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Quotations

Sometimes in life you find that someone else has said what you’re thinking, only with particular flair. We’d be happy to publish any quotations you may discover, so by all means send them in.

		Ah, this is obviously some strange usage of the word “safe” that I wasn’t previously aware of. Douglas Adams, as Arthur Dent in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Life . . . is like a grapefruit. It’s orange and squishy, and has a few pips in it, and some folks have half a one for breakfast. Douglas Adams You live and learn. At any rate, you live. Douglas Adams People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit. Most men succeed because they are determined to. George Herbert Allen A conference is a gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done. Fred Allen I’m astounded by people who want to "know" the universe when it’s hard enough to find your way around Chinatown. Woody Allen Why are our days numbered and not, say, lettered? Woody Allen If only God would give me some clear sign! Like making a large deposit in my name in a Swiss bank. Woody Allen As the poet said, “Only God can make a tree.” Probably because it’s so hard to figure out how to get the bark on. Woody Allen The only normal people are the ones you don’t know very well. Joe Ancis Just remember, you can do anything you set your mind to, but it takes action, perseverance, and facing your fears. Gillian Anderson Find a purpose and your passion will follow. Mac Anderson Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal—a commitment to excellence—that will enable you to attain the success you seek. Mario Andretti If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough! Mario Andretti A magician pulls rabbits out of hats. An experimental psychologist pulls habits out of rats. Anonymous The student who fails to learn has a teacher who has failed to teach. Anonymous Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. Apple Computer television ad, “Here's to the Crazy Ones,” 1997 Somewhere over the rainbow Way up high There’s a land that I heard of Once in a lullaby Somewhere over the rainbow Skies are blue  And the dreams that you dare to dream  Really do come true Some day I’ll wish upon a star And wake up where the clouds are far behind me Where troubles melt like lemondrops Away above the chimney tops That’s where you'll find me Somewhere over the rainbow Bluebirds fly Birds fly over the rainbow Why then, oh why can’t I? Some day I’ll wish upon a star And wake up where the clouds are far behind me Where troubles melt like lemondrops Away above the chimney tops That’s where you'll find me Somewhere over the rainbow Bluebirds fly Birds fly over the rainbow Why then, oh why can’t I? If happy little bluebirds fly Beyond the rainbow Why then, oh why can’t I? Harold Arlen (music) and E.Y. Harburg (lyrics) “Over the Rainbow,” from the films, The Wizard of Oz and Finding Forrester Have something to say, and say it as clearly as you can. That is the only secret of style. Matthew Arnold If living conditions don’t stop improving in this country, we’re going to run out of humble beginnings for our great men. Russell P. Askue To err is dysfunctional, to forgive co-dependent. Berton Averre Selling is an accurate representation of the facts—with enthusiasm. Mariano Audino, real estate investor
		If things go wrong, don’t go with them. Roger Babson The poets did well to conjoin music and medicine, because the office of medicine is but to tune the curious harp of man’s body. Francis Bacon, Sr They are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea. Sir Francis Bacon The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do. Walter Bagehot When you’re through changing, you’re through. Bruce Barton Make a customer, not a sale. Katherine Barchetti Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance. Bruce Barton What you really fear is inside yourself. You fear your own power, you fear your anger, the drive to do great or terrible things. Now you must journey inwards; you are ready. Ducard, Batman Begins It is by universal misunderstanding that all agree. For if, by ill luck, people understood each other, they would never agree. Charles Baudelaire Visualize yourself accomplishing the task at hand. Scott Beare Guilt is not helpful, honesty is. Ron Bell Courage is a special kind of knowledge: the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what ought not be feared. David Ben-Gurion Managers are people who do things right; leaders are people who do the right thing. Warren Bennis I told the president that he has everything needed in order to reach deals with him: he’s young, handsome and even-tanned. Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s famously politically incorrect prime minister, commenting on U.S. president-elect Barack Obama’s likely productive relationship with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Advertising isn’t a science, it’s persuasion. And persuasion is an art. Bill Bernach A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well. Jeff Bezos You can be sad and still buy pants. Giuliana Bianchi While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. The Bible, Book of Acts 17:16–17 Quotation. (noun) The act of repeating erroneously the words of another. Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary Politeness. (noun) The most acceptable hypocrisy. Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings. William Blake To see the World in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower; hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour. William Blake, Auguries of Innocence The last time somebody said, “I find I can write much better with a word processor,” I replied, “They used to say the same thing about drugs.” Roy Blount, Jr. Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. Paul Boese Never express yourself more clearly than you are able to think. Niels Bohr History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) I only know two pieces; one is “Clair de Lune” and the other one isn’t. Victor Borge For most folks, no news is good news; for the press, good news is not news. Gloria Borger Men are wise in proportion, not to their experience, but to their capacity for experience. James Boswell, Life of Samuel Johnson, 1791 Here is a simple but powerful rule: Always give people more than what they expect to get. Nelson Boswell If you look at life one way, there is always cause for alarm. Elizabeth Bowen To me, business insn’t about wearing suits or pleasing stockholders. It’s about being true to yourself, your ideas, and focusing on the essentials. Richard Branson When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present . . . we experience heaven on earth. Sara Ban Breathnach What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone? Bertolt Brecht The only thing that separates successful people from the ones who aren't is the willin Helen Gurley Brown Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for. It is a thing to be achieved. William Jennings Bryan I’m smart, I’m hardworking, and I’ll do anything. And I’m not leaving here without a job. Erin Brockovich, from the film, Erin Brockovich Everything we do in life is based on fear, especially love. Mel Brooks People don’t fail because they aim too high and miss, but because they aim too low and hit. Les Brown, Step Into Your Greatness If lovin’ the Lord is wrong, I don’t want to be right. Reverend Brown, Coming to America (1988) The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they’re okay, then it’s you. Rita Mae Brown Show class, have pride, and display character. If you do, winning takes care of itself. Paul Bryant Walt Whitman once said, “I see great things in baseball. It’s our game, the American game. It will repair our losses and be a blessing to us.” You could look it up. Annie, Bull Durham The world is made for people who aren’t cursed with self-awareness. Annie, Bull Durham Relax, all right? Don’t try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they’re fascist. Throw some ground balls—it’s more democratic. Crash Davis, Bull Durham Be substantially great in thyself, and more than thou appearest unto others. Sir Thomas Browne, Christian Morals, 1716 Communism is like one big phone company. Lenny Bruce People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one. Leo J. Burke Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood . . . Make big plans, aim high in hope and work. Daniel H. Burnham I’m going to stay in show business until I’m the last one left. George Burns A farewell, and then forever! Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee, Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage thee. Who shall say that Fortune grieves him, While the star of hope she leaves him? Me, nae cheerful twinkle lights me, Dark despair around benights me. Robert Burns, Ae Fond Kiss A paranoid is someone who knows a little of what’s going on. William S. Burroughs Getting caught is the mother of invention. Robert Byrne Now hatred is by far the longest pleasure; men love in haste, but they detest at leisure. Lord Byron
		Shelving hard decisions is the least ethical course. Adrian Cadbury There is no fate that cannot be surmounted by scorn. Albert Camus Boy, I feel a lot safer now that she's behind bars. O. J. Simpson, Michael Jackson, Robert Blake, and Kobe Bryant are still walking around; Osama Bin Laden too; but they take the one woman in America willing to cook, clean, and work in the yard, and haul her ass off to jail. George Carlin, commenting on the conviction of Martha Stewart No. Amy Carter, (President Jimmy Carter's daughter) when asked by a reporter if she had any message for the children of America I am simply trying as best I can and as fast as God gives me light to do the job I believe He has given me in trust to do. George Washington Carver The most difficult thing in the world is to reveal yourself, to express what you have to. As an artist, I feel that we must try many things, but above all, we must dare to fail. You must have the courage to be bad, to be willing to risk everything to really express it all. John Cassavetes Man cannot discover new oceans if he is afraid to lose sight of the shore. Lord Chesterfield Many a man has fallen in love with a girl in a light so dim he would not have chosen a suit by it. Maurice Chevalier If you bow at all, bow low. Chinese Proverb Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Chinese Proverb Keep your broken arm inside your sleeve. Chinese Proverb Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened. Winston Churchill Kites rise highest against the wind—not with it. Winston Churchill Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others. Winston Churchill The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible. Arthur C. Clarke, Technology and the Future The White House: I don’t know whether it’s the finest public housing in America or the crown jewel of the prison system. Bill Clinton When I took office, only high energy physicists had ever heard of what is called the Worldwide Web . . . now even my cat has its own page. Bill Clinton In the 1990’s Bell Labs found that its most valued and productive electrical engineers were not those endowed with genius but those who excelled in rapport, empathy, cooperation, persuasion and the ability to build consensus. Rebecca Coffey, found in an article: “20 things you didn’t know about genius.” Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes. Confucius I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper. Gary Cooper, on his decision not to take the leading role in Gone With The Wind, I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody. Bill Cosby Coaching sets the pace to get the best out of others while giving the best of yourself. David Cottrell People quit people before they quit companies. David Cottrell Within every dying fire is a spark ready to become a brilliant blaze. Phil Cousineau Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary. Margaret Cousins Health consists of having the same diseases as one’s neighbors. Quentin Crisp If you’ve grown up, you’ve given up. Eric Vance Curl The best poetry the romantic poets ever wrote was about how they could no longer write poetry. Eric Vance Curl Paradox is an essential part of the mind of a person who is both sane and paying attention. Eric Vance Curl
