Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Related Quotes

Michel de Montaigne, fully Lord Michel Eyquem de Montaigne

Custom is a violent and treacherous school mistress. She, by little and little, slyly and unperceived, slips in the foot of her authority; but having by this gentle and humble beginning, with the benefit of time, fixed and established it, she then unmasks a furious and tyrannic countenance, against which we have no more the courage or the power so much as to lift up our eyes.

Authority | Beginning | Character | Courage | Custom | Little | Power | Time |

Michel de Montaigne, fully Lord Michel Eyquem de Montaigne

I quote others [in order to better express my own self] only the better to express myself.

Better | Character | Order |

W. H. Murray, fully William Hutchinson Murray

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets: Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

Boldness | Chance | Character | Decision | Events | Genius | Ideas | Ignorance | Initiative | Magic | Man | Power | Providence | Respect | Truth | Respect |

Michel de Montaigne, fully Lord Michel Eyquem de Montaigne

Other passions have objects to flatter the, and seem to content and satisfy them for a while; there is power in ambition, pleasure in luxury, and pelf in covetousness; but envy can gain nothing but vexation.

Ambition | Character | Envy | Luxury | Nothing | Pleasure | Power |

Michel de Montaigne, fully Lord Michel Eyquem de Montaigne

We easily enough confess in others an advantage of courage, strength, experience, activity, and beauty; but an advantage in judgment we yield to none.

Beauty | Character | Courage | Enough | Experience | Judgment | Strength |

Mystical Script NULL

The sum and total of man’s ignorance lie in the misconception of the power that surround his identity. He must realize that though his intellect is but a grain in the sands of knowledge, yet hid in that grain is the essence of the Whole.

Character | Ignorance | Knowledge | Man | Power | Intellect |

Guiseppe Mazzini

Poetry is enthusiasm with wings of fire; it is the angel of high thoughts, that inspires us with the power of sacrifice.

Character | Enthusiasm | Poetry | Power | Sacrifice |

Thomas Merton

He who attempts to act and do things for others and for the world without deepening his own self-understanding, freedom, integrity, and capacity to love, will not have anything to give to others. He will communicate to them only the contagion of his own obsessions, his aggressiveness, his ego-centered ambitions, his delusions about ends and means, and his doctrinaire prejudices and ideas.

Capacity | Character | Ego | Ends | Freedom | Ideas | Integrity | Love | Means | Self | Understanding | Will | World |

Baron de Montesquieu, fully Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu

The spirit of politeness is a desire to bring about by our words and manners, that others may be pleased with us and with themselves.

Character | Desire | Manners | Spirit | Words | Politeness |

Avigdor Miller

Everyone in the world from the most successful to the least needs encouragement. Make it your career to give others encouragement.

Character | World |

Michel de Montaigne, fully Lord Michel Eyquem de Montaigne

We are all of us richer than we think we are; but we are taught to borrow and to beg, and brought up more to make use of what is another’s than our own. Man can in nothing fix and conform himself to his mere necessity. Of pleasure, wealth and power he grasps at more than he can hold; his greediness is incapable of moderation.

Character | Man | Moderation | Necessity | Nothing | Pleasure | Power | Wealth | Think |

Baron de Montesquieu, fully Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu

Experience constantly proves that every man who has power is impelled to abuse it; he goes on till he is pulled up by some limits. Who would say; it! virtue even has need of limits.

Abuse | Character | Experience | Man | Need | Power | Virtue | Virtue |

Dwight Whitney Morrow

We judge ourselves by our motives and others by their actions.

Character | Motives |

Michel de Montaigne, fully Lord Michel Eyquem de Montaigne

In truth, knowledge is a great and very useful quality; those who despise it give evidence enough of their stupidity. But yet I do not set its value at that extreme measure that some attribute to it, like Herillus the philosopher, who placed in it the sovereign good, and held that it was in its power to make us wise and content. That I do not believe, nor what others have said, that knowledge is the mother of all virtue, and all vice is produced by ignorance. If that is true, it is subject to a long interpretation.

Character | Despise | Enough | Evidence | Extreme | Good | Ignorance | Knowledge | Mother | Power | Stupidity | Truth | Virtue | Virtue | Wise | Value | Vice |

Michel de Montaigne, fully Lord Michel Eyquem de Montaigne

There is still more intelligence needed to teach others than to be taught.

Character | Intelligence | Teach |

James Madison Mason

Judge thyself with a judgment of sincerity, and thou wilt judge others with a judgment of charity.

Character | Charity | Judgment | Sincerity |

Michel de Montaigne, fully Lord Michel Eyquem de Montaigne

True freedom is to have power over oneself for everything.

Character | Freedom | Power |