The Founding Fathers in their wisdom decided that children were an unnatural strain on parents. So they provided jails called schools, equipped with tortures called an education. School is where you go between when your parents can’t take you and industry can’t take you.
—John Updike, 1963
Archive
Quotes
The self is like an infant: given free rein, it craves to suckle.
—al-Busiri, c. 1250Every man has a lurking wish to appear considerable in his native place.
—Samuel Johnson, 1771There be beasts that, at a year old, observe more, and pursue that which is for their good more prudently, than a child can do at ten.
—Thomas Hobbes, 1651Some of us would be greatly astonished to learn the reasons why others respect us.
—Marquis de Vauvenargues, 1746All technologies should be assumed guilty until proven innocent.
—David Brower, 1992The happy ending is our national belief.
—Mary McCarthy, 1947The world is wearied of statesmen whom democracy has degraded into politicians.
—Benjamin Disraeli, 1870One has to spend so many years in learning how to be happy.
—George Eliot, 1844I am weary of friends, and friendships are all monsters.
—Jonathan Swift, 1710Friends are ourselves.
—John Donne, 1603Time’s ruins build eternity’s mansions.
—James Joyce, 1922To hide and feel guilty would be the beginning of defeat.
—Milan Kundera, 1978