He who asks of life nothing but the improvement of his own nature… is less liable than anyone else to miss and waste life. – Henri Frederic Amiel

The insufferable arrogance of human beings to think that Nature was made solely for their benefit, as if it was conceivable that the sun had been set afire merely to ripen mens apples and head their cabbages. – Cyrano de Bergerac

Human subtlety will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more direct than does nature because in her inventions nothing is lacking, and nothing is superfluous. – Leonardo da Vinci