Quotes
Quotes about Man
Learn on how little man may live, and how small a portion nature requires. [Lat., Discite quam parvo liceat producere vitam, Et quantum natura petat.]
Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.
Necessity when threatening is more powerful than device of man. [Lat., Efficacior omni arte imminens necessitas.]
Everywhere the human soul stands between a hemisphere of light and another of darkness; on the confines of the two everlasting empires, necessity and free will.
It is surprising what a man can do when he has to, and how little most men will do when they don't have to.
It is surprising what a man can do when he has to, and how little most men will do when they don't have to.
Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.
A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it.
A supreme love, a motive that gives a sublime rhythm to a woman's life, and exalts habit into partnership with the soul's highest needs, is not to be had where and how she wills.
As a matter of self-preservation, a man needs good friends or ardent enemies, for the former instruct him and the latter take him to task.
Avoid destructive thinking. Improper negative thoughts sink people. A ship can sail around the world many, many times, but just let enough water get into the ship and it will sink. Just so with the human mind. Let enough negative thoughts or improper thoughts get into the human mind and the person sinks just like a ship.
There can be no doubt that the average man blames much more than he praises. His instinct is to blame. If he is satisfied he says nothing; if he is not, he most illogically kicks up a row.
Calamity is man's true touchstone.
The term up has no meaning apart from the word down. The term fast has no meaning apart from the term slow. In addition such terms have no meaning even when used together, except when confined to a very particular situation... most of our language about the organization and objective's of government is made up of such polar terms. Justice and injustice are typical. A reformer who wants to abolish injustice and create a world in which nothing but justice prevails is like a man who wants to make everything up. Such a man might feel that if he took the lowest in the world and carried it up to the highest point and kept on doing this, everything would eventually become up. This would certainly move a great many objects and create an enormous amount of activity. It might or might not be useful, according to the standards which we apply. However it would never result in the abolishment of down.
No man ever did a designed injury to another, but at the same time he did a greater to himself.
In cities no one is quiet but many are lonely; in the country, people are quiet but few are lonely.
No man ever became great or good except through many and great mistakes.
Notice the difference between what happens when a man says to himself, I have failed three times, and what happens when he says, I am a failure.
The man who tries to do something and fails is infinitely better than he who tries to do nothing and succeeds.
Fear can be headier than whiskey, once man has acquired a taste for it.
The torment of human frustration, whatever its immediate cause, is the knowledge that the self is in prison, its vital force and "mangled mind" leaking away in lonely, wasteful self-conflict.
Argument is conclusive... but... it does not remove doubt, so that the mind may rest in the sure knowledge of the truth, unless it finds it by the method of experiment. For if any man who never saw fire proved by satisfactory arguments that fire burns. his hearer's mind would never be satisfied, nor would he avoid the fire until he put his hand in it that he might learn by experiment what argument taught.
There is none more lonely than the man who loves only himself.
Man hoards himself when he has nothing to give away.
Man's extremity is God's opportunity.
