This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
All women seem by nature to be coquettes.
Douglas Adams, fully Douglas Noel Adams
What was the Sherlock Holmes principle? ‘Once you have discounted the impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.’ I reject that entirely, said Dirk sharply. The impossible often has a kind of integrity to it which the merely improbably lacks. How often have you been presented with an apparently rational explanation of something that works in all respects other than one, which is that it is hopelessly improbable?...The first idea merely supposes that there is something we don’t know about, and...there are enough of those. The second, however, runs contrary to something fundamental and human which we do know about. We should therefore be very suspicious of it and all its specious rationality.
Self-love increases or diminishes for us the good qualities of our friends, in proportion to the satisfaction we feel with them; and we judge of their merit by the manner in which they act towards us.
People |
We are easily comforted for the misfortunes of our friends, when those misfortunes give us an occasion of expressing our affection and solicitude.
Some persons of weak understanding are so sensible of that weakness, as to be able to make a good use of it.
People |
However great the advantages which nature bestows on us, it is not she alone, but fortune in conjunction with her, which makes heroes.
It is not expedient or wise to examine our friends too closely; few persons are raised in our esteem by a close examination.
Enough |
We love everything on our own account; we even follow our own taste and inclination when we prefer our friends to ourselves; and yet it is this preference alone that constitutes true and perfect friendship.
If you cannot find peace in yourself, it is useless to look for it elsewhere.
The refusal of praise is only the wish to be praised twice.
Conversation | People | Reason | Thinking |
The accent of a man's native country remains in his mind and his heart, as it does in his speech.
It is more shameful to distrust one's friends than to be deceived by them
Wise |
The prospect of being pleased tomorrow will never console me for the boredom of today.
Value |
People would never fall in love if they hadn't heard love talked about.
There are people who, like new songs, are in vogue only for a time.
We are more often treacherous, through weakness than through calculation.
Happy |
Lawless are they that make their wills their law.
It's no good trying to keep up old friendships. It's painful for both sides. The fact is, one grows out of people, and the only thing is to face it.
Wise |