A quotation from La Rochefoucauld

We confess to small faults to create the impression that we have no great ones.
 
[Nous n’avouons de petits défauts que pour persuader que nous n’en avons pas de grands.]

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶327 (1665-1678) [tr. Kronenberger (1959)]

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A quotation from Samuel Johnson

He that would pass the latter part of life with honour and decency, must, when he is young, consider that he shall one day be old; and remember, when he is old, that he has once been young.

Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) English writer, lexicographer, critic
Essay (1750-09-08), The Rambler, No. 50

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A quotation from Robert Ingersoll

If there is a God who will damn his children forever, I would rather go to hell than to go to heaven and keep the society of such an infamous tyrant. I make my choice now. I despise that doctrine. It has covered the cheeks of this world with tears. It has polluted the hearts of children, and poisoned the imaginations of men.

Robert Green Ingersoll (1833–1899) American lawyer, freethinker, orator
Lecture (1877-01-31) “The Liberty of Man, Woman, and Child,” Case Hall, Boston

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A quotation from Adlai Stevenson

The conformists abominate thought. Thinking implies disagreement and disagreement implies non-conformity and non-conformity implies heresy and heresy implies disloyalty. So obviously thinking must be stopped. This is the routine. But I say to you that bawling is not a substitute for thinking and that reason is not the subversion but the salvation of freedom.

Adlai Stevenson II (1900–1965) American politician, diplomat, statesman
Speech (1954-03-22), “The Educated Citizen,” Senior Class Banquet, Dillon Gymnasium, Princeton University

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A quotation from Oliver Goldsmith

O blest retirement! friend to life’s decline,
Retreats from care that never must be mine.
How blest is he who crowns in shades like these,
A youth of labour with an age of ease.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730–1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
Poem (1770), “The Deserted Village,” l. 97ff

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A quotation from Twain

We must have a religion — it goes without saying — but my idea is, to have it cut up into forty free sects, so that they will police each other, as had been the case in the United States in my time. Concentration of power in a political machine is bad; and an Established Church is only a political machine; it was invented for that; it is nursed, cradled, preserved for that; it is an enemy to human liberty, and does no good which it could not better do in a split-up and scattered condition.

Mark Twain (1835–1910) American writer [pseud. of Samuel Clemens]
Novel (1889), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Part 3 “The Tale of the Lost Land,” ch. 18 “In the Queen’s Dungeons”

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A quotation from Robert Louis Stevenson

The inn at Kinlochaline was the most beggarly vile place that ever pigs were styed in, full of smoke, vermin, and silent Highlanders.

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894) Scottish essayist, novelist, poet
Novel (1886), Kidnapped, ch. 16 “The Lad with the Silver Button: Across Morven”

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A quotation from Horace

O my brave men! stout hearts of mine!
   who often have suffered worse calamities with me.
let us now drown your cares in wine.
   Tomorrow we venture once again upon the boundless sea.
 
[O fortes peioraque passi
mecum saepe viri, nunc vino pellite curas;
cras ingens iterabimus aequor.]

Horace (65–8 BC) Roman poet, satirist, soldier, politician [Quintus Horatius Flaccus]
Odes [Carmina], Book 1, # 7, l. 30ff (1.7.30-32) (23 BC) [tr. Alexander (1999)]

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A quotation from Orwell

The relative freedom which we enjoy depends on public opinion. The law is no protection. Governments make laws, but whether they are carried out, and how the police behave, depends on the general temper in the country. If large numbers of people are interested in freedom of speech, there will be freedom of speech, even if the law forbids it; if public opinion is sluggish, inconvenient minorities will be persecuted, even if laws exist to protect them.

George Orwell (1903–1950) English journalist, essayist, writer [pseud. of Eric Arthur Blair]
Essay (1945-12-07), “Freedom of the Park,” Tribune newspaper

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A quotation from Arthur Conan Doyle

This is the Dundas separation case, and, as it happens, I was engaged in clearing up some small points in connection with it. The husband was a teetotaler, there was no other woman, and the conduct complained of was that he had drifted into the habit of winding up every meal by taking out his false teeth and hurling them at his wife, which, you will allow, is not an action likely to occur to the imagination of the average story-teller.

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) British writer and physician
Story (1891-09), “A Case of Identity” [Holmes], The Strand Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 3

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A quotation from Josh Billings

An Enthuziast iz a party who beleaves about 4 times az mutch az he kan prove, and who kan prove about 4 times az mutch az ennyboddy else beleaves.
 
[An Enthusiast is a party who believes about 4 times a smuch as he can prove, and who can prove about 4 times as much as anybody else believes.]

