The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. – G.B. Shaw, Man and Superman, 1903

We must not overlook the role that extremists play. They are the gadflies that keep society from being too complacent. – Abraham Flexner, Universities, 1930

I had an immense advantage over many others dealing with the problem inasmuch as I had no fixed ideas derived from long-established practice to control and bias my mind, and did not suffer from the general belief that whatever is, is right. – Henry Bessemer (discovered new method of producing steel)