		A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men. Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory The whole purpose of religion is to facilitate love and compassion, patience, tolerance, humility, forgiveness. H.H. the Dalai Lama Do not condemn the judgment of another because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong. Dandemis Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita mi ritrovai per una selva oscura ché la diritta via era smarrita. (In the midst of my life’s journey I found myself in a dark forest in which the right path was obscured.) Dante, Inferno, Canto I, 1–3 Ahhh. A man with a sharp wit. Someone ought to take it away from him before he cuts himself. Peter da Silva Nine-tenths of wisdom is appreciation. Go find somebody’s hand and squeeze it . . . while there’s still time. Dale Dauten Just as iron rusts from disuse, even so does inaction spoil the intellect. Leonardo da Vinci As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death. Leonardo da Vinci It is not necessary to understand things in order to argue about them. Caron de Beaumarchais Povero il demonio che ha perso la fede di Dio. Ma chi a la fede e sempre ricco. (Poor is the devil who has lost faith in God. But he who has faith is forever rich.) Angela De Bellis Fede, speranza, e carita. In tutte le cose, un po’di speranza. La speranza e l'ultima a morire. (Faith, hope, and love. In all things, a bit of hope, for hope dies last of all.) Veronica De Bellis Il consiglio e quello che fa l’opera. (It is sound counsel which performs the work.) Veronica De Bellis Freedom is a state of mind, and to limit yourself by fears and doubt is to construct a prison for which you are both inmate and warden. Domenico Ignazio De Bellis Secrets, like the flu, are difficult to keep to oneself. Domenico Ignazio De Bellis How we treat people is a sacred experience, one that offers an insight to how we relate to God and to our selves. Domenico Ignazio De Bellis, “On Morality” My dream is what makes me get up in the morning. It’s what coaxes me out of my comfort zone. My dream is what I think about when adversity gets too hard. It’s what makes me dial another call, write another page, book one more appointment. My dream is what makes me get back up when I stumble, to dust myself off and get right back to it. It’s what I think about when I feel down and out. So many people have told me to give up on my dreams, but I never will. My dream is what fuels my business. Domenico Ignazio De Bellis The power in not knowing The path that lies ahead The grace of letting you be you And the freedom to be truly me Domenico Ignazio De Bellis, “On Marriage” I think that the soul has a peculiar quality of permanence that overshadows the body. The body ages, decays, and eventually dies—but the soul persists, retaining all the knowledge, memories, emotions, and passions accumulated during its earthbound journey. Truly, we are immortal creatures, long after our bodies have dissolved in time. Domenico Ignazio De Bellis The Bible describes the heart as the temple of God's Spirit, and so I trust that His Spirit illuminates the dark places therein, clears the cobwebs from the corners, rights the foundation, establishes the framework, and makes Himself at home in my temple. Domenico Ignazio De Bellis The late Bertrand Russell, famous atheist and author of Why I am not a Christian once said that “it is possible that mankind is on the threshold of a golden age; but, if so, it will be necessary first to slay the dragon that guards the door, and this dragon is religion.” Here Dr. Russell betrays his inherent bias against God, and interestingly, his bias in favor of unrestrained human activity made possible by the removal of God from society. I submit that the further society slips from God, the more we remove His authority from our lives and institutions, the more chaotic and dangerous our world becomes. Unrestrained human behavior is often unrecognizable as human; rather, it resembles animal, base activity, driven by instinct and not by morality. Domenico Ignazio De Bellis, “On Morality” Before you confide in someone, make sure he has proven himself worthy of your confidence. This applies equally well in personal relationships as it does in business. In fact, you're kidding yourself if you compartmentalize the two as separate lives. You're one person, not two, and your actions in public have just as moral a context as what you do in private. Domenico Ignazio De Bellis It’s a fundamentally human trait to avoid change. We tend to favor the status quo, and we resist the idea that we can improve our conditions, our education, even the notion that we can change the way we think and the substance of our beliefs. Yet this willingness to change is the ultimate mind-hack, the technology that allows us to grow through the changes we take on in our lives. Domenico Ignazio De Bellis Mysteries can be more important than knowledge. Knowledge is often certain, if not concrete. We learn things and we build on that knowledge, and so the process of advancement and evolution of what it means to think, and understand, and explain have their being. But when knowledge is not enough, when we thirst for more than mere understanding, we need only to look at the mysteries that go unexplained, and in their inspiration we imagine, dream, improvise, and create. For it is in mystery that humanity finds the really interesting questions. Domenico Ignazio De Bellis Jesus spent so much time preaching the Kingdom, and contrasting it to the established social order. He ordained that its ministers would be non-professionals; its priesthood, no longer restricted to the Levitical caste, but open to every believer. He demonstrated that the greatest in the Kingdom would be the least. The Savior reminds us that the Kingdom belongs, not to political élites, but to those possessed of a childlike faith. The City of God, therefore, is a complete reversal on the City of Man. Domenico Ignazio De Bellis, “On the City of God” What makes us utterly human is our capacity to redefine our nature, our thoughts, and our very selves. This is the Image of God in our lives, that under His influence, we have power to imaginatively create and realize radical new worlds. It is the Image of God, described by the Almighty in the second chapter of Genesis, that defines us as human. Humanity’s intrinsic nature was intended by God to reflect his own character and worth. We are sentient and moral creatures because God was and is so. That is, we are self-aware and can choose to put aside our own needs to focus and act for the good of another. When we choose to give ourselves to God, we become His instruments in the lives of others. In this way, we create new realities and infuse them with God’s love. A human can have no higher purpose than to act as God’s agent in the world. The mystery of God’s design here is an awesome one: the Creator who invites his creatures to cooperate with Him to heal the world. Domenico Ignazio De Bellis, “On the Image of God” It is our job as citizens to question the government, to demand integrity from our elected officials, and through the balance of power to keep the government serving us, not the other way around. We have been slack in our duties. Domenico Ignazio De Bellis, “The Consent of the Governed” The really interesting questions are beyond scrutiny. For example, man has for millennia pondered the nature of love, and despite the sea of answers we've come up with, they only lead to more questions. But that doesn't stop us from pursuing the question still further. Domenico Ignazio De Bellis We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out. Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962 My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She’s ninety-seven now, and we don’t know where the hell she is. Ellen DeGeneres He who confers a favor should at once forget it, if he is not to show a sordid ungenerous spirit. To remind a man of a kindness conferred and to talk of it, is little different from reproach. Demosthenes The greatest minds are capable of the greatest vices as well as of the greatest virtues. Rene Descartes, Le Discours de la Methode, 1637 America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great. Alexis de Tocqueville Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith. Alexis de Tocqueville Nothing is quite so wretchedly corrupt as an aristocracy which has lost its power but kept its wealth and which still has endless leisure to devote to nothing but banal enjoyments. All its great thoughts and passionate energy are things of the past, and nothing but a host of petty, gnawing vices now cling to it like worms to a corpse. Alexis de Tocqueville To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else. Burnadette Devlin, The Price of My Soul, 1969 Some people like my advice so much that they frame it upon the wall instead of using it. Gordon R. Dickson They say that God is everywhere, and yet we always think of Him as somewhat of a recluse. Emily Dickinson The thing is to stalk your calling in a certain skilled and supple way, to locate the most tender and live spot and plug into that pulse. This is yielding, not fighting. A weasel doesn’t “attack” anything; a weasel lives as he’s meant to, yielding at every moment to the perfect freedom of single necessity. I think it would be well, and proper, and obedient, and pure, to grasp your one necessity and not let it go, to dangle from it limp wherever it takes you . . . Annie Dillard I have a rock garden. Last week three of them died. Richard Diran It’s kind of fun to do the impossible. Walt Disney All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. Walt Disney Great services are not canceled by one act or by one single error. Benjamin Disraeli Great beginnings are not as important as the way one finishes. Dr. James Dobson Sometimes a noble failure serves the world as faithfully as a distinguished success. Edward Dowden More business decisions occur over lunch and dinner than at any other time, yet no MBA courses are given on the subject. Peter Drucker Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans. Peter F. Drucker All human things are subject to decay, and, when Fate summons, monarchs must obey; This Flecknoe found, who like Augustus young was call’d to empire, and had govern’d long: In prose and verse, was own’d, without dispute through all the realms of nonsense, absolute. John Dryden, Mac Flecknoe Everything that can be invented has been invented. Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899 The more involved clients are the more loyal they become. Todd Duncan
