Favourite Quotes and Quotations

[Kim L.]

"Music creates order out of chaos; for rhythm imposes unanimity upon the divergent, melody imposes continuity upon the disjointed, and harmony imposes compatibility upon the incongruous."

Violinist Yehudi Menuhin

[Becks19]

Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army. ~Edward Everett~

[smerdyakov]

I recently bought a volume of William James essays from my library (this book was the treasure of the batch -- only 2bucks!). Anyway, I've gleaned a couple of nuggets:

"Truth indeed! How should a beggar like me be expected to discover it? How should any man of woman born pretend to such ability? Truth must reveal itself if it would be known, and even then how imperfectly known at best! For truth is God, the omniscient and omnipotent God, and who shall pretend to comprehend that great and adorable perfection? And yet who that aspires to the name of man, would not cheerfully barter all he knows of life for a bare glimpse of the hem of its garment?" -- Henry James, Sr.

"Hitherto, when I have felt like taking a free initiative, like daring to act originally, without carefully waiting for contemplation of the external world to determine all for me, suicide seemed the most manly form to put my daring into; now, I will go a step further with my will, not only act with it, but believe as well; believe in my individual reality and creative power. My belief, to be sure, can’t be optimistic -- but I will posit life (the real, the good) in the self-governing resistance of the ego of the world. Life shall be built in doing and suffering and creating." -- William James

[frisbee]

"The only thing needed for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing." - Edmund Burke

[Becks19]

A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom. ~ Robert Frost~

[aahlyia72]

"For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are those 'It might have been'"

[doowopgirl]

Some of my favorite quotes come from Bugs Bunny. For example I should have turned left at Albuquerque. You know of course, this means war. Yosemite Sam said to Bugs Shut up your shutting up!! When asked who he might be Bugs replied I might be Teddy Roosevelt, but I ain't. Programs programs can't ell a night from a day without a program Sad I know, but I really don't care its just so funny

[Becks19]

The writer must write what he has to say, not speak it. ~ Ernest Hemingway~

[OhmyGod!]

"However, some things must be said, and there are times when silence becomes an accomplice to injustice." Ayaan Hirsi Ali

"Let's make a law that gay people can have birthdays, but straight people get more cake - you know, to send the right message to kids" Bill Maher

"People say that money is not the key to happiness, but I always figured if you have enough money, you can have a key made." Joan Rivers

"Let us try to teach generosity and altruism, because we are born selfish." Richard Dawkins

[wally wonder]

argue for your limitations and sure enough, they're yours~ j l seagull
when you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it~ the pointy-haired boss
they don't make things like they used to~ me, trying to hang a window in a 50-year-old wall, three inches out of plumb