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

Karl Marx

The more these conscious illusions of the ruling classes are shown to be false and the less they satisfy common sense, the more dogmatically they are asserted and the more deceitful, moralizing and spiritual becomes the language of the established society.

Common Sense | Language | Sense | Society |

Luther Standing Bear, aka Ota Kte or Mochunozhin

For all the great religions have preached and expounded, or have been revealed by brilliant scholars, or have been written in books and embellished in fine language with finer covers, men - all man - is still confronted with the Great Mystery.

Books | Language | Man | Men | Mystery |

Lorenz Oken, born Lorenz Okenfuss

The universe is the language of God.

God | Language | Universe |

Martha Graham

Dance is the hidden language of the soul.

Language | Soul |

Ned Rorem

The art of translation lies less in knowing the other language than in knowing your own.

Art | Knowing | Language | Art |

Percy Bysshe Shelley

He gave man speech, and speech created thought, which is the measure of the universe; and science struck the thrones of earth and heaven, which shook, but fell not; and the harmonious mind poured itself forth in all-prophetic song; and music lifted up the listening spirit until it walked, except from mortal care, Godlike, o’er the clear billows of sweet sound.

Care | Earth | Heaven | Listening | Man | Mind | Mortal | Music | Science | Sound | Speech | Spirit | Thought | Universe |

Rachel Naomi Remen

Our listening creates a sanctuary for the homeless parts within another person.

Listening |

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Eloquence is the power to translate a truth into language perfectly intelligible to the person to whom you speak.

Language | Power | Truth |

Ralph Waldo Emerson

When the eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on the language of the first.

Language | Man |

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Though the origin of most of our words is forgotten, each word was a first a stroke of genius, and obtained currency because for the moment it symbolized the world to the first speaker and to the hearer. The etymologist finds the deadest word to have been once a brilliant picture. Language is fossil poetry.

Genius | Language | Poetry | Words | World |

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The whole course of things goes to teach us faith. We need only obey. There is guidance for each of us, and by lowly listening we shall hear the right word... Place yourself in the middle of the stream of power and wisdom which flows into you as life, place yourself in the full center of that flood, then you are without effort impelled to truth, to right, and a perfect contentment.

Contentment | Effort | Faith | Guidance | Life | Life | Listening | Need | Power | Right | Teach | Truth | Wisdom | Guidance |

Robert Herrick

Tears are the noble language of the eye.

Language | Tears |

Ronald Reagan, fully Ronald Wilson Reagan

The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: `I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’

Government | Language | Words |

William Jones, fully Sir William Jones of Nayland, aka Trinity Jones

The Bible contains more true sublimity, more exquisite beauty, more pure morality, more important history, and finer strains of poetry and eloquence, than can be collected from all other books, in whatever age or language they may have been written.

Age | Beauty | Bible | Books | History | Important | Language | Morality | Poetry | Bible |

Sosan Zenji, aka Chien-chih Seng-Tsan or Ch'an Seng-ts'an

Words! The Way is beyond language for in it there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no today.

Language | Tomorrow | Words |

Wilferd Peterson, fully Wilferd Arlan Peterson

The key to the art of listening is selectivity... Listen critically. Mentally challenge assertions, ideas, philosophies. Seek the truth with an open mind. Listen with your heart... Listen for growth. Be an inquisitive listener. Listen creatively... Listen to yourself. Listen to your deepest yearnings, your highest aspirations, your noblest impulses. Listen to the better man within you. Listen with depth. Be still and meditate. Listen with the ear of intuition for the inspiration of the Infinite.

Art | Better | Challenge | Growth | Heart | Ideas | Inspiration | Intuition | Listening | Man | Mind | Truth | Yearnings | Art |

William Butler Yeats

Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.

Language | Man | People | Wise |

Tom Brown, Jr.

Nothing is good or bad, right or wrong; it all depends on how we judge with our prejudice. Listening in purity and emptiness judges not, only learns.

Good | Listening | Nothing | Prejudice | Purity | Right | Wrong |

Tom Brown, Jr.

Inner Vision does not communicate to us in the words and concepts of man but through the language of the heart.

Heart | Language | Man | Vision | Words |