		I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us. Umberto Eco, Foucault’s Pendulum To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk. Thomas A. Edison Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. Thomas A. Edison Hell, there are no rules here—we’re trying to accomplish something. Thomas A. Edison What you are will show in what you do. Thomas A. Edison Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it’s useless. Thomas A. Edison Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. Albert Einstein Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen. Albert Einstein If I had only known, I would have been a locksmith. Albert Einstein The tragedy of life is what dies in the hearts and souls of people while they live. Albert Einstein Imagination is more important than knowledge. Albert Einstein Try not to become a man of success, but become a man of value. Albert Einstein When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge. Albert Einstein The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking. Albert Einstein The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. Albert Einstein Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. Albert Einstein Try not to become a man of success but a man of value. Albert Einstein Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom. Albert Einstein, Out of My Later Years 1950 He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. Jim Elliot The two most abundant things in the universe are Hydrogen and stupidity. Harlan Ellison What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say. Ralph Waldo Emerson Children are all foreigners. Ralph Waldo Emerson What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. Ralph Waldo Emerson Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. Ralph Waldo Emerson You better lose yourself in the music, the moment You own it, you better never let it go You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo Eminem, “Lose Yourself” A quiet conscience sleeps in thunder. Epictetus The two biggest reasons businesses fail is because of undercapitalization and a lack of effective marketing. Entrepreneur Magazine, August 2008 If you do not wish to be prone to anger, do not feed the habit; give it nothing which may tend to its increase. Epictetus But what is it good for? Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip. Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish. Euripides Find something that you’re really interested in doing in your life. Pursue it, set goals, and commit yourself to excellence. Do the best you can. Chris Evert Dive into the sea of thought, and find there pearls beyond price. Moses Ibn Ezra, Shirat Yisrael
		If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance a lot less. Tom Feltenstein Not that I condone fascism—or any ism, for that matter. Isms, in my opinion, are not good. A person should not believe in an ism; he should believe in himself. I quote John Lennon, “I don’t believe in The Beatles; I just believe in me.” Good point there. After all, he was the walrus. I could be the walrus but it still wouldn’t change the fact that I don’t own a car! Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Start every day off with a smile and get it over with. W.C. Fields Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau. Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929 Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value. Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, École Superieure de Guerre Deeds, not words shall speak me. John Fletcher Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. Malcolm Forbes Men who never get carried away should be. Malcolm Forbes Quality means doing it right when no one is looking. Henry Ford When you let the love of a child transform your heart, you are renewed. Henry Ford One must be fond of people and trust them if one is not to make a mess of life. E.M. Forster If you . . . examined [the 16th Amendment] carefully, you would find that a sufficient number of states never ratified that amendment. U.S. District Court Judge James C. Fox, on the legality of the Federal Income Tax, 2003 Compassion is not sentiment but is making justice and doing works of mercy. Compassion is not a moral commandment but a flow and overflow of the fullest human and divine energies. Matthew Fox A person is never happy except at the price of some ignorance. Anatole France In times of crisis, people reach for meaning. Meaning is strength. Our survival may depend on our seeking and finding it. Victor Frankl They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759 Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of. Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack, June 1746 Wish not so much to live long as to live well. Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1738 A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats. Benjamin Franklin A good conscience is a continual Christmas. Benjamin Franklin A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over. Benjamin Franklin All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel those of the present but neither see nor feel those of the future; and hence we often make troublesome changes without amendment, and frequently for the worse. Benjamin Franklin All would live long, but none would be old. Benjamin Franklin An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. Benjamin Franklin Anger is never without Reason, but seldom with a good One. Benjamin Franklin At 20 years of age the will reigns, at 30 the wit, at 40 the judgment. Benjamin Franklin Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none. Benjamin Franklin Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing. Benjamin Franklin Beware of the young doctor and the old barber. Benjamin Franklin Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. Benjamin Franklin Drive thy business or it will drive thee. Benjamin Franklin Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. Benjamin Franklin Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future and crimes from society. Benjamin Franklin Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to get leisure. Benjamin Franklin Energy and persistence conquer all things. Benjamin Franklin Genius without education is like silver in the mine. Benjamin Franklin Glass, china and reputation are easily cracked, and never well mended. Benjamin Franklin God heals, and the doctor takes the fees. Benjamin Franklin Having been poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it, is. Benjamin Franklin He is ill clothed that is bare of virtue. Benjamin Franklin He that blows the coals in quarrels that he has nothing to do with, has no right to complain if the sparks fly in his face. Benjamin Franklin He that can have patience can have what he will. Benjamin Franklin He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals. Benjamin Franklin He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else. Benjamin Franklin He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money. Benjamin Franklin He that lives upon hope will die fasting. Benjamin Franklin He that would live in peace and at ease, must not speak all he knows nor judge all he sees. Benjamin Franklin Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What’s a sun-dial in the shade? Benjamin Franklin How many observe Christ’s birthday! How few, his precepts! O! ’tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments. Benjamin Franklin I am in the prime of senility. Benjamin Franklin If you know how to spend less than you get, you have the philosopher's stone. Benjamin Franklin If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting. Benjamin Franklin If you would know the value of money, go try to borrow some; for he that goes a-borrowing goes a-sorrowing. Benjamin Franklin If you would persuade, you must appeal to interest rather than intellect. Benjamin Franklin If you wouldst live long, live well, for folly and wickedness shorten life. Benjamin Franklin If your head is wax, don’t walk in the sun. Benjamin Franklin Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today. Benjamin Franklin Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment. Benjamin Franklin Search others for their virtues, thyself for thy vices. Benjamin Franklin Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry, all things easy. He that rises late must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night, while laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes him. Benjamin Franklin So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do. Benjamin Franklin There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding the government. Benjamin Franklin Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead. Benjamin Franklin Well done is better than well said. Benjamin Franklin Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody. Benjamin Franklin You may delay, but time will not. Benjamin Franklin They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759 But in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. Benjamin Franklin, Letter to Jean Baptiste Le Roy, 1789 Fish and visitors smell in three days. Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1736 To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals. Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1737 Wish not so much to live long as to live well. Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1738 Creditors have better memories than debtors. Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1758 The refusal of King George III to allow the colonies to operate an honest money system, which freed the ordinary man from the clutches of the money manipulators, was probably the prime cause of the revolution. Benjamin Franklin We all dream; we do not understand our dreams, yet we act as if nothing strange goes on in our sleep minds, strange at least by comparison with the logical, purposeful doings of our minds when we are awake. Erich Fromm, The Forgotten Language I never dared to be radical when young For fear it would make me conservative when old. Robert Frost, "Ten Mills," A Further Range, 1936 I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I? I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Robert Frost, "The Road Not Taken" If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it. Margaret Fuller How often I found where I should be going only by setting out for somewhere else. R. Buckminster Fuller
		If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error. John Kenneth Galbraith Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite. John Kenneth Galbraith Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress. Mahatma Gandhi Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it. Mahatma Gandhi It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err. Mahatma Gandhi I was born at the age of twelve on an MGM lot. Judy Garland 640k ought to be enough for anybody. Bill Gates, 1981 In battling evil, excess is good; for he who is moderate in announcing the truth is presenting half-truth. He conceals the other half out of fear of the people's wrath. Kahlil Gibran, "Narcotics and Dissecting Knives," Thoughts and Meditations, 1960 It’s all right to have butterflies in your stomach. Just get them to fly in formation. Dr. Rob Gilbert Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious. Brendan Gill In all recorded history there has not been one economist who has had to worry about where the next meal would come from. Brendan Gill Appreciation is a free gift that you can give to anyone you encounter—it is completely your choice. Barbara Glanz Marketing is all there is. You don’t win with better shipping or manufacturing or accounts payable. You win with better marketing. Seth Godin, former Vice President of Marketing, Yahoo! I don’t want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them their jobs. Samuel Goldwyn A hospital is no place to be sick. Samuel Goldwyn We could change the world tomorrow if all the millions of people around the world acted the way they believe. Jane Goodall There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast. Cathy Goodwin But . . . But, we already paid for this crap. Heidi Gorr, Illinois State University student, August 24, 1990 Either I’ve been missing something or nothing has been going on. Karen Elizabeth Gordon “. . . When somebody asks me a question like that, I want to say, “Look, if you want to be a Christian, give your life to God and He’ll tell you what you can and can’t do.” Amy Grant The remarkable thing about Shakespeare is that he really is very good, in spite of all the people who say he is very good. Robert Graves Living in a vacuum sucks. Adrienne E. Gusoff
