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

Gustave Flaubert

The truth is that fullness of soul can sometimes overflow in utter vapidity of language, for none of us can ever express the exact measure of his needs or his thoughts or his sorrows; and human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we tap crude rhythms for bears to dance to, while we long to make music that will melt the stars.

Body |

H. L. Mencken, fully Henry Louis Mencken

In war the heroes always outnumber the soldiers ten to one.

Television | Wrong |

H. L. Mencken, fully Henry Louis Mencken

Criticism is prejudice made plausible.

H. L. Mencken, fully Henry Louis Mencken

Immorality: the morality of those who are having a better time.

Hate | Little | Think |

H. L. Mencken, fully Henry Louis Mencken

The objection to Puritans is not that they try to make us think as they do, but that they try to make us do as they think.

Truth |

Haile Selassie

If a strong government finds that it can, with impunity, destroy a weak people, then the hour has struck for that weak people to appeal to the League of Nations to give its judgment in all freedom. God and history will remember your judgment.

H. L. Mencken, fully Henry Louis Mencken

Philosophy, as the modern world knows it, is only intellectual club-swinging.

Good |

Hannah Arendt

Loving life is easy when you are abroad. Where no one knows you and you hold your life in your hands all alone, you are more master of yourself than at any other time

H. L. Mencken, fully Henry Louis Mencken

The notion that a radical is one who hates his country is na‹ve and usually idiotic. He is, more likely, one who likes his country more than the rest of us, and is thus more disturbed than the rest of us when he sees it debauched. He is not a bad citizen turning to crime; he is a good citizen driven to despair.

Italian Proverbs

Poor men do penance for rich men's sins.

Experience | Openness | People | Personality | Safe |

Italian Proverbs

The devil turns away from a closed door.

Italian Proverbs

She who is born a beauty is born betrothed.

Italian Proverbs

No man is indispensable.

Computer | Wrong |

Italian Proverbs

People in glass houses should not throw stones.

Personality | Will |

Italian Proverbs

The eagle does not wage war against frogs.

Important |

Italian Proverbs

War makes robbers, and peace hangs them.

Authenticity | Good | Life | Life | Meaning | Means | Mystery | Thought | Worth | Thought |

Italian Proverbs

The virtue of silence is a great piece of knowledge.

Public | Question |

Italian Proverbs

There is no appeal from time past.

Good |

Italian Proverbs

Where god has a church the devil will have his chapel.

People | Personality |

Italian Proverbs

When house and land are gone and spent, then learning is most excellent.

Childhood | People | Personality |