Quoted by Bertrand Russell, Logical and Philosophical Papers, 1909–13, Routledge, 1992, p. xxix.
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If I could prove by logic that you would die in five minutes, I should be sorry you were going to die, but my sorrow would be very much mitigated by pleasure in the proof.

— G. H. Hardy

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "If I could prove by logic that you would die in five minutes, I should be sorry you were going to die, but my sorrow would be very much mitigated by pleasure in the proof." in the context of "Quoted by Bertrand Russell, Logical and Philosophical Papers, 1909–13, Routledge, 1992, p. xxix." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "G. H. Hardy" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
G. H. Hardy

About G. H. Hardy

Godfrey Harold Hardy FRS (7 February 1877 – 1 December 1947) was an English mathematician, known for his achievements in number theory and mathematical analysis. In biology, he is known for the Hardy–Weinberg principle, a basic principle of population genetics. Hardy is usually known by those outside the field of mathematics for his 1940 essay A Mathematician's Apology, often considered one of the best insights into the mind of a working mathematician written for the layperson. He had a long collaboration with John Edensor Littlewood, and he discovered and supported the work of Srinivasa Ramanujan.