--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Many so-called pragmatists want nothing…" description: "\"Many so-called pragmatists want nothing to do with space exploration or other kinds of ambitious endeavours that don't have a clear payoff. This mental..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c7/garry-kasparov-910_ambitious_many-so-called-pragmatists-want-nothing_3129019.jpg" --- # Many so-called pragmatists want nothing to do with space… ![“Many so-called pragmatists want nothing to do with space exploration or other kinds of ambitious endeavours that don't have a clear payoff. This mentality is hugely damaging to our success as a civilization. Our desire to understand the universe is kindled by curiosity and wonder, and this has…” quote by Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c7/garry-kasparov-910_ambitious_many-so-called-pragmatists-want-nothing_3129019.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c7/garry-kasparov-910_ambitious_many-so-called-pragmatists-want-nothing_3129019.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c7/garry-kasparov-910_ambitious_many-so-called-pragmatists-want-nothing_3129019.jpg) > “Many so-called pragmatists want nothing to do with space exploration or other kinds of ambitious endeavours that don't have a clear payoff. This mentality is hugely damaging to our success as a civilization. Our desire to understand the universe is kindled by curiosity and wonder, and this has fuelled countless scientific breakthroughs.” [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ambitious projects without immediate profit are essential for long‑term progress and innovation. **In simple terms:** Big ideas need risk, not just profit. Key Takeaway Support bold research despite short‑term costs. Themes innovation exploration future risk curiosity Mood optimistic determined Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - government funding decisions - private sector R&D - educational curricula - public advocacy Key Concepts Long‑term civilization growth scientific breakthroughs cultural inspiration Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance short‑term needs with long‑term vision? - What incentives encourage investment in high‑risk science? A Different Perspective Immediate ROI focus can stall transformative discoveries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambitious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) [Breakthrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breakthrough/) [Called Pragmatists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-pragmatists-5526549/) [Curiosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Exploration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploration/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Mentality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentality/) [Pragmatists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pragmatists/) [Pragmatists Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pragmatists-want-5526548/) [Space exploration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space-exploration/) [Success Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-civilization-5526550/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [Like Dvoretsky, I think that (all other things being equal), the analytical method of studying chess must give you a colossal advantage over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/like-dvoretsky-i-think-that-all-other-things-being-equal-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [Machines taking over jobs - it's the history of civilization. Replacing farm animals, old forms of manual labor, now taking over small, menial aspects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/machines-taking-over-jobs-it-s-the-history-of-civilization-replacing/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [I think it's a misreading of Dostoevsky to think of him as a programmatic theist. He's actually much closer to someone like William James.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-self/i-think-it-s-a-misreading-of-dostoevsky-to-think-of-him-as-a/) [Will Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-self/) > [Our faith in democracy, personal freedoms and human 'rights', and the other comforting prescriptions of the humanist liberal credo stem from the supremacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-padfield/our-faith-in-democracy-personal-freedoms-and-human-rights-and-the/) [Peter Padfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-padfield/) > [I would not say that I was, these days, a 'student' of philosophy, although in my youth I was quite deeply involved with certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ferneyhough/i-would-not-say-that-i-was-these-days-a-student-of-philosophy/) [Brian Ferneyhough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ferneyhough/) > [The self-styled practical man of affairs who pooh-poohs philosophy as a lot of windy notions is himself a pragmatist or a positivist, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/the-self-styled-practical-man-of-affairs-who-pooh-poohs-philosophy-as/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [For a pragmatist like me, the important issues concern the words we might deploy to achieve our purposes, rather than the language we actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kitcher/for-a-pragmatist-like-me-the-important-issues-concern-the-words-we/) [Philip Kitcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kitcher/) > [I guess I can call myself a pragmatist with a conservative perspective. It would be hard for me to explain this, but I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/i-guess-i-can-call-myself-a-pragmatist-with-a-conservative/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Catholicism is not ritualism; it may in the future be fighting some sort of superstitious and idolatrous exaggeration of ritual. Catholicism is not asceticism;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/catholicism-is-not-ritualism-it-may-in-the-future-be-fighting-some/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Fools ignore complexity. Pragmatists suffer it. Some can avoid it. Geniuses remove it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-perlis/fools-ignore-complexity-pragmatists-suffer-it-some-can-avoid-it/) [Alan Perlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-perlis/) > [“Visionaries light the way. Pragmatists lead the way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-l-cote/visionaries-light-the-way-pragmatists-lead-the-way/) [Edward L. Cote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-l-cote/) > [Generally speaking, followers will not commit themselves for very long to a leader who is not also a pragmatist. As most of us have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-caroselli/generally-speaking-followers-will-not-commit-themselves-for-very-long/) [Marlene Caroselli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-caroselli/) > [Most women are pragmatists who have allowed extremists on the left and right to manipulate the family issue for their own purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/most-women-are-pragmatists-who-have-allowed-extremists-on-the-left/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [The pragmatist turns away from abstraction and insufficiency, from verbal solutions, from bad a priori reasons, from fixed principles, closed systems, and pretended absolutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-pragmatist-turns-away-from-abstraction-and-insufficiency-from/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [pragmatist that I am, I always meet necessity with enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/pragmatist-that-i-am-i-always-meet-necessity-with-enthusiasm/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) ## More by Garry Kasparov > [It's interesting that the greatest minds of computer science, the founding fathers, like Alan Turing and Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, they all looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/it-s-interesting-that-the-greatest-minds-of-computer-science-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [If