"I'm very skeptical about anything I read on the Internet."
Penn Jillette's quote highlights his cautious approach towards information found online, emphasizing a healthy level of skepticism. In today's digital era where misinformation can easily spread, it encourages readers to critically evaluate the veracity of internet content before accepting it as true or factual.
"Magic is just really good misdirection."
Penn Jillette's quote "Magic is just really good misdirection" implies that magic, as a performance art, relies on skillfully guiding an audience's attention away from the secret mechanism or method used to create the illusion, thereby making them believe in the impossible. It highlights the importance of deception and manipulation of perception in creating magical experiences.
"Atheism is a proposition, not a refutation."
Penn Jillette's statement "Atheism is a proposition, not a refutation" means that atheism is a personal belief or position (a proposition) that there are no gods or deities (contrary to theism), rather than an argument against the existence of gods (refutation). In other words, atheism is the lack of belief in a god, not the active rejection of the possibility of gods. This quote emphasizes that being an atheist does not require proof or disproof of the existence of gods but simply a lack of personal conviction.
"If you're born with it, it ain't a talent."
Penn Jillette's quote suggests that anything we are naturally endowed with, such as being tall, fast, or intelligent, while advantageous, is not a true "talent" in the sense of a skill acquired through study, practice, or training. The quote emphasizes the importance of effort, practice, and dedication to develop our innate abilities into skills we can use effectively and productively. It also highlights that mere possession of an ability does not guarantee proficiency without dedicated work and commitment.
"When you say it's God's will you're letting yourself off the hook."
This quote suggests that when one attributes an event or action to God's will, they are essentially abdicating personal responsibility for their actions or circumstances. In other words, it implies that by invoking divine intervention, a person is avoiding accountability for the decisions they make or consequences they face. The statement encourages self-reflection and the understanding that our choices and actions have direct effects on our lives.
From 1985 to 1994, I lived in Manhattan in a big old loft right off Times Square. I could walk to work, which was in a couple of Broadway theaters, to Howard Stern's studio, and to 30 Rock for 'Letterman' and 'SNL.' Even in New York, walking to work is homey and folksy, like living in a small town.
- Penn Jillette
When I was a kid, politicians wanted to avoid talking about religion if they could. John F. Kennedy couldn't duck the issue, being Catholic and all. So how did he address it? By reminding Americans that religion shouldn't be an issue, that he was concentrating on big things like poverty and hunger and leading the space race.
- Penn Jillette
The secret truth of 'Celebrity Apprentice' is that it isn't very hard... 'Celebrity Apprentice' is easy like junior high is easy. All the arithmetic, the creative writing and the history are super simple, but like junior high, you do that easy work surrounded by people who are full-tilt, hormone-raging bug nutty.
- Penn Jillette
Once you have somebody that is telling you, 'We are interpreting God for you,' it seems like you either agree or you don't. You either say, like Martin Luther, 'I'm going to have a direct relationship with the word of God,' or I'm going to go through a conduit of God on Earth,' which would be the Pope.
- Penn Jillette
When 9/11 hit, the second thing I said to myself was, 'This really is what religious people do.' Those people flying the plane were very good, very pious, truly faithful believers. There's no other way to paint them. Of course, they are extremists by definition, but they certainly aren't going against Islam in any real way.
- Penn Jillette
One of the things that Teller and I are obsessed with, one of the reasons that we're in magic, is the difference between fantasy and reality. That is the subject that, if you have a brain in your head, is always dealt with in magic. The smarter the tricks you're doing, the more that' s an important thing.
- Penn Jillette
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