		Lack of money is no obstacle. Lack of an idea is an obstacle. Ken Hakuta Giving people a little more than they expect is a good way to get back a lot more than you'd expect. Robert Half Pray that your loneliness may spur you into finding something to live for, great enough to die for. Dag Hammarskjold During the last days of Walt Disney’s life, right before he died, a guy came in to see him. The guy comes in and says, “Oh Walt, it’s so terrible, you’re not going to get to see Epcot and Disney World.” And Walt looks at him and says, “Are you kidding me? If I didn’t see it my mind, you’ll never see it in your experience.” Mark Victor Hansen What do you want?—Write it down, visualize it, dream it, team it, and scheme it, and it’s yours. Mark Victor Hansen The word “politics” is derived from the word “poly,” meaning “many,” and the word “ticks,” meaning “blood sucking parasites.” Larry Hardiman We may affirm absolutely that nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion. Georg Hegel The Romans would never have found time to conquer the world if they had been obliged first to learn Latin. Heinrich Heine In the absence of light, darkness prevails. There are things that go bump in the night, Agent Myers; make no mistake about that. And we are the ones who bump back. Professor Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm, Hellboy Out on the road today, I saw a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac. A little voice inside my head said, “Don't look back, you can never look back.” Don Henley, “Boys of Summer” Bad men cannot make good citizens. A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience are incompatible with freedom. Patrick Henry Thou that has given so much to me, Give one thing more, a grateful heart, Not thankful when it pleaseth me, As if thy blessings had spare days; But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise. George Herbert What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music? Rob Gordon, High Fidelity Hold a picture of yourself long and steadily enough in your mind’s eye, and you will be drawn toward it. Napoleon Hill, Think And Grow Rich Success seems to be connected with action. Successful men keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit. Conrad Hilton Surely there comes a time when counting the cost and paying the price aren’t things to think about any more. All that matters is value—the ultimate value of what one does. James Hilton This paperback is very interesting, but I find it will never replace a hardcover book; it makes a very poor doorstop. Alfred Hitchcock There is no experience better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up. John Andrew Holmer A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged; it is the skin of a living thought, and may vary greatly in color and content according to the circumstances and the time in which it is used. Oliver Wendell Holmes Lawyers spend a great deal of their time shoveling smoke. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr Classical music is the kind we keep thinking will turn into a tune. Kin Hubbard A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labor and there is an invisible labor. Victor Hugo, 1862 You must hold on to the secure lifeline provided by the truth that God knows. He is intimately acquainted with all your ways. He doesn’t watch you from a distance. No feeling, no hurt, no scar, no wound has ever escaped His notice. Bill Hybels
		The trick is to make sure you don’t die waiting for prosperity to come. Lee Iacocca Literature is the garment which one puts on what he says or writes so that it may appear more attractive. Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, Muslim scholar and philosopher It's said that the dreamcatcher holds the destiny of the future. Inktomi, Legendary Teacher of Wisdom You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was. Irish Proverb In our every deliberation we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations. from the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy The best armor is to keep out of range. Italian Proverb
		Dreams can become a reality when we possess a vision that is characterized by the willingness to work hard, a desire for excellence and a belief in our right and our responsibility to be equal members of society. Janet Jackson I’m starting with the man in the mirror I’m asking him to change his ways And no message could've been any clearer: If you want to make the world a better place Take a look at yourself and then make that change. Michael Jackson, “Man in the Mirror” If you believe everything you read, better not read. Japanese Proverb The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers. Thomas Jefferson An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens. Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to John Melish, January 13, 1813 Never fear the want of business. A man who qualifies himself well for his calling, never fails of employment. Thomas Jefferson Banking institutions are more dangerous than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of their property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. Thomas Jefferson I never believed there was one code of morality for a public and another for a private man. Thomas Jefferson The man who stops advertising to save money is like the man who stops his watch to save time. Thomas Jefferson It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg. . Thomas Jefferson The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government. Thomas Jefferson I like work; it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours. Jerome K. Jerome It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. Jerome K. Jerome Compassion is the ultimate and most meaningful embodiment of emotional maturity. It is through compassion that a person achieves the highest peak and deepest reach in his or her search for self-fulfillment. Arthur Jersild If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Jesus Christ, The Gospel of John 8:31–32 Don’t be sweet, lest you be eaten up; don’t be bitter, lest you be spewed out. Jewish Proverb It’s odd that you can get so anesthetized by your own pain or your own problem that you don’t quite fully share the hell of someone close to you. Lady Bird Johnson Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance. Samuel Johnson Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves to break our own records, to outstrip our yesterday by our today. Stewart B. Johnson Ours is the age that is proud of machines that think and suspicious of men who try to. H. Mumford Jones You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them. Michael Jordan
		Enlightenment is the emancipation of man from a state of self-imposed tutelage . . . of incapacity to use his own intelligence without external guidance. Such a state of tutelage I call “self-imposed” if it is due, not to lack of intelligence, but to lack of courage or determination to use one’s own intelligence without the help of a leader. Sapere audé! Dare to use your own intelligence! This is the battle-cry of the Enlightenment. Immanuel Kant, 1785 Life is a great big canvas; throw all the paint you can at it. Danny Kaye As an artist, I find no greater satisfaction than knowing that my gift of art holds significance and importance to another. Each one of us is fulfilled when we give out of who we are and find that our gift is received. As we continue to give of that which was given to us, we see a continual confirmation of our “being.” And that’s why I carry on. Phil Keaggy College isn't the place to go for ideas. Helen Keller Many persons have the wrong idea about what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose. Helen Keller, 1880-1968, blind and deaf writer and lecturer Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. Helen Adams Keller (1880-1968) When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another. Helen Keller Sometimes I just wanna kill all these people. Rob Kendall, while cold-calling prospects of questionable intelligence Don’t agonize. Organize. Florynce Kennedy If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. John F. Kennedy Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. John F. Kennedy Take what you can use and let the rest go by. Ken Kesey The avoidance of taxes is the only intellectual pursuit that carries any reward. John Maynard Keynes Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build bridges even when there are no rivers. Nikita Khrushchev Geniuses are like a thunderstorm: They go against the wind, terrify people, clear the air. Søren Kierkegaard Nobody loves me but my mother, and she could be jiving, too. B.B. King He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. Martin Luther King, Jr. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Martin Luther King, Jr. Everyone has the power of greatness. Not for fame, but for greatness. Because greatness is determined by service. Martin Luther King, Jr. The absence of alternatives clears the mind marvelously. Henry Kissinger The main reason people struggle financially is because they spent years in school but learned nothing about money. The result is, people learn to work for money . . . but never learn to have money work for them. Robert Kiyosaki, Rich Dad, Poor Dad It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. Krishnamurti What can you say about a society that says that God is dead and Elvis is alive? Irv Kupcinet
		I am determined that my children shall be brought up in their father's religion, if they can find out what it is. Charles Lamb The true measure of a person is how they treat someone who can do them absolutely no good. Ann Landers A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience. Doug Larson Never give a child a sword. Latin Proverb Many a man in love with a dimple makes the mistake of marrying the whole girl. Stephen Leacock There’s no crying! There’s no crying in baseball! Rogers Hornsby was my manager. And he called me a talking pile of pig shit—and that’s when my parents drove all the way down from Michigan to see me play the game. And did I cry? No! No! And do you know why? Because there’s no crying in baseball. There’s no crying in baseball! No crying! Jimmy Dugan, A League of Their Own [Baseball] is supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard everyone would do it. The "hard" is what makes it great. Jimmy Dugan, A League of Their Own Food is an important part of a balanced diet. Fran Lebowitz On my income tax 1040 it says "Check this box if you are blind." I wanted to put a check mark about three inches away. Tom Lehrer, lecturing in The Nature of Math, April 4, 1990 I wish people who have trouble communicating would just shut up. Tom Lehrer Those of us who struggle in our own ways, small or great, trickles or rivers, to create, are constantly having to unlearn what the world would teach us; it is not easy to keep a child’s high creativity in these late years of the twentieth century. Madeleine L’Engle, Walking on Water, 1998 Underneath this flabby exterior is an enormous lack of character. Oscar Levant Somewhere on this globe, every ten seconds, there is a woman giving birth to a child. She must be found and stopped. Sam Levenson The only cure for grief is action. George Henry Lewes Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” C.S. Lewis Aim at heaven, and you will get earth “thrown in.” Aim at earth, and you will get neither. C.S. Lewis You don’t have a Soul. You are a Soul. You have a body. C.S. Lewis What seem our worst prayers may really be, in God’s eyes, our best. Those, I mean, which are least supported by devotional feeling. For these may come from a deeper level than feeling. God sometimes seems to speak to us most intimately when He catches us, as it were, off our guard. C.S. Lewis We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship. C.S. Lewis What is praising God? It’s acknowledging the absolute sovereignty and loving care that God has for each one of His people who acknowledge and praise His name. Lauren Libby, Vice President, The Navigators, 2006 It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues. Abraham Lincoln This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can excercise their constitutional right of amending it, or excercise their revolutionary right to overthrow it. Abraham Lincoln Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves. Abraham Lincoln My great concern is not whether God is on our side, My great concern is to be on God’s side. Abraham Lincoln Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee and just as hard to sleep after. Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift From the Sea Individual commitment to a group effort, that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work. Vincent Thomas “Vince” Lombardi If you’ll not settle for anything less than your best, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in your lives. Vincent Thomas “Vince” Lombardi Lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime. And, departing, leave behind us footprints on the sands of time. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Most people would succeed in small things if they were not troubled with great ambitions. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Driftwood; Table Talk, 1857 Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow You only live once—but if you work it right, once is enough. Joe E. Louis One of the most adventurous things left us is to go to bed. For no one can lay a hand on our dreams. E. V. Lucas, 365 Days and One More
