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

John Locke

What is it that determines the Will in regard to our Actions?... we shall find, that we being capable but of one determination of the will to one action at once, the present uneasiness, that we are under, does naturally determine the will, in order to that happiness which we all aim at in all our actions: For as much as whilst we are under any uneasiness, we cannot apprehend ourselves happy, or in the way to it... And therefore that, which of course determines the choice of our will to the next action, will always be the removing of pain, as long as we have any left, as the first and necessary step towards happiness.

Action | Character | Choice | Determination | Happy | Order | Pain | Present | Regard | Will | Happiness |

Johann Kaspar Lavater

Desire is the uneasiness a man finds in himself upon the absence of anything whose present enjoyment carries the idea of delight with it.

Absence | Character | Desire | Enjoyment | Man | Present |

John Homer Miller

Discover what you want most of all in this world, and set yourself to work on it.

Character | Work | World |

B. N. Mills

Dreamers and doers - the world, generally divides men into those two general classifications, but the world is often wrong. There are men who win the admiration and respect of their fellowmen. They are the men worth while. Dreaming is just another name for thinking, planning, devising - another way of saying that a man exercises his soul. A steadfast soul, holding steadily to a dream ideal, plus a sturdy will determined to succeed in any venture, can make any dream come true. Use your mind and your will. They work together for you beautifully if you'll only give them a chance.

Admiration | Chance | Character | Man | Men | Mind | Respect | Soul | Thinking | Will | Work | World | Worth | Wrong | Respect |

John Von Newmann

All experience shows that even smaller technological changes than those now in the cards profoundly transform political and social relationships. Experience also shows that those transformations are not a priori predictable and that most contemporary “first guesses” concerning them are wrong. For all these reasons, one should take neither present difficulties nor presently proposed reforms too seriously... To ask in advance for a complete recipe would be unreasonable. We can specify only the human qualities required: patience, flexibility, intelligence.

Character | Experience | Flexibility | Intelligence | Patience | Present | Qualities | Wrong |

Guiseppe Mazzini

Great revolutions are the work rather of principles than of bayonets, and are achieved first in the moral, and afterwards in the material sphere.

Character | Principles | Wisdom | Work |

Thomas Middleton

Charity is never lost: it may meet with ingratitude, or be of no service to those on whom it was bestowed, yet it ever does a work of beauty and grace upon the heart of the giver.

Beauty | Character | Charity | Grace | Heart | Ingratitude | Service | Wisdom | Work | Beauty |

Michel de Montaigne, fully Lord Michel Eyquem de Montaigne

Every period of life has its peculiar prejudice; whoever saw old age that did not applaud the past, and condemn the present times?

Age | Character | Life | Life | Old age | Past | Prejudice | Present | Old |

National Commission on Excellence in Education NULL

Help your children understand that excellence in education cannot be achieved without intellectual and moral integrity coupled by hard work and commitment.

Character | Children | Commitment | Education | Excellence | Integrity | Work | Excellence | Understand |

Robert M. Pirsig

So the thing to do when working on a motorcycle, as in any other task, is to cultivate the peace of mind which does not separate one’s self from one’s surroundings. When that is done successfully, then everything else follows naturally. Peace of mind produces right values, right values produce right thoughts. Right thoughts produce right actions and right actions produce work which will be a material reflection for others to see of the serenity at the center of it all.

Character | Mind | Peace | Reflection | Right | Self | Serenity | Will | Work |

Robert M. Pirsig

Programmes of a political nature are important and products of social quality that can be effective only if the underlying structure of social values is right. The social values are right only if the individual values are right. The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands, and then work outside from there.

Character | Heart | Important | Individual | Nature | Right | Work | World |

Saint Paul, aka The Apostle Paul, Paul the Apostle or Saul of Tarsus NULL

I consider the sufferings of the present to be as nothing, compared with the glory to be revealed within us.

Character | Glory | Nothing | Present |

Andrew Preston Peabody

The force, the mass of character, mind, heart or soul that a man can put into any work is the most important factor in that work.

Character | Force | Heart | Important | Man | Mind | Soul | Work |

Alexander Pope

An honest man’s the noblest work of God.

Character | God | Man | Wisdom | Work |

Jianzhi Sengcan, Third Patriarch of Zen, Third Patriarch of Ch'an

The Perfect Way knows no difficulties, except that it refuses to make preferences. Only when freed from hate and love does it reveal itself fully and without disguise. A tenth of an inch’s difference, and heaven and earth are set apart. If you wish to see it before your own eyes have no fixed thoughts either for or against it. To set up what you like against what you dislike - this is the disease of the mind. When the deep meaning of the Way is not understood. Peace of mind is disturbed to no purpose... Pursue not the outer entanglements, dwell not in the inner void; be serene in the oneness of things, and dualism vanishes of itself... Transformations going on in the empty world that confronts us appear to be real because of Ignorance. Do not strive to seek after the True, only cease to cherish opinions... One in all, All in One - if only this is realized, no more worry about not being perfect. When the mind and each believing mind and Mind, this is where words fail, for it is not of the past, present or future.

Character | Disease | Disguise | Earth | Future | Hate | Heaven | Ignorance | Love | Meaning | Mind | Oneness | Past | Peace | Present | Purpose | Purpose | Words | World | Worry |

Howard Vincent O'Brien

People work for self-expression.

Character | People | Self | Work |

J. C. Penney, formally James Cash Penney

Success in business does not depend upon genius. Any young man of ordinary intelligence who is normally sound and not afraid to work should succeed in spite of obstacles and handicaps if he plays the game fairly and keeps everlastingly at it.

Business | Character | Genius | Intelligence | Man | Sound | Success | Work | Business | Afraid |

Rabbi Eliezer ben Isaac Papo, aka "ha-Kosesh" or "The Saint"

By analyzing your worries, you will become aware that all worry is useless. Worries fall into two categories: worrying about the past and worrying about the future. As regards to the past, worry will not change the situation. You are compounding your suffering or loss by your present worrying. If you are worrying about something that might happen in the future, do what you can to protect yourself and prevent a loss. If there is nothing you can do, all your worrying will make no difference. So why waste your present moments worrying?

Change | Character | Future | Nothing | Past | Present | Suffering | Waste | Will | Worry | Loss |