Every man has a lurking wish to appear considerable in his native place.
—Samuel Johnson, 1771
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Quotes
When one has a famishing thirst for happiness, one is apt to gulp down diversions wherever they are offered.
—Alice Hegan Rice, 1917Why listen to me? I can only predict epidemics and plagues.
—Larry Kramer, 1992A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast.
—The BibleThough this be madness, yet there is method in’t.
—William Shakespeare, 1603In most cases men willingly believe what they wish.
—Julius Caesar, 52 BCWhen 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, 1594Let my epitaph be, “Here lies Joseph, who failed in everything he undertook.”
—Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, 1790Human happiness never remains long in the same place.
—Herodotus, c. 430 BCOur nature lies in movement; complete calm is death.
—Blaise Pascal, c. 1640It is hard when nature does not respect your intentions, and she never does exactly respect them.
—Wendell Berry, 1985The money we have is the means to liberty; that which we pursue is the means to slavery.
—Jean-Jacques Rousseau, c. 1770History does not merely touch on language, but takes place in it.
—Theodor Adorno, c. 1946