		It is a common delusion that you make things better by talking about them. Dame Rose Macaulay If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we could cast the gift of a lovely thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give. George Mac Donald Don’t think there are no crocodiles because the water is calm. Malayan Proverb All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers. Orison Swett Marden Gratitude is like a flashlight. If you go out in your yard at night and turn on a flashlight, you suddenly can see what's there. It was always there, but you couldn’t see it in the dark. Dawna Markova The most overlooked advantage to owning a computer is that if they foul up there’s no law against wacking them around a little. Joe Martin, Porterfield Forget her, Stanley . . . That girl will tear your heart out, put it in a blender, and hit "frappe." Charlie, The Mask Did you know that the first Matrix was designed to be a perfect human world? Where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program. Entire crops were lost. Some believed we lacked the programming language to describe your perfect world. But I believe that, as a species, human beings define their reality through suffering and misery. The perfect world was a dream that your primitive cerebrum kept trying to wake up from. Which is why the Matrix was redesigned to this: the peak of your civilization. Agent Smith, The Matrix Do you want to know what it is, Neo? It’s that feeling you have had all your life. That feeling that something was wrong with the world. You don’t know what it is but it’s there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad, driving you to me. But what is it? The Matrix is everywhere, it’s all around us, here even in this room. You can see it out your window, or on your television. You feel it when you go to work, or go to church or pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. Morpheus, The Matrix There's a difference between knowing the path, and walking the path. Morpheus, The Matrix If real is what you can feel, smell, taste and see, then ‘real’ is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain. Morpheus, The Matrix Neo: Are you telling me I can dodge bullets? Morpheus: No. What I’m telling you, Neo, is that when you’re ready, you won't have to. Neo and Morpheus, The Matrix The answer is out there, Neo, and it’s looking for you, and it will find you if you want it to. Trinity, The Matrix In literature as in love, we are astonished at what is chosen by others. Andre Maurois McCabe’s Law: Nobody has to do anything. Charles McCabe It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument. William G. McAdoo The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom. H.L. Mencken Conscience is the inner voice that warns us that someone might be looking. H.L. Mencken The difference between a moral man and a man of honor is that the latter regrets a discreditable act, even when it has worked and he has not been caught." Henry Mencken The capacity of human beings to bore one another seems to be vastly greater than that of any other animal. H.L. Mencken Fifteen hundred years ago, everybody “knew” that the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody “knew” that the Earth was flat. And 15 minutes ago, you “knew” that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll “know” tomorrow. Kay, Men in Black I’m just a musical prostitute, my dear. Freddy Mercury I won’t be a rock star. I will be a legend. Freddy Mercury Many men simply believe all women are retards, and you could outthink and outdo them till your Christian hell froze over and they’d still believe you couldn't do it . . . When you deal with that, that’s dealing with an image . . . They have an image of “woman” and they won’t interact with the reality no matter how different it is from the image, or how strongly the difference asserts itself. They will not see it. They cannot see it. And in fact they will try to punish you for failing to fit their idea of what you should be. Perhaps in subtle ways, because they cannot recognize it openly, but they will try to punish you to get you to conform to what they expect of you. That’s all I'm talking about. It’s exactly the same thing, only magnified, for a public figure. None avoid it. Whatever you do, they will twist it to fit the image or they will punish you for not fitting the image, but either way you are chained for life to the almighty image. Melisa Michaels, Cold Iron Compassion is the keen awareness of the interdependence of all things. Thomas Merton In an age where there is much talk about ‘being yourself’ I reserve to myself the right to forget about being myself, since in any case there is very little chance of my being anybody else. Rather, it seems to me that when one’s too intent on ‘being himself’ he runs the risk of impersonating a shadow. Thomas Merton Most conversations are simply monologues delivered in the presence of a witness. Margaret Miller One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. A.A. Milne Making the simple complicated is commonplace. Making the complicated simple, awesomely simple—that’s creativity. Charles Mingus Imagine what it would be like if TV actually were good. It would be the end of everything we know. Marvin Minksy A fellow who is always declaring he's no fool usually has his suspicions. Wilson Mizner God help those who do not help themselves. Wilson Mizner A wise man is superior to any insults which can be put upon him, and the best reply to unseemly behavior is patience and moderation. Molière, Le Bourgeois Gentil-Homme It has all been very interesting. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, last words, 1762 An author is a fool who, not content with boring those he lives with, insists on boring future generations. Charles de Montesquieu
		And we’re gonna have a good day And all my homies gonna ride today And all these mommies look fly today And all we wanna do is get by today, hey We’re gonna have a good day And ain’t nobody gotta cry today ‘Cause ain’t nobody gonna die today Save that trouble for another day, hey We’re gonna have a good day from “Good Day,” by the Nappy Roots The soul's answer to the problem of time is the experience of timeless being. There is no other answer. Jacob Needleman If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention, than to any other talent. Isaac Newton In order to hold onto something new, you have to be ready and willing to let go of something old. And most people want more without letting go. I tell people if you want new, great things in your hand, what’s currently filling you’re hand? . . . And if you’re ready to move forward, then be ready to let that go. Lisa Nichols, Teacher of “The Secret” It’s choice—not chance—that determines your destiny. Jean Nidetch Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he doesn’t become a monster. Friedrich Nietzsche It is hard enough to remember my opinions, without also remembering my reasons for them! Friedrich Nietzsche Fear not that thy life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it shall never have a beginning. John Henry Cardinal Newman When you make a world tolerable for yourself, you make a world tolerable for others. Anaïs Nin Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country. Anaïs Nin, The Diaries of Anaïs Nin Everything starts as somebody’s daydream. Larry Niven Optimism is a crucial choice we make in establishing expectations for ourselves and others as we begin to move forward through adversity. Christopher Novak Become a hunter of blessings, actively seeking them out in every experience and person you encounter. Kate Novak Knowledge is power and knowledge shared is power multiplied. Bob Noyce
		Sometimes the best way to make a difference is to be the difference. Gwen Olsen There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home. Ken Olson, president, chairman, and founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, 1977 I take my children everywhere, but they always find their way back home. Robert Orben In all realms of life, it takes courage to stretch your limits, express your power, and fulfill your potential; it's no different in the financial realm. Suze Orman The mystery of government is not how Washington works but how to make it stop. P.J. O'Rourke Humans are the only animals that have children on purpose with the exception of guppies, who like to eat theirs. P.J. O'Rourke Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. Ovid
		Louis Pasteur’s theory of germs is ridiculous fiction. Pierre Pachet, professor of physiology at Toulouse, 1872 Magnificent promises are always to be suspected. Theodore Parker Romance without finance ain’t got no chance. Charlie Parker Since we cannot know all that there is to be known about anything, we ought to know a little about everything. Blaise Pascal An executive is a person who always decides; sometimes he decides correctly, but he always decides. John H. Patterson The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas. Linus Pauling Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted. Randy Pausch, Carnegie-Mellon University professor Don’t bail; the best gold is at the bottom of barrels of crap. Randy Pausch, Carnegie-Mellon University professor I don’t know how not to have fun. I’m dying and I'm having fun. And I’m going to keep having fun every day I have left—because there’s no other way to play it. Randy Pausch, Carnegie-Mellon University professor The brick walls are not there to keep us out. They are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. The brick walls are for the other people. Randy Pausch, Carnegie-Mellon University professor I guess it’s hard for people who are so used to things the way they are—even if they’re bad—to change. ’Cause they kind of give up. And when they do, everybody kind of loses. Trevor McKenney, Pay it Forward Golden Rule principles are just as necessary for operating a business profitably as are trucks, typewriters, or twine. James Cash Penney, founder of J.C. Penney An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn't happen today. Laurence J. Peter Against logic there is no armor like ignorance. Laurence J. Peter Everyone rises to their level of incompetence. Laurence J. Peter, The Peter Principle Excellent firms don’t believe in excellence—only in constant improvement and constant change Thomas J. Peters Wear the old coat and buy the new book. Austin Phelps I love really big thinking. Think about it. Take a dream and super-size it this week. Big thinking is the root of all positive change in the world. Robbin Phillips Computers are useless. They can only give you answers. Pablo Picasso Everything you can imagine is real. Pablo Picasso Youth has no age. Pablo Picasso No law or ordinance is mightier than understanding. Plato, Laws The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men. Plato The soul of man is immortal and imperishable. Plato Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night. Edgar Allan Poe Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons. Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949 I don’t have a bank account, because I don’t know my mother’s maiden name. Paula Poundstone Unless man is committed to the belief that all mankind are his brothers, then he labors in vain and hypocritically in the vineyards of equality. Adam Clayton Powell Jr, Black Power: A Form of Godly Power, 1967 Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it. Colin Powell We are taught that true creativity is rare, and so we do not nurture our own. "Rare" begins to mean "impossible." Sara Powell There is some urge in me to cast shadows on paper, to toss thoughts into being, if only here. Who will read these scattered words? Who will think as I have, as the sun warms my feet and the Son warms my heart? Who will know the faces that bring words spilling onto paper? Who will pray for this circle of hands that touch? O God, I lift hands to you and pray that these words, my mother of all books in my heart, are, for some reason, part of your plan. Sara Powell I am a poet, and the words I write will last forever, while I fade away. Sara Powell (1989) I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year. Prentice Hall’s business books editor, 1957 I don't know anything about music. In my line you don't have to. Elvis Presley Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn’t the fine line between sanity and madness gotten finer? George Price You don’t stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing. Michael Pritchard Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. Marcel Proust Technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage, and those who manage what they do not understand. Putt's Law
