"[Godel’s Incompleteness] Theorem can be likened to a pearl, and the method of proof to an oyster. The pearl is prized for its luster and simplicity; the oyster is a complex living beast whose innards give rise to this mysteriously simple gem."

G.E.B., pg 17.

These sentences alone made me stop reading and stare off to visualize every oyster/pearl pairing I’ve met. What a beautiful description of that feeling you get when you’re working through a nasty problem with a hodgepodge of data, but finally something clicks, it all makes sense…and you’ve found the pearl.

(quote and commentary via godelescherbach)