Envy is the basis of democracy.
—Bertrand Russell, 1930
Archive
Quotes
Sex: in America, an obsession; in other parts of the world, a fact.
—Marlene Dietrich, 1962A merchant shall hardly keep himself from doing wrong.
—Ecclesiasticus, c. 180 BCThat which the sober man keeps in his breast, the drunken man lets out at the lips. Astute people, when they want to ascertain a man’s true character, make him drunk.
—Martin Luther, 1569It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me.
—Martin Luther King Jr., 1962Go to the pine if you want to learn about the pine, or to the bamboo if you want to learn about the bamboo.
—Matsuo Basho, c. 1685The king times are fast finishing. There will be blood shed like water, and tears like mist; but the peoples will conquer in the end.
—Lord Byron, 1821Bright youth passes as quickly as thought.
—Theognis, c. 550 BCYouth is the time to go flashing from one end of the world to the other both in mind and body, to try the manners of different nations, to hear the chimes at midnight.
—Robert Louis Stevenson, 1881Every fool becomes a philosopher after ten days of rain.
—Clover Adams, 1882Humiliation is the beginning of sanctification.
—John Donne, c. 1629Language is the house of being. In its home human beings dwell. Those who think and those who create with words are the guardians of this home.
—Martin Heidegger, 1949There ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.
—Mark Twain, 1894