Cool Quotes & Quick Thoughts

Yes, if truth is not undergirded by love, it makes the possessor of that truth obnoxious and the truth repulsive.

— Ravi Zacharias

If you treat an individual as he is, he will stay that way, but if you treat him as if he were what he could be, he will become what he could be.

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Aesthetics is for the artist like ornithology is for the birds.

— Barnett Newman

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People who cannot find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness.

— John Wanamaker

You cannot make men good by law: and without good men you cannot have a good society.

— C. S. Lewis

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The greatest person alive in the world at this moment is some unknown individual in some obscure place who, at this hour, has gone in love to be with another person in need.

Homiletics, March 31, 1996

— Albert Schweitzer

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD Difficult moments, SEEK GOD Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD Painful moments, TRUST GOD Every moment, THANK GOD

— Rick Warren

If a million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.

— Anatole France

Do you remember the things you worried about a year ago? How did they work out? Didn't you waste a lot of fruitless energy on account of most of them? Didn't most of them turn out all right after all?

— Dale Carnegie

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

— Rick Warren

It AIN'T so much the things we don't know that get us into trouble. It's the things we know that just ain't so.

— Josh Billings

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There are two freedoms -- the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought.

— Charles Kingsley

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Unless we put medical freedom into the Constitution, the time will come when medicine will organize into an undercover dictatorship to restrict the art of healing to one class of Men and deny equal privileges to others; the Constitution of the Republic should make a Special privilege for medical freedoms as well as religious freedom.

— Benjamin Rush

We occasionally stumble over the truth but most of us pick ourselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.

— Winston Churchill

The bookends of success are starting and finishing. Decisions help us start; discipline helps us finish.

— John C. Maxwell

Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.

— Golda Meir

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Society is endangered not by the great profligacy of a few, but by the laxity of morals amongst all.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Experience is not what happens to man. It is what a man does with what happens to him.

— Aldous Huxley

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Do, or do not. There is no try.

— Master Yoda

Faith is not the opposite of reason. Faith rests squarely upon reason, but with the added component of revelation.

— Francis Collins

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How can it be that mathematics, being after all a product of human thought independent of experience, is so admirably adapted to the objects of reality?

— Albert Einstein

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I consider ethics, as well as religion, as supplements to law in the government of man.

— Thomas Jefferson to Augustus B. Woodward, 1824

The less government interferes with private pursuits, the better for general prosperity.

— Martin Van Buren

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs an comes short again and again; who knows the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

— Theodore Roosevelt

Happiness is not a goal, it is a by-product.

— Eleanor Roosevelt

It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt.

--John Philpot Curran: Speech upon the Right of Election, 1790. (Speeches. Dublin, 1808.)

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

— abolitionist Wendell Phillips (1811-1844) paraphrasing John Philpot Curran (above)

You see, Doctor, God didn't kill that little girl. Fate didn't butcher her and destiny didn't feed her to those dogs. If God saw what any of us did that night he didn't seem to mind. From then on I knew... God doesn't make the world this way. We do.

— Rorschach

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Blessed is he who has learned to admire but not to envy, to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter, and to lead but not manipulate.

— William Arthur Ward, Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 3

A thought for my libertarian friends to ponder:

Once a number of men set out to sea. In an idle and mischievous moment, one of the passengers started to bore a hole in the bottom of the boat where he was sitting. "What are you trying to do?" ... cried his fellow passengers in alarm.

"What does it concern you what I am doing?" ... replied the man ... "I am not boring a hole under where you are sitting, only under my own place."

"It may be only under your place" ... retorted the others ... "But should the water fill the boat, it will capsize ... Then all of us will drown."

— Judean Sage, Simeon bar Yochai

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Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connexions with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked, Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

— George Washington

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What we see changes what we know. What we know changes what we see.

— Jean Piaget

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Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep insights can be winnowed from deep nonsense.

— Carl Sagan

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

— Mahatma Gandhi

It is easy to believe in freedom of speech for those with whom we agree.

— Leo McKern

I wrote this reply to a question about competition that appeared in Doc Ozone's discussion forum, the Asylum:

The SciFi channel had a Twilight Zone marathon over the New Year's weekend. I did my best to catch up on seeing as many as I could. That show has some incredibly awesome stories and very profound.

Anyways, have you seen the episode "A Game of Pool" with Jack Klugman and Jonathan Winters? It was about a pool shark (Klugman) who's only goal was to be the "best". So he get's his wish and Winters comes back from the dead to play Klugman to see who's going to be the best of all time. At one point, Winters says that Klugman ought to take the time to live life and get out of the dark pool hall. Klugman is too consumed with being number one to understand this. Then Winters points out that it's good to have legends to look up to. He says that these legends tell those that follow to do their best and see if they can take the records a step further.

