The only competition worthy a wise man is with himself.
—Anna Jameson, 1846
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Quotes
Divine nature gave the fields; human art built the cities.
—Marcus Terentius Varro, c. 70 BCI was born without knowing why, I have lived without knowing why, and I am dying without either knowing why or how.
—Pierre Gassendi, 1655Luck, in the great game of war, is undoubtedly lord of all.
—Arthur Griffiths, 1899Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
—Lord Acton, 1887Mammon, n. The god of the world’s leading religion. His chief temple is in the holy city of New York.
—Ambrose Bierce, 1911Do you suppose that will change the sense of the morals, the fact that we can’t use morals as a means of judging the city because we couldn’t stand it? And that we’re changing our whole moral system to suit the fact that we’re living in a ridiculous way?
—Philip Johnson, 1965I hate the present modes of living and getting a living. Farming and shopkeeping and working at a trade or profession are all odious to me. I should relish getting my living in a simple, primitive fashion.
—Henry David Thoreau, 1855Every man must descend into the flesh to meet mankind.
—G.K. Chesterton, 1910A private sin is not so prejudicial in this world as a public indecency.
—Miguel de Cervantes, 1615Fire is a natural symbol of life and passion, though it is the one element in which nothing can actually live.
—Susanne K. Langer, 1942The physician should look upon the patient as a besieged city and try to rescue him with every means that art and science place at his command.
—Alexander of Tralles, c. 600Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.
—Mark Twain, 1893