Josh Billings (1818–1885) American humorist, aphorist [pseud. of Henry Wheeler Shaw]
Josh Billings’ Farmer’s Allminax, 1879-07 “Questions And Replize” (1879 ed.)

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A quotation from Theodore Roosevelt

And as for a life deliberately devoted to pleasure as an end — why, the greatest happiness is the happiness that comes as a by-product of striving to do what must be done, even though sorrow is met in the doing.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American politician, statesman, conservationist, writer; US President (1901–09)
Autobiography, ch. 9 “Outdoors and Indoors” (1913)

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A quotation from Carlyle

Neither let mistakes and wrong directions — of which every man, in his studies and elsewhere, falls into many — discourage you. There is precious instruction to be got by finding that we are wrong. Let a man try faithfully, manfully, to be right, he will grow daily more and more right.

Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish essayist and historian
Letter (1843-03-13), “Letter to a Young Man”

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A quotation from Doctor Who

THE DOCTOR: Which is the quickest way out of here?
(Each of the women at the fountain point in different directions.)
THE DOCTOR: Yes, well, that’s democracy for you. Come on.

Doctor Who (1963–1989) British science fiction television series, original run (BBC)
19×01 “Castrovalva,” Part 3 (1982-01-11) [w. Christopher H. Bidmead]

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A quotation from Oscar Wilde

Disobedience, in the eyes of any one who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.

Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish poet, wit, dramatist
Essay (1891-02), “The Soul of Man Under Socialism,” The Fortnightly Review, Vol. 49

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A quotation from Hoffer

The practice of terror serves the true believer not only to cow and crush his opponents but also to invigorate and intensify his own faith.

Eric Hoffer (1902–1983) American writer, philosopher, longshoreman
True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements, Part 3, ch. 14, § 85 (3.14.85) (1951)

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A quotation from Hemingway

War is made or planned now by individual men, demagogues and dictators who play on the patriotism of their people to mislead them into a belief in the great fallacy of war when all their vaunted reforms have failed to satisfy the people they misrule.

Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American writer
Essay (1935-09), “Notes on the Next War,” Esquire, Vol. 4, No. 3

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A quotation from Franklin

Words may shew a man’s Wit, but Actions his Meaning.

Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
Poor Richard Improved (1749 ed.)

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A quotation from Montaigne

Kings and philosophers shit; and so do ladies.
 
[Les rois et les philosophes fientent, et les dames aussi.]

Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592) French essayist
Essays, Book 3, ch. 13 (3.13), “Of Experience [De l’Experience]” (1588) [tr. Screech (1987)]

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A quotation from Galileo

It is very pious to say and prudent to affirm that the holy Bible can never speak untruth — whenever its true meaning is understood. But I believe nobody will deny that it is often very abstruse, and may say things which are quite different from what its bare words signify. Hence in expounding the Bible if one were always to confine oneself to the unadorned grammatical meaning, one might fall into error. Not only contradictions and propositions far from true might thus be made to appear in the Bible, but even grave heresies and follies.

Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) Italian astronomer, physicist, engineer, polymath
Letter (1651) to Christina of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany [tr. Drake (1957)]

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A quotation from Felix Frankfurter

This Court sits to interpret, in appropriate judicial controversies, a Constitution which, in its Bill of Rights, formulates the conditions of a democracy. But democracy is the least static form of society. Its basis is reason, not authority. Formulas embodying vague and uncritical generalizations offer tempting opportunities to evade the need for continuous thought. But so long as men want freedom, they resist this temptation.

Felix Frankfurter (1882–1965) American jurist, teacher; US Supreme Court Justice (1939–62)
Pennekamp v. Florida, 328 U.S. 331, 350–351 (1946)
[concurring]

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A quotation from Gracian

Never contend with a Man who has nothing to Lose.
 
[No empeñarse con quien no tiene qué perder.]

Baltasar Gracián y Morales (1601–1658) Spanish Jesuit priest, writer, philosopher
The Art of Worldly Wisdom [Oráculo Manual y Arte de Prudencia], § 172 (1647) [tr. Jacobs (1892)]

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A quotation from Douglas Adams

If you try and take a cat apart to see how it works, the first thing you have on your hands is a nonworking cat.

Douglas Adams (1952–2001) English author, humorist, screenwriter
Speech (1998-09), “Is There an Artificial God?”, Digital Biota 2 conference, Cambridge, UK

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A quotation from Bertrand Russell

A life of uncertainty is nervously exhausting at all times, but especially in youth.

Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) English mathematician and philosopher
Education and the Social Order [Education and the Modern World], ch. 2 “The Negative Theory of Education” (1932)

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A quotation from Molly Ivins

Ah, my friends, rejoice. These are frabjous days. Our nation survived eight years of Ronald Reagan as President. We can survive this, too. We can even laugh. All it takes is a strong stomach.