In other words, competition is a very healthy and useful method of doing our best if it's kept in its proper perspective. I think we should all *use* competition to spur us on to greater achievements. We should use it as a benchmark or a measure to see how well we're doing or to see how good we can be with more effort. But at the same time we must not let our desire to be better overtake the higher priorities of life, such as actually taking the time to live it.

— Bugs

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There is a beautiful transparency to honest disciples who never wear a false face and do not pretend to be anything but who they are.

— Brennan Manning

I know, sir, how well it becomes a liberal man and a Christian to forget and forgive. As individuals professing a holy religion, it is our bounden duty to forgive injuries done us as individuals. But when the character of Christian you add the character of patriot, you are in a different situation. Our mild and holy system of religion inculcates an admirable maxim of forbearance. If your enemy smite one cheek, turn the other to him. But you must stop there. You cannot apply this to your country. As members of a social community, this maxim does not apply to you. When you consider injuries done to your country your political duty tells you of vengeance. Forgive as a private man, but never forgive public injuries. Observations of this nature are exceedingly unpleasant, but it is my duty to use them.

— Patrick Henry

When it is not possible to reason with holy warriors, it is necessary to immobilize them or crush them.

— William F. Buckley Jr.

Freedom Know this, that every man is free
To choose his life and what he'll be.
For this eternal truth is given,
God will force no man to heaven.
He'll call, persuade, direct aright,
Bless with wisdom, love, and light;
In nameless ways be good and kind,
But never force the human mind.

— William C. Clegg

But the Christian thinks any good he does comes from the Christ-life inside him. He does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us;

— C. S. Lewis

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I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.

— Thomas Jefferson

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I will not cede more power to the state. I will not willingly cede more power to anyone...I mean to live my life an obedient man, but obedient to God.

— William Buckley

If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.

— Marcus Aurelius

A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.

— John F. Kennedy

I have only to contemplate myself; man comes from nothing, passes through time, and disappears forever in the bosom of God. He is seen but for a moment wandering on the verge of two abysses, and then is lost. If man were wholly ignorant of himself he would have no poetry in him, for one cannot describe what one does not conceive. If he saw himself clearly, his imagination would remain idle and would have nothing to add to the picture. But the nature of man is sufficiently revealed for him to know something of himself and sufficiently veiled to leave much impenetrable darkness, a darkness in which he ever gropes, forever in vain, trying to understand himself.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

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Meaninglessness comes not from being weary of pain, but from being weary of pleasure.

— G. K. Chesterton

To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.

— Elbert Hubbard

This is the case with thousands: they appear desirous of knowing the truth, but have not patience to wait in a proper way to receive an answer to their question.

— Adam Clarke

In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without heart.

— John Bunyan, Leadership, vol. 6, no. 2

If you would be a real seeker after truth, you must at least once in your life doubt, as far as possible, all things.

— Rene Descartes

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I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I'm a human being, first and foremost, and as such I'm for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.

— Malcolm X

All leaders are learners.  The moment you stop learning, you stop leading.

— Rick Warren

What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

I was listening to Paul Harvey's news show at noon last Friday, January 23. Just as I tuned in he was reading a letter he had received from one of his listeners. The letter was very touching as it explained how this listener had recently lost his beloved pet dog. Apparently this wasn't a typical relationship where an owner of a departed pet gets over the loss in a few weeks and goes on with life. This listener was truly overcome with grief over this loss and it didn't sound like he had a lot of close family to help him through. In his sorrow, he reached out by writing this letter and he explained how he hadn't been much of a church goer but seeing as how Paul Harvey was a personal friend of Billy Graham he wondered if he would pass on this question: Is there room for animals, like his Buddy, in heaven? Because he could carry on life so much better if he knew he would someday see his little friend again.

Well, at this point I was thinking how could Mr.Graham answer this question without either lying to this poor guy or devastating him further and possibly cutting him off from a chance to come closer to God. Because, you see, I asked this very same question in second grade and was downcast by the answer I received when I was told that, "No, animals don't go to heaven". Billy Graham's answer so made and impression on me that I just had to write it down here so I would remember it for a long time.

