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

Victor Hugo

The quantity of civilization is measured by the quality of imagination.

Education | Man | Progress |

Victor Hugo

Man the individual is a deeper being than man in the mass.

God | Success | Thinkers | God |

Victor Hugo

The cause of all this young man’s crimes was his desire to be well dressed. The first grisette who had said to him, you are handsome, had spattered a stain of darkness into his heart and had made a Cain of this Abel.

Human race | Progress | Race |

Victor Hugo

Progress is the life-style of man. The general life of the human race is called Progress, and so is its collective march. Progress advances, it makes the great human and earthly journey towards what is heavenly and divine; it has its pauses, when it rallies the stragglers, its stopping places when it meditates, contemplating some new and splendid promised land that has suddenly appeared on its horizon. It has its nights of slumber; and it is one of the poignant anxieties of the thinker to see the human spirit lost in shadow, and to grope in the darkness without being able to awake sleeping progress.

Darkness | Human race | Journey | Life | Life | Progress | Race |

Victor Hugo

In short, between men and women you want.Equality. Equality! You can't mean it. Man and woman are two different creatures. I said equality. I didn't say identity.

Merit | Success |

Viktor Frankl, fully Viktor Emil Frankl

Dostoevski said once, “There is only one thing that I dread: not to be worthy of my sufferings.” These words frequently came to my mind after I became acquainted with those martyrs whose behavior in camp who’s suffering and death, bore witness to the fact the last inner freedom can’t be lost. It can be said that they were worthy of their sufferings; the way they bore their suffering was a genuine inner achievement. It is this spiritual freedom — which cannot be taken away — that makes life meaningful and purposeful.

Cause | Dedication | Success | Surrender | Happiness |

Victor Hugo

What is grace? It is the inspiration from on high: it is love; it is liberty. Grace is the spirit of law. This discovery of the spirit of law belongs to Saint Paul; and what he calls "grace" from a heavenly point of view, we, from an earthly point, call "rigtheousness."

Destroy | Little | Progress | Right |

Victor Hugo

When a man is out of sight, it is not too long before he is out of mind.

Events | Heaven | Men | Need | Progress | Time |

Rig Veda, or The Rigveda

An egotist can never be humble that is why he is seldom blessed even by god.

Harm | Harmony | Means | People | Progress |

Atharva Veda, or Atharvaveda

Some chant in meditation, some practice deep, austere meditation; some worship Him in adoration, some practice daily rituals. Some live the life of a wanderer.

Progress |

Atharva Veda, or Atharvaveda

One should refrain from bad actions and engage in good deeds.

Success |

Atharva Veda, or Atharvaveda

Lances and swords, marching bands, thrones and the salutes of others only increase his desire; he is engrossed in sexual desire.

Success |

Atharva Veda, or Atharvaveda

A woman should always think good of her family and should work according to her husband's wishes so that a peaceful, happy and cordial atmosphere prevails in the family.

Man | Success |

Rig Veda, or The Rigveda

One who makes a resolution and then makes sincere efforts to realize his dreams, nothing stops him from realizing his goal.

Enthusiasm | Success | Blessed |

Atharva Veda, or Atharvaveda

Knowledge not only helps us material success but it also enhances our spiritual growth.

Progress |

Atharva Veda, or Atharvaveda

Enshrine the Feet of the Guru within your heart; your pains, enemies and bad luck shall be destroyed.

Growth | Individual | Success |

Atharva Veda, or Atharvaveda

Prayer has been made to mother earth that She blesses us with the knowledge required to exploit the treasures of the nature but without disturbing the environmental balance.

Success |

Atharva Veda, or Atharvaveda

Those, who get attracted by ignorance and superficial worldly pleasures meet their ends early.

Good | Respect | Success | Wealth | Respect |

Yajur Veda, or Yajurveda

A man should tread on the path of truth for not only his own but for the benediction of entire humanity.

Body | Mind | Sound | Success |

Atharva Veda, or Atharvaveda

We should always try to acquire as much knowledge as possible but at the same time we should be careful not to let pseudo-knowledge influence us.

Progress | Think |