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

Abraham Lincoln

Public opinion, though often formed upon a wrong basis, yet generally has a strong underlying sense of justice.

Justice | Opinion | Public | Sense | Wisdom | Wrong |

John Locke

If punishment reaches not the mind and makes not the will supple, it hardens the offender.

Mind | Punishment | Will | Wisdom |

Robert J. McCracken, D.D.

We have lose the habit of thinking quietly, of trying to know ourselves and our friends, and the world around us, and the God who is above and within us. We are looking in the wrong places for happiness. We are so exclusively occupied with material things and with their accumulation that the higher values are crowded out.

God | Habit | Thinking | Wisdom | World | Wrong | God |

Friedrich Nietzsche, fully Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

It is absurd to speak of right and wrong per se. Injury, violation, exploitation, annihilation, cannot be wrong in themselves, for life essentially presupposes injury, violation, exploitation, and annihilation.

Absurd | Life | Life | Right | Wisdom | Wrong |

Guiseppe Mazzini

To be mistaken is a misfortune to be pitied; but to know the truth and not to conform one's actions to it is a crime which Heaven and Earth condemn.

Crime | Earth | Heaven | Misfortune | Truth | Wisdom | Misfortune |

Maurice Nicoll

We must form the picture of the life as a growth, transverse to time, and capable of growing not merely in one part but in many parts, i.e. we must get rid of the idea that he life only grows from the present. This gives a wrong relation to the moment. The life may grow in all parts of itself ad we may be affected by these growing directions (in other parts of our personal Time) even in the ‘present’.

Growth | Life | Life | Present | Time | Wisdom | Wrong |

Robert Peel, fully Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet

Public opinion is compounded by folly, weakness, prejudice, wrong feeling, right feeling, obstinacy, and newspaper paragraphs.

Folly | Opinion | Prejudice | Public | Right | Weakness | Wisdom | Wrong |

Publius Syrus

He who overlooks one crime invites the commission of another.

Crime | Wisdom |

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The opportunity of making happy is more scarce than we imagine; the punishment of missing it is, never to meet with it again; and the use owe make of it leaves us an eternal sentiment of satisfaction or repentance.

Eternal | Happy | Opportunity | Punishment | Repentance | Sentiment | Wisdom |

H. E. Stocher

Research teaches a man to admit he is wrong and to be proud of the fact that he does so, rather than try with all his energy to defend an unsound plan because he is afraid that admission of error is a confession of weakness when rather it is a sign of strength.

Energy | Error | Man | Plan | Research | Strength | Weakness | Wisdom | Wrong | Afraid |

Daniel Cosgrove Waterland

The heart commonly govern the head; and any strong passion, set the wrong way, will soon infatuate even the wisest of men; therefore the first part of wisdom is to watch the affections.

Heart | Men | Passion | Will | Wisdom | Wrong | Govern |

Thomas Tusser

What greater crime than loss of time?

Crime | Time | Wisdom | Loss |

Arthur Warwick

There are two things necessary for a traveler to bring him to the end of his journey - a knowledge of his way, a perseverance in his walk. If he walk in a wrong way, the faster he goes the farther he is from home; if he sit still in the right way, he may know his home, but never come to it: discreet stays make speedy journeys. I will first then know my way, ere I begin my walk; the knowledge of my way is a good part of my journey.

Good | Journey | Knowledge | Perseverance | Right | Will | Wisdom | Wrong |

Saint Thomas Aquinas, aka Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis or Doctor Universalis

Everything naturally loves itself, the result being that everything naturally keeps itself in being, and resists corruption as far as it can. Wherefore suicide is contrary to the inclination of nature, and to charity whereby every man should love himself.

Charity | Corruption | Inclination | Love | Man | Nature | Suicide |

Sven Birkerts

The reality of life is that your perceptions -- right or wrong -- influence everything else you do. When you get a proper perspective of your perceptions, you may be surprised how many other things fall into place.

Influence | Life | Life | Reality | Right | Wrong |