Molly Ivins (1944–2007) American writer, political columnist [Mary Tyler Ivins]
Essay (1995-03-01), “Needed: One Strong Stomach,” The Progressive, Vol. 59, No. 3

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A quotation from Bill Watterson

   CALVIN: Your polls are slipping Dad. Better get with it.
   CALVIN’S DAD: Calvin, being your dad is not an elected position. I don’t have to respond to polls.
   CALVIN: Not elected? You mean you can govern with dictatorial impunity?
   CALVIN’S DAD: Exactly.
   CALVIN: In short, open revolt and exile is the only hope for change?
   CALVIN’S DAD: I don’t like the direction this conversation is taking.

Bill Watterson (b. 1958) American cartoonist
Calvin and Hobbes (1986-08-30)

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A quotation from Ambrose Bierce

FORESIGHT, n. That peculiar and valuable faculty that enables a politician always to know that his party is going to succeed — as distinguished from Retrospect, which sometimes shows him that it got calamitously beaten.

Ambrose Bierce (1842–1914?) American writer and journalist
“Foresight,” “Devil’s Dictionary” column, San Francisco Wasp (1884-12-13)

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A quotation from Hannah Arendt

Look here, tyranny was discovered very early in human history, and identified very early as inimical to political life. Still, it has never in any way prevented any tyrant from becoming a tyrant. It did not prevent Nero, and it did not prevent Caligula. And the cases of Nero and Caligula have not prevented a much nearer example of what the massive intrusion of criminality into political processes means for human life.

Hannah Arendt (1906–1975) German-American philosopher, political theorist
Interview (1973-10) with Roger Errera, Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (ORTF)

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A quotation from Hannah Arendt

Look here, tyranny was discovered very early in human history, and identified very early as inimical to political life. Still, it has never in any way prevented any tyrant from becoming a tyrant. It did not prevent Nero, and it did not prevent Caligula. And the cases of Nero and Caligula have not prevented a much nearer example of what the massive intrusion of criminality into political processes means for human life.

Hannah Arendt (1906–1975) German-American philosopher, political theorist
Interview (1973-10) with Roger Errera, Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (ORTF)

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A quotation from Heinlein

Reason is poor propaganda when opposed by the yammering, unceasing lies of shrewd and evil and self-serving men. The little man has no way to judge and the shoddy lies are more attractively packaged.

Robert A. Heinlein (1907–1988) American writer
Story (1949-12), “Gulf” [Baldwin], Astounding Science Fiction, Vol. 44, No. 4

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A quotation from Jean Kerr

Oh, wouldn’t it be wonderful if some manufacturer would make a toy as tough, as staunch, as hard to crack open as the carton it comes in!

Jean Kerr (1922–2003) American author and playwright [b. Bridget Jean Collins]
Essay (1970 ca.), “I Saw Mommy Kicking Santa Claus,” Penny Candy

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A quotation from Richard Steele

Zeal for the public good is the characteristic of a man of honour, and a gentleman, and must take place of pleasures, profits, and all other private gratifications. Whoever wants this motive is an open enemy, or an inglorious neuter to mankind, in proportion to the misapplied advantages with which nature and fortune have blessed him.

Richard Steele (1672–1729) Anglo-Irish writer, journalist, playwright, politician
Letter (1713) to William Pulteney, Dedication of Volume 2 of The Guardian

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A quotation from Propertius

But now the gods are spurn’d, their altars cold,
   All reverence forgot in thirst of gold:
Gold buys the judge, and honour yields to pelf,
   Shame weeps o’er Justice dead, then dies herself.
   
[At nunc desertis cessant sacraria lucis:
   aurum omnes victa iam pietate colunt.
Auro pulsa fides, auro venalia iura,
   aurum lex sequitur, mox sine lege pudor.]

Propertius (50–16 BC) Roman elegiac poet [Sextus Propertius]
Elegies, Book 3, Elegy 13, l. 47ff (3.13.47–50) [tr. Moore (1870), 4.13]

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A quotation from T. H. White

I never could stomach those nationalists. The destiny of Man is to unite, not to divide. If you keep on dividing you end up as a collection of monkeys throwing nuts at each other out of separate trees.

T. H. White (1906–1964) English writer [Terence Hanbury White]
The Once and Future King, Part 2, ch. 3 [Merlyn] (1939)

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A quotation from Dryden

Errours like Straws upon the surface flow;
He who would search for Pearls must dive below.

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
All for Love, “Prologue to Anthony and Cleopatra” (1677)

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