"The next level in moral behavior higher than that exhibited by the baboon is that in which duty and loyalty are shown toward a group of your own kind too large for an individual to know all of them. We have a name for that. It is called "patriotism." Behaving on a still higher moral level were the astronauts who went to the Moon, for their actions tend toward the survival of the entire race of mankind. The door they opened leads to the hope that H. sapiens will survive indefinitely long, even longer than this solid planet on which we stand tonight. As a direct result of what they did, it is now possible that the human race will never die. Many short-sighted fools think that going to the Moon was just a stunt. But the astronauts knew the meaning of what they were doing, as is shown by Neil Armstrong's first words in stepping down onto the soil of Luna: "One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.""
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Science fiction authors from the United StatesNovelists from the United StatesEssayists from the United StatesShort story writers from the United StatesScreenwriters from the United States
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Imported from EN Wikiquote
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Robert A. Heinlein
writer, screenwriter, literary critic
1907 – 1988 · United States
Robert Anson Heinlein (7 July 1907 – 8 May 1988) was one of the most popular, influential, and controversial authors of science fiction of the 20th Century.
561 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Robert A. Heinlein →
Related Quotes
"“But what you’re talking about means giving up all that—just the noble primitive, simple and self-sufficient. He’s go…"
"The police of a state should never be stronger or better armed than the citizenry. An armed citizenry, willing to fig…"
"“He posed me a question which I must answer correctly—else he will not co-operate.” “Huh? What was the question? “I’l…"
"“Can I trust you, my friend?” “If you can’t, then what is my assurance worth?”"
"Babies are fun. And they’re not much trouble. Feed ‘em occasionally, help them when they need it, and love them a lot…"
"So-called instincts are instructive, Felix. They point to survival values."
"Well, in the first place an armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts…"
"Wong shook his head sadly. “I sometimes think that modern education is deliberately designed to handicap a boy.”"
"Since when did a mathematician need any tools but his own head? Pythagoras had done well enough with a stick and a st…"
"I venture to predict that, when we get around to reviewing their records, we will find that the rebels were almost al…"