you don't take risks, you don't drink champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/if-you-don-t-take-risks-you-don-t-drink-champagne/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [Karabakh conflict has a strong influence on the political climate both in Azerbaijan and Armenia. It is obvious, too, that the Azerbaijani leadership can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/karabakh-conflict-has-a-strong-influence-on-the-political-climate/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [When your house is on fire, you cant be bothered with the neighbors. Or, as we say in Chess, if your King is under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/when-your-house-is-on-fire-you-cant-be-bothered-with-the-neighbors-or/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [I would say, you have a unique chance of learning more about the game of chess with your computer than Bobby Fischer, or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/i-would-say-you-have-a-unique-chance-of-learning-more-about-the-game/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [I think Russians today have a distorted picture of capitalism, liberal democracy and market economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/i-think-russians-today-have-a-distorted-picture-of-capitalism-liberal/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [I'm not paranoid, but I am cautious. I don't drink tea with strangers, I don't fly Aeroflot and I avoid certain countries with close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/i-m-not-paranoid-but-i-am-cautious-i-don-t-drink-tea-with-strangers-i/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [My opponent is Short and the match will be short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/my-opponent-is-short-and-the-match-will-be-short/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [Russian Parliament today is a bunch of puppets that just fall in with the instructions from Kremlin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/russian-parliament-today-is-a-bunch-of-puppets-that-just-fall-in-with/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [Barack Obama took over after Vladimir Putin's first aggression, in Georgia. In 2009, he did the reset policy because they had these stupid ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/barack-obama-took-over-after-vladimir-putin-s-first-aggression-in/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [Inevitably the machines must win, but there is still a long way to go before a human on his or her best day is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/inevitably-the-machines-must-win-but-there-is-still-a-long-way-to-go/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [In my opinion, using different kinds of epithets and adjectives in connection with the word democracy is a sign of mere hypocrisy, to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/in-my-opinion-using-different-kinds-of-epithets-and-adjectives-in/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [Chess strength in general and chess strength in a specific match are by no means one and the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/chess-strength-in-general-and-chess-strength-in-a-specific-match-are/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [Ratings are king and the money keeps flowing, and partisanship is so strong today that people rely on a few sources absolutely instead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/ratings-are-king-and-the-money-keeps-flowing-and-partisanship-is-so/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [ At a certain point, the atmosphere in the West could change. But I don't see determined political will \[for that\] at the moment. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/at-a-certain-point-the-atmosphere-in-the-west-could-change-but-i-don/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) [Explore all 331 Garry Kasparov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) ## More Ambitious quotes > [I'm hungry and ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julen-lopetegui/i-m-hungry-and-ambitious/) [Julen Lopetegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julen-lopetegui/) > [I want my squad to be confident, ambitious. They have to believe in big things and we have to set targets internally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-howe/i-want-my-squad-to-be-confident-ambitious-they-have-to-believe-in-big/) [Eddie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-howe/) > [I almost never have a plan for myself... I'm not ambitious in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-almost-never-have-a-plan-for-myself-i-m-not-ambitious-in-that-way/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [“Getting rich is easy, staying rich is impressive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-trip/getting-rich-is-easy-staying-rich-is-impressive/) [Don Trip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-trip/) > [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) [Chris Kirubi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kirubi/) > [I am ambitious to do more than what has been offered me. I want to be the best in whatever career I choose and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uday-chopra/i-am-ambitious-to-do-more-than-what-has-been-offered-me-i-want-to-be/) [Uday Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uday-chopra/) > [There are four varieties in society — the lovers, the ambitious, observers, and fools. The fools are the happiest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippolyte-taine/there-are-four-varieties-in-society-the-lovers-the-ambitious/) [Hippolyte Taine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippolyte-taine/) > [People who are ambitious - politicians who crave power - think that they're in control of it, but at some point, the movement that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/people-who-are-ambitious-politicians-who-crave-power-think-that-they/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [I'm not ambitious. Not a bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-m-not-ambitious-not-a-bit/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Aggressive and hard-charging women violate unwritten rules about acceptable social conduct. Men are continually applauded for being ambitious and powerful and successful, but women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/aggressive-and-hard-charging-women-violate-unwritten-rules-about/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [I understood early on that I was not the best-looking girl in the room. But I knew my advantage was a hard work ethic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-o-connor/i-understood-early-on-that-i-was-not-the-best-looking-girl-in-the/) [Erin O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-o-connor/) > [It is ordained that to the ambitious, who derive no satisfaction from the gifts of life and the beauty of the world, life shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/it-is-ordained-that-to-the-ambitious-who-derive-no-satisfaction-from/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [If Reagan and John Paul II were linked by anything, it was a grand, ambitious, and generous idea of Western political civilization, one in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/if-reagan-and-john-paul-ii-were-linked-by-anything-it-was-a-grand/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [To talk only about national security, national defense, means to be selfish, ambitious. It is discrimination, isolation. "It is just me. What do I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evo-morales/to-talk-only-about-national-security-national-defense-means-to-be/) [Evo Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evo-morales/) [Browse all 1,269 Ambitious quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Many so-called pragmatists want nothing to do with space exploration or other kinds of ambitious endeavours that don't have a clear payoff. This mentality is hugely damaging to our success as a civilization. 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