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

H. L. Mencken, fully Henry Louis Mencken

I believe in the capacity of man to conquer his world, and to find out what it is made of, and how it is run.

Future | Right | Will |

H. L. Mencken, fully Henry Louis Mencken

I believe in only one thing: liberty; but I do not believe in liberty enough to want to force it upon anyone.

Future | Research |

Gustave Flaubert

The smooth folds of her dress concealed a tumultuous heart, and her modest lips told nothing of her torment. She was in love.

Power | Right |

H. L. Mencken, fully Henry Louis Mencken

Christendom may be defined briefly as that part of the world in which, if a man stands up in public and swears with any show of earnestness that he is a Christian, all his auditors will laugh.

Fate | Future | Fate |

H. L. Mencken, fully Henry Louis Mencken

All government, in its essence, is a conspiracy against the superior man: its one permanent object is to oppress him and cripple him. If it be aristocratic in organization, then it seeks to protect the man who is superior only in law against the man who is superior in fact; if it be democratic, then it seeks to protect the man who is inferior in every way against both. One of its primary functions is to regiment men by force, to make them as much alike as possible and as dependent upon one another as possible, to search out and combat originality among them. All it can see in an original idea is potential change, and hence an invasion of its prerogatives. The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane and intolerable, and so, if he is romantic, he tries to change it. And even if he is not romantic personally he is very apt to spread discontent among those who are.

Future |

Italian Proverbs

One who wants to keep their yard tidy does not reserve a plot for the weeds.

Change | Civilization | Future | Global | Health | Inconvenient | Land | Security | Will |

Italian Proverbs

Rain on the day you get married brings good luck.

Consciousness | Power | Understand |

Italian Proverbs

Still water breeds vermin.

Fear | Future | Hope | Think |

Italian Proverbs

Never was a mewing cat a good mouser.

Future | Passion |

Italian Proverbs

Take down a thief from the gallows and he will hang you up.

Future | Hope |

Italian Proverbs

None so deaf as those who will not hear.

Beauty | Gloom | Humanity | Power | Soul | Spirit | Will | Beauty |

Italian Proverbs

One should learn to sail in all winds.

Future | Will |

Italian Proverbs

Substance is not enough, accident is also required.

Ability | Coercion | Power |

Italian Proverbs

The difficult thing is to get foot in the stirrup.

Books | Future | Wonder | Words |

Italian Proverbs

Take heed of enemies reconciled and of meat twice boiled.

Power | Revolution | Will | World |

Italian Proverbs

One can't enter Paradise in spite of the saints.

Calmness | Future | Good |

Italian Proverbs

So good that he is good for nothing.

Effort | Good | Internet | People | Power | Promise | Time |

Italian Proverbs

The first blow is as good as two.

Courage | Mankind | Men | Peace | Strength | Tears | Will |

Italian Proverbs

When all men say you are an ass it is time to bray.

Failure | Future | Life | Life | Mistake | Present | Purpose | Purpose | Question | Right | Failure |

Italian Proverbs

Who has no shame all the world is his own.

Power |