This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
A winner is big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.
Enough |
Niccolò Machiavelli, formally Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli
There is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things. For the reformer has enemies in all those who profit by the older order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order, this lukewarmness arising partly from fear of their adversaries, who have the laws in their favor; and partly from the incredulity of mankind, who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had actual experience of it.
Experience | Fear | Incredulity | Mankind | Nothing | Order | Success |
Friedrich Nietzsche, fully Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
He who wants to set a good example must add a grain of foolishness to his virtue; then others can imitate and, at the same time, rise above the one being imitated – something which people love.
Example | Good | Love | People | Time | Virtue | Virtue | Wants |
That cold, still statistic of profit and loss is a statement about someone’s happiness and someone else’s pain.
Sa’ib of Tabriz, aka Mirza Muhammad Ali Sa'ib, Saib Isfahani or Sa'ib Of Esfahan NULL
What does it profit you that all the libraries of the world should be yours? Not knowledge but what one does with knowledge is your profit.
People never improve unless they look to some standard or example higher or better than themselves.
Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.
To get profit without risk, experience without danger, and reward without work, is as impossible as it is to live without being born.
Danger | Experience | Reward | Risk | Work |
Amelia Earhart, fully Amelia Mary Earhart
No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another. Good example is followed. A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves.
I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind. As for any other freedom it is but a mockery and a delusion, for however free you may think yourself, you have to use the door when you go out of the room, nor are you free to make yourself young at will or to profit by the sun at night... Not-being is not freedom.
The good man should be a lover of self (for he will both himself profit by doing noble acts, and will benefit his fellows), but the wicked man should not; for he will hurt both himself and his neighbors, following as he does evil passions.
A king rules as he ought, a tyrant as he lists; a king to the profit of all, a tyrant only to please a few.
Perfect clarity would profit the intellect but damage the will.
No one can deny that much of our modern advertising is essentially dishonest; and it can be maintained that to lie freely and all the time for private profit is not to abuse the right of free speech, whether it is a violation of the law or not. But again the practical question is, how much lying for private profit is to be permitted by law?
Abuse | Advertising | Free speech | Law | Lying | Question | Right | Speech | Time |
Confucius, aka Kong Qiu, Zhongni, K'ung Fu-tzu or Kong Fuzi NULL
The rule of life is to be found within yourself. Ask yourself constantly, "What is the right thing to do?" Beware of ever doing that which you are likely, sooner or later, to repent of having done. It is better to live in peace than in bitterness and strife. It is better to believe in your neighbors than to fear and distrust them. The superior man does not wrangle. He is firm but not quarrelsome. He is sociable but not clannish. The superior man sets a good example to his neighbors. He is considerate of their feelings and property. Consideration for others is the basis of a good life, and a good society. Feel kindly toward everyone. Be friendly and pleasant among yourselves. Be generous and fair.
Better | Bitterness | Consideration | Distrust | Example | Fear | Feelings | Good | Life | Life | Man | Peace | Property | Right | Rule | Society |