Without virtue, both riches and honor, to me, seem like the passing cloud.
—Confucius, c. 350 BC
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Quotes
No human being is innocent, but there is a class of innocent human actions called games.
—W.H. Auden, 1962Don’t ever wear artistic jewelry; it wrecks a woman’s reputation.
—Colette, 1944When night in her rusty dungeon has imprisoned our eyesight, and that we are shut separately in our chambers from resort, the devil keeps his audit in our sin-guilty consciences.
—Thomas Nashe, 1594Some things are privileged from jest—namely, religion, matters of state, great persons, all men’s present business of importance, and any case that deserves pity.
—Francis Bacon, 1597A school without grades must have been concocted by someone who was drunk on nonalcoholic wine.
—Karl Kraus, 1909Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.
—Ludwig Wittgenstein, 1921Pictures made in childhood are painted in bright hues.
—Kate Douglas Wiggin, 1886I am sure of this: that if everybody was to drink their bottle a day, there would not be half the disorders in the world there are now.
—Jane Austen, c. 1798Technology is so much fun, but we can drown in our technology. The fog of information can drive out knowledge.
—Daniel Boorstin, 1978The earth is beautiful and bright and kindly, but that is not all. The earth is also terrible and dark and cruel.
—Ursula K. Le Guin, 1970War is fear cloaked in courage.
—William Westmoreland, 1966Jests and scoffs do lessen majesty and greatness and should be far from great personages and men of wisdom.
—Henry Peacham, 1622