Decisiveness is often the art of timely cruelty.
—Henri Becquerel (French Physicist)
Reality is not always probable, or likely.
—Jorge Luis Borges (Argentine Writer)
All the joy the world contains
Has come through wishing happiness for others.
All the misery the world contains
Has come through wanting pleasure for oneself.
—Shantideva (Indian Buddhist Scholar)
Certainly it is a heaven upon earth to have a man’s mind to move in charity, rest in providence, and turn upon the poles of truth.
—Francis Bacon (English Philosopher)
Resolution is omnipotent.—Determine to be something in the world, and you will be something.—Aim at excellence, and excellence will be attained.—This is the great secret of effort and eminence.—“I cannot do it,” never accomplished anything; “I will try,” has wrought wonders.
—Joel Hawes (American Clergyman)
He that will learn to pray, let him go to sea.
—George Herbert (Welsh Anglican Poet)
There is no fact that cannot be vulgarized and presented in a ludicrous light.
—Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Russian Novelist)
When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap.
—Cynthia Heimel (American Humor Columnist)
A small but brilliant advance made today by someone’s awareness may for the moment reach a very small audience, but insofar as it’s valid and beautiful, it will make its way and become part of the whole world of consciousness. So in that sense it’s all working toward this huge audience, and all working toward a better man.
—Conrad Aiken (American Poet, Novelist)
The soul’s impurity consists in bad judgments, and purification consists in producing in it right judgments, and the pure soul is one which has right judgments.
—Epictetus (Ancient Greek Philosopher)
It’s of no use to look back and say, “I should have been different.” At any given moment, we are the way we are, and we see what we’re able to see. For that reason, guilt is always inappropriate.
—Joko Beck (American Zen Teacher)
The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter.
—Dashiell Hammett (American Crime Writer)
Beauty must appeal to the senses, must provide us with immediate enjoyment, must impress us or insinuate itself into us without any effort on our part.
—Claude Debussy (French Composer)