God seems to have left the receiver off the hook, and time is running out.
—Arthur Koestler, 1967
Archive
Quotes
Sometime they’ll give a war and nobody will come.
—Carl Sandburg, 1936We cherish our friends not for their ability to amuse us but for ours to amuse them.
—Evelyn Waugh, 1963Gossip is a sort of smoke that comes from the dirty tobacco pipes of those who diffuse it; it proves nothing but the bad taste of the smoker.
—George Eliot, 1876Laughter always arises from a gaiety of disposition, absolutely incompatible with contempt and indignation.
—Voltaire, 1736Rewards and punishment are the lowest form of education.
—Zhuangzi, c. 286 BCSome of us would be greatly astonished to learn the reasons why others respect us.
—Marquis de Vauvenargues, 1746How can we bear misfortune most easily? If we see our enemies faring worse.
—Thales of Miletus, c. 585 BCAfter midnight the moon set and I was alone with the stars. I have often said that the lure of flying is the lure of beauty, and I need no other flight to convince me that the reason flyers fly, whether they know it or not, is the aesthetic appeal of flying.
—Amelia Earhart, 1935The gods play games with men as balls.
—Plautus, c. 200 BCA watch is always too fast or too slow. I cannot be dictated to by a watch.
—Jane Austen, 1814If you read somebody’s diary, you get what you deserve.
—David Sedaris, 2004A difference of taste in jokes is a great strain on the affections.
—George Eliot, 1876