Obama's ability to trust strangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/i-admire-president-obama-s-ability-to-trust-strangers/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [I really admire people's interactions with technology that aren't tech-centric but use it as a tool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-polachek/i-really-admire-people-s-interactions-with-technology-that-aren-t/) [Caroline Polachek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-polachek/) > [During my first years in the Sierra, I was ever calling on everybody within reach to admire them, but I found no one half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/during-my-first-years-in-the-sierra-i-was-ever-calling-on-everybody/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [Shaw's works make me admire the magnificent tolerance and broadmindedness of the english.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/shaw-s-works-make-me-admire-the-magnificent-tolerance-and/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [I believe in a world where there are no heroes, and I've read and know humanity a lot. 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It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whit-stillman/i-think-it-s-really-good-and-helpful-to-have-the-people-you-most/) [Whit Stillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whit-stillman/) > [Part of what we admire about a painting or a piece of music is the order which the artist has imposed upon what would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-storr/part-of-what-we-admire-about-a-painting-or-a-piece-of-music-is-the/) [Anthony Storr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-storr/) > [I respect and admire the Premier League.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-koeman/i-respect-and-admire-the-premier-league/) [Ronald Koeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-koeman/) > [“Admire and appreciate your man and he will be happy on your side”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-alfiori/admire-and-appreciate-your-man-and-he-will-be-happy-on-your-side/) [Linda Alfiori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-alfiori/) > [“The thing I admire most about you is no matter how hard, or how much the world has tried to beat you, break you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-gill/the-thing-i-admire-most-about-you-is-no-matter-how-hard-or-how-much/) [Nikita Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-gill/) [Browse all 2,369 Admire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the middle 1970s an astronomer I admire put together a modest manifesto called \"Objections to Astrology\" and asked me to endorse it. 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