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

Edward Howard Griggs

Peace among nations, like happiness for the individual, is not an end, but a by-product that usually comes when you live right.

Individual | Nations | Peace | Right | Wisdom | Happiness |

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

True happiness springs from moderation.

Moderation | Wisdom | Happiness |

Arthur Sherburne Hardy

Set happiness before you as an end, no matter in what guise of wealth, or fame, or oblivion even, and you will not attain it. But renounce it and seek the pleasure of God, and that instant is the birth of you own.

Birth | Fame | God | Oblivion | Pleasure | Wealth | Will | Wisdom | Happiness |

Julius Charles Hare (1795-1855) and his brother Augustus William Hare

A statesman should follow public opinion as a coachman follows his horses; having firm hold on the reins, and guiding them.

Opinion | Public | Wisdom |

John Oliver Hobbes, Pseud. for Mrs. Pearlmary-Teresa Craigie

Why should we refuse the happiness this hour gives us, because some other hour might take it away?

Wisdom | Happiness |

Washington Irving

In civilized life, where the happiness, and indeed almost the existence, of man depends so much upon the opinion of his fellow-men, he is constantly acting a studied part. The bold and peculiar traits of native character are refined away or softened down by the leveling influence of what is termed good-breeding, and he practices so many petty deceptions and affects so many generous sentiments for the purposes of popularity that it is difficult to distinguish his real from his artificial character.

Character | Distinguish | Existence | Influence | Life | Life | Man | Opinion | Popularity | Wisdom |

Thomas Hobbes

The nature of God is incomprehensible; that is to say, we understand nothing of what He is, but only that He is; and therefore the attributes we give Him are not to tell one another what He is, nor to signify our opinion of His nature, but our desire to honor Him with such names as we conceive most honorable amongst ourselves.

Desire | God | Honor | Nature | Nothing | Opinion | Wisdom | God | Understand |

Victor Hugo

The supreme happiness of life is the conviction of being loved for yourself, or, more correctly, being loved in spite of yourself.

Life | Life | Wisdom | Happiness |

William James

How to gain, how to keep, how to recover happiness is in fact for most men at all times the secret motive of all they do, and of all they are willing to endure.

Men | Wisdom | Happiness |