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Counterintuitive actions prove we can trust real knowledge and do the opposite of what we feel makes sense.

Penn Jillette

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Penn Jillette
Age: 69
Born: 1955
Born: March 5
Actor
Circus Performer
Comedian
Film Actor
Film Director
Illusionist
Jongleur
Magician
Musician
Novelist
Podcaster
Radio Personality
Greenfield
Massachusetts
Penn Fraser Jillette
Feels
Actions
Real
Prove
Trust
Knowledge
Sense
Action
Counterintuitive
Makes
Opposite
Feel
Opposites

More quotes by Penn Jillette

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I think one of the things about Donald Trump that's interesting is he lives in a rarified atmosphere where it's possible that he doesn't get enough feedback, enough people rolling their eyes at him. It's a danger more in show business than it is with wealth.
Penn Jillette
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If I had to imagine omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent power in the universe that chose to make my mother suffer, I don't know how I would make that make sense in the universe.
Penn Jillette
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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
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In my run-ins with Christians... I find that they really are good moral people. And we overlap on everything, and they don't seem to be the kind of people that are waiting to hear voices to tell them what to do.
Penn Jillette
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Poker would have never gotten on TV when we only had three networks.
Penn Jillette
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Technology adds nothing to art. Two thousand years ago, I could tell you a story, and at any point during the story I could stop, and ask, 'Now do you want the hero to be kidnapped, or not?' But that would, of course, have ruined the story. Part of the experience of being entertained is sitting back and plugging into someone else's vision.
Penn Jillette
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I never wanted to be a magician. I never wanted to be a comedian. I never wanted to be onstage.
Penn Jillette
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Everyone's goals are the same with very small differences. I mean, the goal of a socialist and the goal of a libertarian are exactly the same. The goals are happiness and security and freedom, and you balance those.
Penn Jillette
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I intend to do the Penn & Teller show until they pry my cheesy magic wand from my cold dead fingers.
Penn Jillette
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It wasn't success, because Teller and I, by the time Asparagus Valley got together - within a year, we had achieved all our goals. I mean, our goal was to earn our living doing exactly what we wanted. Which is many people's goal.
Penn Jillette
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Twelve magicians and two carnies have been shot dead doing the bullet catch. That's cool enough, but every night when we close our show with that trick and the loaded gun gets pointed in my face, it goes so far beyond cool. All I can think is 12 magicians, two carnies.
Penn Jillette
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The whole world is pretending the breakthrough is in technology. The bottleneck is really in art.
Penn Jillette
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'Zolten' is a common Hungarian name, it's my wife's maiden name and most importantly, it's the name of Dracula's dog.
Penn Jillette
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Hypocrisy is annoying but not evil. Someone who says one thing and does another has doubled their chances of being half right.
Penn Jillette
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I like things matching. I have an upright bass, a drum kit and a grand piano that's the same color. I tend to overthink things.
Penn Jillette
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The best way to fight the terrorists is to have the freest country on earth. You should be able to get on an airplane, and people - that will not possibly happen again.
Penn Jillette
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Mentally ill people come from all belief systems.
Penn Jillette
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The first thing I said to myself on 9/11 was, 'There go our civil rights.' I found out by comparing notes later that George Carlin and I both said that at the exact same time. That's the first thing that popped into our head.
Penn Jillette
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Freedom means the right to be stupid.
Penn Jillette
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My whole family is missing that sports gene. I hope I didn't screw that up by marrying a great golfer.
Penn Jillette