Bertrand Russell on Injustice
“In the part of this universe that we know there is great injustice, and often the good suffer, and often the wicked prosper, and one hardly knows which of those is the more annoying.” Bertrand Russell British author, mathematician, & philosopher (1872 – 1970)
Albert Einstein on Humanity
“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” Albert Einstein
John F. Kennedy on Liberty and Learning
“Liberty without learning is always in peril; learning without liberty is always in vain.” John F. Kennedy 35th president of US 1961-1963 (1917 – 1963)
Carl Sagan on Intelligence
“The fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.” Carl Sagan US astronomer & popularizer of astronomy (1934 – 1996)
Burt Munro on Dreams
“If you don’t follow through on your dreams, you might as well be a vegetable.” Burt Munro
Freeman Dyson on Technology
“Technology is a gift of God. After the gift of life it is perhaps the greatest of God’s gifts. It is the mother of civilizations, of arts and of sciences.” Freeman Dyson
William Shakespeare on Imagination
“The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, are of imagination all compact.” William Shakespeare
Charles de Gaulle on History
“I have tried to lift France out of the mud. But she will return to her errors and vomitings. I cannot prevent the French from being French.” Charles de Gaulle
Helen Keller on Knowledge
“Knowledge is happiness, because to have knowledge – broad, deep knowledge – is to know true ends from false, and lofty things from low. To know the thoughts and deeds that have marked man’s progress is to feel the great heartthrobs of humanity through the centuries; and if one does not feel in these pulsations a heavenward striving, one must indeed be deaf to the harmonies of life.” Helen Keller
Marie Curie on Understanding
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” Marie Skłodowska-Curie Polish chemist & physicist (1867 – 1934)
Groucho Marx on Books
“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.” Groucho Marx US comedian with Marx Brothers (1890 – 1977)
Charles de Gaulle on Politics
“In politics it is necessary either to betray one’s country or the electorate. I prefer to betray the electorate.” Charles de Gaulle
Will Durant on Education
“Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.” Will Durant US historian (1885 – 1981)
George Burns on Politics
“Too bad the only people who know how to run the country are busy driving cabs and cutting hair.” George Burns US actor & comedian (1896 – 1996)
Wayne Gretzky on Hockey
“A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” Wayne Gretzky
Rita Rudner Funny Quote
“My husband gave me a necklace. It’s fake. I requested fake. Maybe I’m paranoid, but in this day and age, I don’t want something around my neck that’s worth more than my head.” Rita Rudner US comedian
Robertson Davies on Future
“The world is full of people whose notion of a satisfactory future is, in fact, a return to the idealised past.” Robertson Davies, “A Voice from the Attic”, 1960
Robert G. Ingersoll on Happiness
“The way to be happy is to make someone happy.” Robert G. Ingersoll
Al Franken on Mistakes
“Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it’s a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from.” Al Franken, “Oh, the Things I Know”, 2002
Esther Dyson on Internet
“The Internet is like alcohol in some sense. It accentuates what you would do anyway. If you want to be a loner, you can be more alone. If you want to connect, it makes it easier to connect.” Esther Dyson, Interview in Time Magazine, October 2005
John Elliot on Dreams
“You will not do incredible things without an incredible dream.” John Elliot
Henry David Thoreau on Flying
“Thank God men cannot as yet fly and lay waste the sky as well as the earth!” Henry David Thoreau US Transcendentalist author (1817 – 1862)
Frank Lloyd Wright on Technology
“If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger.” Frank Lloyd Wright
Alice Roosevelt Longworth on Youth
“The secret of eternal youth is arrested development.” Alice Roosevelt Longworth US author & wit (1884 – 1980)
Sir Arthur Eddington on the Universe
“Not only is the universe stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine.” Sir Arthur Eddington English astronomer (1882 – 1944)
Paul Valery on Dreams
“The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.” Paul Valery
Oscar Wilde on Business
“My own business always bores me to death; I prefer other people’s.” Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere’s Fan, 1892 Irish dramatist, novelist, & poet (1854 – 1900)
Salvador Dali on Sanity
“There is only one difference between a madman and me. I am not mad.” Salvador Dali Spanish Catalan Surrealist painter (1904 – 1989)
Gail Sheehy on Change and Life
“If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.” Gail Sheehy
Samuel Johnson on Knowledge
“Mankind have a great aversion to intellectual labor; but even supposing knowledge to be easily attainable, more people would be content to be ignorant than would take even a little trouble to acquire it.” Samuel Johnson, quoted in Boswell’s Life of Johnson English author, critic, & lexicographer (1709 – 1784)
Carl Sagan on Imagination
“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.” Carl Sagan
Anonymous on Power
“All power corrupts, but we need the electricity.” Unknown
Andre Gide on Discovery
“Man cannot discover new oceans until he has courage to lose sight of the shore.” Andre Gide
George Eliot on Anger
“Anger and jealousy can no more bear to lose sight of their objects than love.” George Eliot
Edgar Bergen on Work
“Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?” Edgar Bergen, (Charlie McCarthy) US comedian & ventriloquist (1903 – 1978)
Bertrand Russell Cynical Quote
“Every man, wherever he goes, is encompassed by a cloud of comforting convictions, which move with him like flies on a summer day.” Bertrand Russell, Sceptical Essays (1928), “Dreams and Facts” British author, mathematician, & philosopher (1872 – 1970)
Aristotle on Art
“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” Aristotle
John F. Kennedy on Patriotism
“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” John F. Kennedy
Aristotle on Age
“Bashfulness is an ornament to youth, but a reproach to old age.” Aristotle
Pablo Picasso on Imagination
“I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them.” Pablo Picasso
Thomas Neill Cynical Quote
“Of those who say nothing, few are silent.” Thomas Neill
Thomas Pickering on Archaeology vs. Diplomacy
“In archaeology you uncover the unknown. In diplomacy you cover the known.” Thomas Pickering US diplomat (1931 – )
W. Lee Grant on Laughter
“Shared laughter creates a bond of friendships. When people laugh together, they cease to be young and old, teacher and pupils, worker and boss. They become a single group of human beings.” W. Lee Grant
Saint Jerome on Marriage
“Marriage is good for those who are afraid to sleep alone at night.” St. Jerome
Mark Twain on Truth
“If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.” Mark Twain US humorist, novelist, short story author, & wit (1835 – 1910)
John Wilmot on Children
“Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children and no theories.” John Wilmot
Johnny Carson on Politics
“Democracy means that anyone can grow up to be president, and anyone who doesn’t grow up can be vice president.” Johnny Carson US comedian & television host (1925 – 2005)
Warren Beatty on Success
“You’ve achieved success in your field when you don’t know whether what you’re doing is work or play.” Warren Beatty US movie actor, director, & producer (1937 – )
Richard J. Daley on Politics
“Good government is good politics.” Richard J. Daley
Jean Giraudoux on Mediocrity
“Only the mediocre are always at their best.” Jean Giraudoux French diplomat, dramatist, & novelist (1882 – 1944)