		[It's] time for the human race to enter the solar system. Dan Quayle I stand by all the misstatements that I’ve made. Dan Quayle, to Sam Donaldson, August 17, 1989
		Whatever their future, at the dawn of their lives, men seek a noble vision of man's nature and of life's potential Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history, with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila. Mitch Ratcliffe When I saw all those doctors around me, I thought, I hope they’re all Republicans. Ronald Reagan, after the surgery that saved him from an assassin’s bullet In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice; in practice, there is. Chuck Reid Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it has been sober, responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, and immature. Tom Robbins If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place. Nora Roberts This world is given as the prize for the men in earnest; and that which is true of this world, is truer still of the world to come. Frederick William Robertson I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature. John D. Rockefeller Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely. Rodin The more you observe politics, the more you've got to admit that each party is worse than the other. Will Rogers Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip. Will Rogers I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. Will Rogers We go the direction we face, and we face the direction we think. Jim Rohn Learn how to turn frustration into fascination. You will learn more being fascinated by life than you will by being frustrated by it. Jim Rohn No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Eleanor Roosevelt The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Eleanor Roosevelt In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility. Eleanor Roosevelt The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts about reality. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Do something. If it works, do more of it. If it doesn't, do something else. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It is fun being in the same decade with you. Franklin D. Roosevelt, in a letter to Winston Churchill Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. Theodore Roosevelt, September 7, 1903 Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. Theodore Roosevelt I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character! Theodore Roosevelt It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed. Theodore Roosevelt The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything. Theodore Roosevelt Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure . . . than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. Theodore Roosevelt It is better to be faithful than famous. Theodore Roosevelt To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Theodore Roosevelt, 1918 It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. Theodore Roosevelt, 1910 The best executive is the one who has enough sense to pick good people to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it. Theodore Roosevelt I was a vegetarian until I started leaning toward the sunlight. Rita Rudner The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it. John Ruskin Aristotle maintained that women have fewer teeth than men; although he was twice married, it never occurred to him to verify this statement by examining his wives' mouths. Bertrand Russell Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so. Bertrand Russell Patriotism is the willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons. Bertrand Russell To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization, and at present very few people have reached this level. Bertrand Russell
		Addresses are given to us to conceal our whereabouts. Saki (H.H. Munro) Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness. George Sand Sure, winning isn't everything. It's the only thing. Harry Sanders Finance is the art of passing money from hand to hand until it finally disappears. Robert W. Sarnoff I reject your reality, and substitute my own. Adam Savage, of Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters Even Tiger Woods needs a coach. Mark Schreiber What’s the cost of cheap? Mark Schreiber Rich or poor has noting to do with income, material possessions or business success, it has to do with what is between your ears. Mark Schreiber (influenced by Bryan Tracy and Robert Kiyosaki) I know the answer! The answer lies within the heart of all mankind! The answer is . . . twelve? . . . I think I'm in the wrong building. Charles M. Schultz Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction. E.F. Schumacher Do what is right, not what you think the high headquarters wants, or what you think will make you look good. Norman Schwarzkopf Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory. Albert Schweitzer You must give some time to your fellow man. Even if it’s a little thing, do something for those who have need of help, something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it. For remember, you don’t live in a world all your own. Your brothers are here, too. Albert Schweitzer Aim for service and success will follow. Albert Schweitzer Do something wonderful—People may imitate it. Albert Schweitzer I’m Hub McCann. I’ve fought in two world wars and countless smaller ones on three continents. I’ve led thousands of men into battle with everything from horses and swords to artillery and tanks. I’ve seen the headwaters of the Nile, and tribes of natives no white man had ever seen before. I’ve won and lost a dozen fortunes, killed many men and loved only one woman with a passion a flea like you could never begin to understand. That’s who I am. Now, go home, boy! Hub McCann, Secondhand Lions You know the Greeks didn’t write obituaries. They only asked one question after a man died: “Did he have passion?” Dean Kansky, Serendipity Maybe the absence of signs is a sign. Jonathan Trager, Serendipity Be wary of the man who urges an action in which he himself incurs no risk. Joaquin Setanti Energy is your most precious human resource. Without it, you simply go through the motions of your life. Susannah Seton I was going to buy a copy of The Power of Positive Thinking, and then I thought: What the hell good would that do? Ronnie Shakes The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers. William Shakespeare, as Dick The Butcher, Henry VI, Part II We are advertis'd by our loving friends. (William Shakespeare, as King Edward, Henry VI, Part III) This above all: to thine own self be true And it must follow, as the night the day Thou canst not then be false to any man. William Shakespeare, as Polonius, Hamlet, Act I, Scene iii To what base uses we may return, Horatio! Why many not imagination trace the noble dust of Alexander till ‘a find it stopping a bunghole? . . . No, faith, not a jot, but to follow him thither with modesty enough, and likelihood to lead it; as thus: Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust; the dust is earth; of earth we make loam; and why of that loam whereto he was converted might they not stop a beer barrel? Imperious Caesar, dead and turned to clay, Might stop a hole to keep the wind away. William Shakespeare, as Hamlet, Hamlet, Act V, Scene i Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real. Tupac Shakur 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. George Bernard Shaw All great truths begin as blasphemies. George Bernard Shaw Nothing is ever accomplished by a reasonable man. George Bernard Shaw The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it. George Bernard Shaw Do not wrong or hate your neighbor, for it is not he that you wrong: You wrong yourself. Shawnee Indian Chant You can make a lot of money with an awesome marketing plan and a mediocre product. You will never even come close to making as much with an awesome product and a mediocre marketing plan. Ann Sieg, Lies Of Network Marketing You can have the most lucrative compensation plan in the world, with the most revolutionary product on the planet and the greatest upline ever—but if you're using ancient and ineffective techniques to market your business, none of that matters. Ann Sieg, The Renegade Network Marketer Life is too important to take seriously. Corky Siegel “Freedom is not something you get as a present,” said Pietro. “You can live in a dictatorship and be free—on one condition: that you fight the dictatorship. The man who thinks with is own mind and keeps it uncorrupted is free. The man who fights for what he thinks is right is free. But you can live in the most democratic country on earth, and if you’re lazy, obtuse or servile within yourself, you’re not free. Even without any violent coercion, you’re a slave. You can’t beg your freedom from someone. You have to seize it—everyone as much as he can.” Ignazio Silone, Bread and Wine The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do. B.F. Skinner We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds. Leif Smith Two plus two only equals four if you accept that two plus two equals four. Two plus two is going to be what I want it to be. There’s a redemptive power that making a choice has, rather than feeling like you’re an effect to all the things that are happening. Make a choice. Just decide what it’s going to be, who you’re going to be, how you’re going to do it. Just decide, and from that point, the universe is going to get out of your way. It’s water; it wants to move and go around stuff, you know. For me, I want to represent possibilities. I want to represent the idea that you really can make what you want . . . I believe that I can create whatever I want to create. Will Smith, in an interview with Tavis Smiley The only thing that i see that is distinctly different about me is that I am not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be outworked, period. You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me, you might be all of those things you got on me, in nine categories. But if we get on the treadmill together, there’s two things: You’re getting off first, or I’m going to die. It’s really that simple . . . You’re not going to outwork me. The guy who is willing to hustle the most is going to get the loose ball. Will Smith, in an interview with Tavis Smiley If you stay ready, you ain’t gotta get ready. Will Smith, in an interview with Tavis Smiley He had occasional flashes of silence, that made his conversation perfectly delightful. Sydney Smith, referring to Macaulay Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions, but those who kindly reprove thy faults. Socrates It is not living that is important, but living rightly. Socrates I was bruised and battered And I couldn’t tell what I felt I was unrecognizable to myself Saw my reflection in a window I didn’t know my own face Oh brother are you gonna leave me wasting away On the streets of Philadelphia? Bruce Springsteen, from “Streets of Philadelphia” A good rule is never to look into the face of man in the morning until you have looked into the face of God. An equally good rule is always to have business with heaven before you have any business on earth. Charles H. Spurgeon If you want to remain slaves of the bankers and pay for the costs of your own slavery, let them continue to create money and control the nation's credit. Josiah Stamp The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1890 Someone s always playing corporation games Who cares? They’re always changing corporation names We just want to dance here, someone stole the stage They call us “irresponsible,” write us off the page Marconi plays the mamba, listen to the radio Don’t you remember? We built this city on rock ’n roll Starship, “We Built This City” And he piled upon the whale’s white hump, the sum of all the rage and hate felt by his whole race. If his chest had been a cannon, he would have shot his heart upon it. Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: First Contact, quoting from Moby Dick Luminous beings are we—not this crude matter. Master Yoda, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Personal relationships are the fertile soil from which all advancement, all success, all achievement in real life grows. Ben Stein Everybody knows if you are too careful you are so occupied in being careful that you are sure to stumble over something. Gertrude Stein, Everybody’s Autobiography, 1937 It is the nature of man to rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him. John Steinbeck In every bit of honest writing in the world there is a base theme. Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love. There are shorter means, many of them. There is writing promoting social change, writing punishing injustice, writing in celebration of heroism, but always that base theme. Try to understand each other. John Steinbeck, in a 1938 journal entry Man does not live by words alone, despite the fact that sometimes he has to eat them. Adlai E. Stevenson Jr, quoted in Human Behavior, May 1978 Freedom is not an ideal, it is not even a protection, if it means nothing more than freedom to stagnate, to live without dreams, to have no greater aim than a second car and another television set. Adlai E. Stevenson Jr You cannot run away from a weakness; you must sometimes fight it out or perish. And if that be so, why not now, and where you stand? Robert Louis Stevenson Rock ’n roll has become a great mongrel form, it needs new blood like a vampire: get this, suck that, exploit here and there; then it grows and stays contemporary. It’s not a stationary thing, it has to move on. Sting, in an interview with Creem Magazine, February 1991 A diplomat . . . is a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you actually look forward to the trip. Caskie Stinnett The days of the digital watch are numbered. Tom Stoppard It’s not the voting that’s democracy; it’s the counting. Tom Stoppard I wonder if anything is more urgent today, for the honor of Christ and for the spread of the gospel, than what the church should be, and should be seen to be—what by God’s purpose and Christ’s achievement it already is—a single new humanity, a model of human community, a family of reconciled brothers and sisters who love their Father and love each other, the evident dwelling place of God by his Spirit. Only then will the world believe in Christ as Peacemaker. Only then will God receive the glory due to his name. John Stott, The Message of Ephesians If Jesus Christ be God, and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him. C.T. Studd To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven. Karen Sunde Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed. Jonathan Swift Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought. Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi
		Oil prices have fallen lately. We include this news for the benefit of gas stations, which otherwise wouldn’t learn of it for six months. Bill Tammeus, in Toronto’s National Newspaper, 1991 The great thing about television is that if something important happens anywhere in the world, day or night, you can always change the channel. From the television show, Taxi Veritas vos liberabit. (The truth will set you free.) Motto of the Templar Knights, from the words of Jesus as recorded in The Gospel of John, 8:32 If thou shouldst never see my face again, Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer Than this world dreams of. Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "The Passing of Arthur" I hold it true,what’er befall; I feel it, when I sorrow most; ’Tis better to have loved and lost Than never to have loved at all. Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “In Memoriam” Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier. Mother Teresa Nobody in the game of football should be called a genius. A genius is somebody like Norman Einstein. Joe Theisman, Former quarterback The cloning of humans is on most of the lists of things to worry about from Science, along with behaviour control, genetic engineering, transplanted heads, computer poetry and the unrestrained growth of plastic flowers. Lewis Thomas Washington is the only place where sound travels faster than light. C.V.R. Thompson Dreams are the touchstones of our character. Henry David Thoreau I have learned this at least by my experiment: if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. Henry David Thoreau Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it. Henry David Thoreau Life is something that everyone should try at least once. James Thurber It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers. Henry J. Tillman Life is something that everyone should try at least once. Henry J. Tillman Anyone nit-picking enough to write a letter of correction to an editor doubtless deserves the error that provoked it. Alvin Toffler In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you. Leo Tolstoy Not all who wander are lost. J.R.R. Tolkien Reality is nothing but a collective hunch. Lily Tomlin For fast-acting relief, try slowing down. Lily Tomlin America is a large, friendly dog in a very small room. Every time it wags its tail, it knocks over a chair. Arnold Toynbee I believe through learning and application of what you learn, you can solve any problem, overcome any obstacle and achieve any goal that you can set for yourself. Brian Tracy Time management is really life management, personal management, management of yourself, rather than of time or circumstances. Time is perishable; it cannot be saved. Time is irreplaceable; nothing else can replace it. Time is irretrievable; once it is gone or wasted, you can never get it back. Finally, time is indispensable, especially for accomplishment of any kind. All achievement, all results, all success requires time. Brian Tracy Adherent assumptions lie at the root of every failure. Brian Tracy The weakest form of argument is from extremes. Brian Tracy Education . . . has produced a vast population able to read but unable to distinguish what is worth reading. G.M. Trevelyan Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear. Harry S Truman, August 8, 1950 The one sure way to success is to know everything you can about what you do. Donald Trump If you're going to think, think big. If you're going to live, live large. Donald Trump Your mind can build castles—just make sure the foundations are in place first. Donald Trump Just the omission of Jane Austen's books alone would make a fairly good library out of a library that hadn't a book in it. Mark Twain The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them. Mark Twain A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody has read. Mark Twain Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself. Mark Twain When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained. Mark Twain Honesty is the best policy—when there is money in it. Mark Twain Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. Mark Twain A banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining, but wants it back the minute it begins to rain. Mark Twain A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. Mark Twain A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval. Mark Twain Advertisements contain the only truths to be relied on in a newspaper. Mark Twain All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure. Mark Twain Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more. Mark Twain Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. Mark Twain Against the force of laughter nothing can stand. Mark Twain
		Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first. Ernestine Ulmer It's hard for many people to believe that there are extraordinary things inside themselves, as well as others. I hope you can keep an open mind. Elijah Price, Unbreakable You know what the scariest thing is? To not know your place in this world. Elijah Price, Unbreakable A friend is someone who will help you move. A real friend is someone who will help you move a body. Unknown Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity. Unknown A stitch in time would have confused Einstein. Unknown An effective way to deal with predators is to taste terrible. Unknown All power corrupts, but we need the electricity. Unknown There's a pinch of the madman in every great man. Unknown If the world should blow itself up, the last audible voice would be that of an expert saying it can't be done. Peter Ustinov
		Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow. Jeff Valdez When a thought is too weak to be expressed simply, simply drop it. Marquis de Vauvenargues If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. Vincent Van Gogh Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. Vincent Van Gogh I’ve been amazed at how often those outside the discipline of design assume that what designers do is decoration. Good design is problem solving. Jeffery Veen Never have children, only grandchildren. Gore Vidal It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong. Voltaire Any reviewer who expresses rage and loathing for a novel is preposterous. He or she is like a person who has put on full armor and attacked a hot fudge sundae. Kurt Vonnegut
