This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
Richard Francis Burton, fully Sir Richard Francis Burton
If adversity hath killed his thousands, prosperity hath killed his ten thousands; therefore adversity is to be preferred. The one deceives, the other instructs; the one is miserably happy, the other happily miserable; and therefore many philosophers have voluntarily sought adversity and commend it in their precepts.
Adversity | Happy | Prosperity | Wisdom |
Bereavement is a wound. It's like being very, very badly hurt... You will grieve and that is painful. And your grief will have many stages, but all of them will be healing. Little by little, you will be whole again. And you will be a stronger person. Just as a broken bone knits and becomes stronger than before, so will you.
Bereavement | Grief | Little | Will | Wisdom |
A truth's prosperity is like a jest's; it lies in the ear of him that hears it.
Prosperity | Truth | Wisdom |
In prosperity prepare for a change; in adversity hope for one.
Adversity | Change | Hope | Prosperity | Wisdom |
He that can heroically endure adversity will bear prosperity with equal greatest of the soul; for the mind that cannot be dejected by the former is not likely to be transported without the latter.
The strongest single factor in prosperity consciousness is self-esteem: believing you can do it, believing you deserve it, believing you will get it
Consciousness | Esteem | Prosperity | Self | Self-esteem | Will | Wisdom |
Were we to talk less about the problems which face us, and thought more about facing those problems, the evasive corner which obscured prosperity would be more accessible.
Problems | Prosperity | Thought | Wisdom | Thought |
All the wonderful things in life are so simple that one is not aware of their wonder until they are beyond touch. Never have I felt the wonder and beauty and joy of life so keenly as now in my grief that Johnny is not here to enjoy them.
Beauty | Grief | Joy | Life | Life | Wisdom | Wonder | Beauty |
Julius Charles Hare (1795-1855) and his brother Augustus William Hare
A weak mind sinks under prosperity as well as under adversity. A strong and deep one has two highest tides, when the moon is at full, and when there is no moon.
Adversity | Mind | Prosperity | Wisdom |
Faith is the backbone of the social and the foundation of the commercial fabric; remove faith between man and man, and society and commerce fall to pieces. There is not a happy home on earth but stands on faith; our heads are pillowed on it, we sleep at night in its arms with greater security for the safety of our lives, peace, and prosperity than bolts and bars can give.
Commerce | Earth | Faith | Happy | Man | Peace | Prosperity | Security | Society | Wisdom | Society | Commerce |
Horace, full name Quintus Horatius Flaccus NULL
Adversity is wont to reveal genius, prosperity to hide it.
Adversity | Genius | Prosperity | Wisdom |
And of all the griefs that mortals share, the one that seems the hardest to bear is the grief without community.
It is the curse of prosperity that it takes work away from us, and shuts that door to hope and health of spirit.