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

Samuel Butler

Spontaneity is only a term for man's ignorance of the gods

Education |

Samuel Gompers

There are a number of people who mistakenly charge me with being a Democrat. I never was a member of the Democratic Party. I was at one time, in my early years, a member of the Republican Party, and cast my first vote for a Republican President--U. S. Grant as soon as I attained my majority. I never did belong to the Democratic Party. In the pursuit of the Nonpartisan policy of labor in which I thoroughly believe, I supported Republican or Democrat or publicist as in the varying parties I believed that they would best serve the people without regard to party. In the last twelve years and up to 1924 the Democratic Party, a large number of them represented these principles in advocacy of the peoples rights--that there were a larger number of them in Congress than Republicans--it was not because of partisanship that we supported a larger number of Democrats than Republicans but because, as I say, there was a larger number of Democrats favorably inclined toward the pressing interests and rights of the masses of the people.

Consideration | Education | Good | Men | Order | Reason |

Samuel Horsley

In the beautiful character of the blessed Jesus there was not a more striking feature than a certain sensibility which disposed him to take part in every one’s affliction to which he was a witness, and to be ready to afford it a miraculous relief. He was apt to be particularly touched by instances of domestic distress, in which the suffering arises from those feelings of friendship growing out of natural affection and habitual endearment, which constitute the perfection of man as a social creature, and distinguish the society of the human kind from the instinctive herdings of the lower animals.

Education | Government | Neglect | Government |

Samuel Richardson

It is a happy art to know when one has said enough. I would leave my hearers wishing me to say more rather than give them cause to show, by their inattention, that I had said too much.

Children | Education | Society | Society |

Samuel Smiles

Home is the first and most important school of character. It is there that every human being receives his best moral training, or his worst; for it is there that he imbibes those principles of conduct which endure through manhood, and cease only with life.

Growth | Inevitable | Men | Necessity | Spirit |

Samuel Smiles

Opportunities ... fall in the way of every man who is resolved to take advantage of them.

Difficulty | Growth | Man | Worth |

Samuel Smiles

The spirit of self-help is the root of all genuine growth in the individual.

Growth | Spirit |

Samuel Smiles

The tiniest bits of opinion sown in the minds of children in private life afterwards issue forth to the world, and become its public opinion; for nations are gathered out of nurseries.

Growth | Spirit |

Samuel Smiles

A great deal of what passes by the name of patriotism in these days consists of the merest bigotry and narrow-mindedness; exhibiting itself in national prejudice, national conceit, and national hatred. It does not show itself in deeds, but in boastings--in howlings, gesticulations, and shrieking helplessly for help--in flying flags and singing songs--and in perpetual grinding at the hurdy-gurdy of long-dead grievances and long-remedied wrongs. To be infested by such a patriotism as this is perhaps among the greatest curses that can befall any country.

Growth | Inevitable | Men | Necessity | Spirit |

Samuel Smiles

Hope is the companion of power, and mother of success; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles.

Future | Growth | Memory | Promise | Purpose | Purpose | Troubles |

Samuel Richardson

The English, the plain English, of the politest address of a gentleman to a lady is, I am now, dear Madam, your humble servant: Pray be so good as to let me be your Lord and Master.

Education | Men |

Sydney J. Harris

Most people today fail to recognize that happiness is a fairly recent aspiration of the human race. For most of history, survival was the goal.

Education | Emotions | Light | People | Purpose | Purpose | Troubles |

Sydney J. Harris

The pessimist sees only the tunnel; the optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel; the realist sees the tunnel and the light - and the next tunnel.

Appetite | Education | Learning |

Sydney J. Harris

The principal difference between love and hate is that love is an irradiation, and hate is a concentration. Love makes everything lovely; hate concentrates itself on the object of its hatred. All the fearful counterfeits of love — possessiveness, lust, vanity, jealousy — are closer to hate: they concentrate on the object, guard it, suck it dry.

Education | Mind | Purpose | Purpose |

Sydney J. Harris

The world has always been betrayed by decent men with bad ideals.

Education | Purpose | Purpose |

Simón Bolívar, fully Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Blanco

March swiftly to revenge the dead, to give life to the dying, to free the oppressed, and to give liberty to all.

Authority | Corruption | Education | Judgment | Power | Public |

Alexander Fleming, fully Sir Alexander Fleming

One sometimes finds what one is not looking for.

Growth |