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

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

When fate is adverse, a wise man can always strive for happiness and sail against the wind to attain it.

Character | Fate | Man | Wise | Fate | Happiness |

Francis Quarles

The height of all philosophy is to know thyself; and the end of this knowledge is to know God. Know thyself, that thou mayest know God; and know God, that thou mayest love him and be like him. In the one thou art initiated into wisdom; and in the other perfected in it.

Art | Character | God | Know thyself | Knowledge | Love | Philosophy | Wisdom | Art |

Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke

Whatever study tends neither directly nor indirectly to make us better men and citizens is at best but a specious and ingenious sort of idleness, and the knowledge we acquire by it only a creditable kind of ignorance, nothing more.

Better | Character | Idleness | Ignorance | Knowledge | Men | Nothing | Study |

Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke

The shortest and surest way of arriving at real knowledge is to unlearn the lessons we have been taught, to remount the first principles, and take nobody's word about them.

Character | Knowledge | Principles |

Moshe Rosenstein, fully Moshe ben Chaim Rosenstein

A person who appreciates that the Almighty created everything in the world for his benefit is aware of the multitude of good things he has in the world. With this appreciation, no one considers himself poor in comparison to anyone else just because the other person has a little more than him. Even the poorest person in the world has many things for which to be thankful. Everyone has the ability to be in a state of happiness. Do not allow another person’s having more than you rob you of your happiness.

Ability | Appreciation | Character | Good | Little | World |

Publius Syrus

Valor grows by daring, fear by delay.

Character | Daring | Delay | Fear | Valor | Valor |

Francis Quarles

In the commission of evil, fear no man so much as thyself; another is but one witness against thee, thou art a thousand; another thou mayest avoid, thyself thou canst not. Wickedness is its own punishment.

Art | Character | Evil | Fear | Man | Punishment | Wickedness | Witness | Art |

Francis Quarles

Knowledge descries; wisdom applies.

Character | Knowledge | Wisdom |

Francis Quarles

In the commission of evil, fear no man so much as thyself. Another is but one witness against thee; thou art a thousand. Another thou mayst avoid, thyself thou canst not. Wickedness is its own punishment.

Art | Character | Evil | Fear | Man | Punishment | Wickedness | Witness | Art |

Cardinal de Retz, Jean Francois-Paul de Gondil

Of all passions, fear weakens judgment most.

Character | Fear | Judgment |

Gabriel Riesser

May those who represent advanced views bear in mind that true wisdom is always joined with mildness, that malice never converts the erring but strengthens him in his attitude, and that it is very unfitting to combat error (so long as this does not assume the aspect of injustice) with the weapons of hatred.

Character | Error | Malice | Mind | Weapons | Wisdom |