		Who the hell wants to hear actors talk? H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927 I think there is a world market for maybe five computers. Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943 The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us. Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes A man’s way of doing things is the direct result of the way he thinks about things. Wallace D. Wattles Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself. A.H. Weiler It matters not whether you win or lose; what matters is whether I win or lose. Darrin Weinberg For every action there is an equal and opposite government program. Bob Wells Beware you be not swallowed up in books! An ounce of love is worth a pound of knowledge. John Wesley God show me the way because the Devil trying to break me down (Jesus Walks with me) The only thing that I pray is that me feet don't fail me now (Jesus Walks) And I don't think there is nothing I can do now to right my wrongs (Jesus Walks with me) I want to talk to God but I'm afraid because we ain't spoke in so long Kanye West, Jesus Walks Keep a diary, and someday it'll keep you. Mae West This "telephone" has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us. Western Union internal memo, 1876. You have to break in two to love someone. What Dreams May Come What folks call impossible is just something they haven't seen before. What Dreams May Come Lasting fulfillment comes not from achieving and acquiring, but from becoming who you really are. Jennifer White We think in generalities, but we live in detail. Alfred North Whitehead Bring all the art and science of the world, and baffle and humble it with one spear of grass. Walt Whitman The universal and fluid soul impounds within itself not only all the good characters and heroes, but the distorted characters, murderers, thieves. Walt Whitman The proof of a poet is that his country absorbs him as affectionately as he has absorbed it. Walt Whitman Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian. Dennis Wholey There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. Elie Wiesel The difference between literature and journalism is that journalism is unreadable and literature is not read. Oscar Wilde I sometimes think that God, in creating man, overestimated His ability. Oscar Wilde Most modern calendars mar the sweet simplicity of our lives by reminding us that each day that passes is the anniversary of some perfectly uninteresting event. Oscar Wilde I love acting. It is so much more real than life. Oscar Wilde The basis for optimism is sheer terror. Oscar Wilde I am not young enough to know everything. Oscar Wilde Alas, I am dying beyond my means. Oscar Wilde, as he sipped champagne on his deathbed A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal. Oscar Wilde Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much. Oscar Wilde A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies. Oscar Wilde Arguments are to be avoided; they are always vulgar and often convincing. Oscar Wilde Biography lends to death a new terror. Oscar Wilde Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative. Oscar Wilde Cynicism is knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing. Oscar Wilde Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months. Oscar Wilde The world is wide, and I will not wast my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum. Frances Willard Cynics regarded everybody as equally corrupt . . . Idealists regarded everybody as equally corrupt, except themselves. Robert Anton Wilson Neutrality is no longer feasible or desirable where the peace of the world is involved and the freedom of its peoples, and the menace to that peace and freedom lies in the existence of autocratic governments backed by organized force which is controlled wholly by their will, not by the will of their people. Woodrow Wilson, War Message to Congress, delivered 2 April 1917 We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated governments in the civilized world—no government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and the duress of small groups of dominant men. Woodrow Wilson Every time you suppress some part of yourself or allow others to play you small, you are in essence ignoring the owner's manual your creator gave you and destroying your design. Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, February 2003 I've come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that's as unique as a fingerprint—and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you. Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, September 2002 The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance—and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning. Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, September 2002 I believe that one of life's greatest risks is never daring to risk. Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, September 2002 Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it. Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, September 2002 Before you agree to do anything that might add even the smallest amount of stress to your life, ask yourself: What is my truest intention? Give yourself time to let a yes resound within you. When it's right, I guarantee that your entire body will feel it. Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, October 2002 Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don't fight them. Just find a different way to stand. Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, October 2002 The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be. Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine I believe the choice to be excellent begins with aligning your thoughts and words with the intention to require more from yourself. Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, December 2003 Every time you state what you want or believe, you're the first to hear it. It's a message to both you and others about what you think is possible. Don't put a ceiling on yourself. Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, December 2003 Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance. Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, May 2003 A child, more than all other gifts That earth can offer to declining man, Brings hope with it, and forward-looking thoughts. Wordsworth Sometimes I dance around my apartment in my underwear. Doesn't make me Madonna; never will. Cyn, Working Girl I bought some batteries, but they weren't included. Steven Wright I woke up one morning and all of my stuff had been stolen . . . and replaced by exact duplicates. Steven Wright I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize. Steven Wright Borrow money from pessimists. They don't expect it back. Steven Wright Half the people you know are below average. Steven Wright 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name. Steven Wright 42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot. Steven Wright A conscience is what hurts when all of your other parts feel good. Steven Wright A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory. Steven Wright I had a crush on my dental hygienist. Before my appointment, I would eat a whole box of Oreo cookies. Steven Wright All those who believe in psycho kinesis, raise my hand. Steven Wright I almost had a psychic girlfriend, but she left me before we met. Steven Wright OK, so what's the speed of dark? Steven Wright How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink? Steven Wright If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something. Steven Wright Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm. Steven Wright When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane. Steven Wright Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy. Steven Wright Hard work pays off in the future, laziness pays off now. Steven Wright I intend to live forever. So far, so good . . . Steven Wright If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends? Steven Wright Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines. Steven Wright What happens if you get scared half to death twice? Steven Wright My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder." Steven Wright Why do psychics have to ask you for your name? Steven Wright If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried. Steven Wright A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking. Steven Wright Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it. Steven Wright The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread. Steven Wright To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research. Steven Wright
		Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery. Malcolm X, Malcolm X Speaks, 1965 You're not to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or says it. Malcolm X Scully, I was like you once. I didn't know who to trust. Then I . . . I chose another path . . . another life, another fate, where I found my sister. The end of my world was unrecognisable and upside down. There was one thing that remained the same. You . . . were my friend, and you told me the truth. Even when the world was falling apart, you were my constant . . . my touchstone. Fox Mulder, The X-Files You're not being honest with yourself. Think back. There was a time when you feared for your future, for your career when you were first partnered with this man. I told you, I've studied you for years . . . and if you would permit me, I'd like to make an observation. You're drawn to powerful men, but you fear their power. You keep your guard up, a wall around your heart. How else do you explain that fearless devotion to a man obsessed, and, yet, a life alone? You'd die for Mulder but you won't allow yourself to love him. The Cigarette Smoking Man, The X-Files Time passes in moments . . . moments which, rushing past, define the path of a life, just as surely as they lead towards its end. How rarely do we stop to examine that path, to see the reasons why all things happen, to consider whether the path we take in life is our own making, or simply one into which we drift with eyes closed. But what if we could stop, pause to take stock of each precious moment before it passes? Might we then see the endless forks in the road that have shaped a life? And, seeing those choices, choose another path? Dana Scully, The X-Files We call it the miracle of life. Conception—a union of perfect opposites—essence transforming into existence, an act without which mankind would not exist and humanity cease to exist. Or is this just nostalgia now? An act of biology, commandeered by modern science and technology? God-like, we extract, implant, inseminate . . . and we clone. But has our ingenuity rendered the miracle into a simple trick? In the artifice of replicating life, can we become the creator? Then what of the soul? Can it, too, be replicated? Does it live in this matter we call DNA? Or is its placement the opposite of artifice, capable only by God? How did this child come to be? What set its heart beating? Is it the product of a union? Or the work of a divine hand? An answered prayer? A true miracle? Or is it a wonder of technology—the intervention of other hands? What do I tell this child about to be born? What do I tell Scully? And what do I tell myself? Fox Mulder, The X-Files There are more worlds than the ones you can hold in your hand. Albert Hosteen, The X-Files I once had a talk with Mulder about starlight; how it's billions of years old. Stars that are now long dead, whose light is still travelling through time. It won't die, that light. Maybe that's the only thing that never does. He said that's where souls reside. I hope he's right. Dana Scully, The X-Files I think the most rewarding relationships, the ones that last, are born from friendship. One day you look at the person and see more than you did the night before, like a switch was flicked somewhere. And the person who was just a friend is suddenly the only person you can imagine yourself with. Dana Scully, The X-Files Anyone who can appease a man's conscience can take his freedom away from him. The Cigarette Smoking Man, The X-Files The fiercest enemy is the man who has nothing left to lose. The Cigarette Smoking Man, The X-Files Nothing happens in contradiciton to nature, only in contradiction to what we know of it. Dana Scully, The X-Files
		The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a "C," the idea must be feasible. A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith later founded Federal Express) Complain to one who can help you. Yugoslav Proverb
		The ultimate calling upon the follower of Christ is to live a life reflecting who he is. Ravi Zacharias For the Christian, worship is co-extensive with life. The Christian doesn’t “go into the temple on our Lord’s Day, he takes the temple with him, or she takes the temple with her, going into this place, as many temples gather, at that converging point, because life is already an expression of worship . . . It is a total union of mind, heart, conscience. Ravi Zacharias We are fashioned by God to be thinking and emotional creatures. The emotions should follow reason, and not the other way around. Ravi Zacharias Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together . . . Carl Zwanzig

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