Voltaire on Songs
“Anything too stupid to be said is sung.” Voltaire French author, humanist, rationalist, & satirist (1694 – 1778)
George Bernard Shaw on Democracy
“Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few.” George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman (1903) “Maxims for Revolutionists” Irish dramatist & socialist (1856 – 1950)
Thomas Szasz Cynical Quote
“Two wrongs don’t make a right, but they make a good excuse.” Thomas Szasz, The Second Sin (1973) “Social Relations”
Mother Teresa on Faith
“I do not pray for success, I ask for faithfulness.” Mother Teresa
Frank Dane on Politics
“Get all the fools on your side and you can be elected to anything.” Frank Dane
George Bernard on Cynicism
“The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.” George Bernard Shaw Irish dramatist & socialist (1856 – 1950)
Douglas Adams on Experience
“Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.” Douglas Adams
Jerome K. Jerome on Laziness
“It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do.” Jerome K. Jerome British humor writer (1859 – 1927)
Will Rogers Cynical Quote
“We don’t know what we want, but we are ready to bite somebody to get it.” Will Rogers US humorist & showman (1879 – 1935)
Voltaire on History and Crime
“Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.” Voltaire French author, humanist, rationalist, & satirist (1694 – 1778)
Sam Levenson on Wisdom
“You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.” Sam Levenson (1911 – 1980)
Albert Einstein on Education
“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death” Albert Einstein
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe on Ideas
“When ideas fail, words come in very handy.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe German dramatist, novelist, poet, & scientist (1749 – 1832)
Donald Trump on Moderation
“A little more moderation would be good. Of course, my life hasn’t exactly been one of moderation.” Donald Trump President of the United States of America as well as real estate construction & development businessman (1946 – )
Arthur C. Clarke on Intelligence
“It has yet to be proven that intelligence has any survival value.” Arthur C. Clarke English physicist & science fiction author (1917 – 2008)
Herbert Hoover on Honor and Politics
“Honor is not the exclusive property of any political party.” Herbert Hoover
Laurence J. Peter on Originality
“Originality is the fine art of remembering what you hear but forgetting where you heard it.” Laurence J. Peter US educator & writer (1919 – 1988)
Philip K. Dick on Reality
“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” Philip K. Dick, How to Build a Universe That Doesn’t Fall Apart Two Days Later, 1978 US science fiction author (1928 – 1982)
Bob Hope on Sports
“If you watch a game, it’s fun. If you play at it, it’s recreation. If you work at it, it’s golf.” Bob Hope US (English-born) actor & comedian (1903 – 2003)
Albert Einstein on Imagination
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” Albert Einstein
Ambrose Bierce Cynical Quote
“Quotation, n: The act of repeating erroneously the words of another.” Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary US author & satirist (1842 – 1914)
Arthur Schopenhauer on Honor
“Honor has not to be won; it must only not be lost.” Arthur Schopenhauer
Rene Descartes on Truth
“If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.” Rene Descartes French mathematician & philosopher (1596 – 1650)
P. B. Medawar on Ideas
“The human mind treats a new idea the same way the body treats a strange protein; it rejects it.” P. B. Medawar British (Brazilian-born) anatomist (1915 – )
H. P. Lovecraft Cynical Quote
“The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents.” H. P. Lovecraft, “The Call of Cthulhu”, first line US horror & supernatural author (1890 – 1937)
Albert Einstein on Art and Science
“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.” Albert Einstein US (German-born) physicist (1879 – 1955)
Thomas Fuller on Facts
“Get the facts, or the facts will get you. And when you get them, get them right, or they will get you wrong.” Dr. Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732 British physician (1654 – 1734)
Blaise Pascal on Angels
“Man is neither angel nor beast, and unhappily whoever wants to act the angel, acts the beast.” Blaise Pascal
W. C. Fields on Money
“A rich man is nothing but a poor man with money.” W. C. Fields
William James on Philosophy
“There is only one thing a philosopher can be relied upon to do, and that is to contradict other philosophers.” William James US Pragmatist philosopher & psychologist (1842 – 1910)
Henry David Thoreau Cynical Quote
“What is the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?” Henry David Thoreau US Transcendentalist author (1817 – 1862)
Thomas Jones on Friendship and Enemies
“Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate.” Thomas Jones (1892 – 1969)
Wilson Mizner on Help
“God help those who do not help themselves.” Wilson Mizner US screenwriter (1876 – 1933)
Henry Ford on Business and Money
“A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” Henry Ford
Napoleon Bonaparte on Politics
“In politics, absurdity is not a handicap.” Napoleon Bonaparte French general, politician and emperor (1769 – 1821)
Larry Hardiman on Politics
“The word ‘politics’ is derived from the word ‘poly’, meaning ‘many’, and the word ‘ticks’, meaning ‘blood sucking parasites’.” Larry Hardiman
Aristotle on Democracy
“If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost.” Aristotle
Bertrand Russell on Books
“There are two motives for reading a book: one, that you enjoy it; the other, that you can boast about it.” Bertrand Russell British author, mathematician, & philosopher (1872 – 1970)
Ellen Glasgow on Change
“All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward.” Ellen Glasgow
Isaac Asimov on Science
The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ but ‘That’s funny… ‘ Isaac Asimov
Martin Luther King Jr. on Science
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.” Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love, 1963 US black civil rights leader & clergyman (1929 – 1968)
The Bible on Anger
“The start of an argument is like a water leak – so stop it before real trouble breaks out.” The Bible, Proverbs 17:14
Alan Turing on Technology
“Machines take me by surprise with great frequency.” Alan Turing English logician & mathematician (1912 – 1954)
Carl Sagan on Science
“I maintain there is much more wonder in science than in pseudoscience. And in addition, to whatever measure this term has any meaning, science has the additional virtue, and it is not an inconsiderable one, of being true.” Carl Sagan US astronomer & popularizer of astronomy (1934 – 1996)
Virgil Thomson on Music
“The way to write American music is simple. All you have to do is be an American and then write any kind of music you wish.” Virgil Thomson US composer, conductor, & music critic (1896 – 1989)
Yoda Wisdom Quote
“Do or do not… there is no try.” Jedi Master Yoda – Star Wars (created by George Lucas)
A. H. Weiler on Power
“Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn’t have to do it himself.” A. H. Weiler (1909 – 2002)
Ronald Reagan Cynical Quote
“The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them away.” Ronald Reagan 40th president of US (1911 – 2004)
Louis Pasteur on Education
“Fortune favors the prepared mind.” Louis Pasteur
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg on Intelligence
“Everyone is a genius at least once a year. The real geniuses simply have their bright ideas closer together.” Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742 – 1799)