Heaven is a place where there is complete happiness. He assured the man that if having his Buddy there was essential to his happiness then he could be sure that God would have him there. And if he wanted literal support for this reassurance, to read Isaiah 65:25. I have met many people who think there is something incorrect about "loving" animals and treating them other than just hamburgers or moving targets. After thinking about this more I recalled a parable from 2 Samuel that gave me a lot of comfort concerning God's attitude toward having pets and loving pets. Of course, it is important to keep in mind that this was a parable told to David to admonish him for an evil he had done. Underneath and a little to the left of all that, however, I believe God viewed the relationship with the little ewe lamb acceptable and, yes, beautiful.

— Bugs

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We must not mind insulting men, if by respecting them we offend God.

— St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople and Church Father (349–407)

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

— John Wooden

A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A society that puts freedom before equality will get a high degree of both.

— Milton Friedman

If you don't have the freedom to say no, then I can't fully trust your yes.

— anonymous

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A sense of our own folly is a great step towards being wise, when it leads us to rely on the wisdom of the Lord.

— Charles Spurgeon

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Among the many interesting objects which will engage your attention, that of providing for the common defence will merit particular regard. To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace. A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined;

— George Washington

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A good sermon is going to disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. It inspires you. It provokes you. It should make your soul soar.

— Rob Bell

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For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.

— Nelson Mandela

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help little men by tearing down big men. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn. You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.

— Rev. William John Henry Boetcker

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The best way to predict the future, is to invent it.

— Alan Kay

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If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere.

— Frank A. Clark

The Bible is the cornerstone of liberty ... students' perusal of the sacred volume will make us better citizens.

— Thomas Jefferson

If history has proven anything, it is that the spread of the gospel by the sword or by coercion has done nothing but misrepresent the message and bring disrepute to the gospel.

— Ravi Zacharias

Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions.

— G. K. Chesterton

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Discontent is an ungrateful sin, because we have more mercies than afflictions; and it is an irrational sin, because afflictions work for good...The devil blows the coals of passion and discontent and then warms himself at the fire.

— Thomas Watson

Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.

— Thomas Paine

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Any measure that establishes legal charity on a permanent basis and gives it an administrative form thereby creates an idle and lazy class, living at the expense of the industrial and working class.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

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While other [military] alliances have been formed to win wars, our fundamental purpose is to prevent war while preserving and extending the frontiers of freedom.

— Ronald Reagan (1988)

Treat your body as if you wanted to live forever, and your soul as if you were to die tomorrow.

— St. Augustine

Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but no one has a right to be wrong about the facts. Without the facts, your opinion is of no value.

— Rene Dahinden, August 1999

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The people and circumstances around me do not MAKE me what I am, they REVEAL who I am.

— Dr. Laura Schlessinger

If you are really a product of a materialistic universe, how is it you don't feel at homne there?

— C. S. Lewis

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It is strangely absurd to suppose that a million of human beings, collected together, are not under the same moral laws which bind each of them separately.

— Thomas Jefferson to George Logan, 1816

MORPHEUS: You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up and believe…whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill… and I show you just how deep the rabbit hole [i.e., the truth] goes. Remember…all I’m offering you is the truth, nothing more.

— Morpheus, The Matrix, 1999

[Y]oung Americans must never again be sent to fight and die unless we are prepared to let them win.

— Ronald Reagan (1988)

It is the faithfulness of God that allows epistemology to model ontology.

— John Polkinghorne

God has formed us moral agents... that we may promote the happiness of those with whom He has placed us in society, by acting honestly towards all, benevolently to those who fall within our way, respecting sacredly their rights, bodily and mental, and cherishing especially their freedom of conscience, as we value our own.

— Thomas Jefferson to Miles King, 1814

In science it often happens that scientists say, "You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken," and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.

— Carl Sagan

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Grace misunderstood will always lead to jealousy.

— Ravi Zacharias

The right to do something does not mean that doing it is right.

— William Safire

Do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not...There are 999 other success principles that I have found in my reading and experience, but without self-discipline, none of them work.

— Kop Kopmeyer in Simple Truths by Mac Anderson

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I lose sleep worrying that we, as a species, are indeed simply too stupid to figure out the universe. There's even some YouTubes of me offering this lament. I [In] other words, we are not as candid as we should be about our neuro-biological limitations.

— Neil deGrasse Tyson

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It was granted me to carry away from my prison years on my bent back, which nearly broke beneath its load, this essential experience: how a human being becomes evil and how good... Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either—but right through every human heart—and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained. And even in the best of all hearts, there remains... an unuprooted small corner of evil.

— Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

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Designers shouldn't aim to control, but to enable.

— Dan Hill

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Racial prejudice,
religious bigotry,
fetal genocide.

— bumper sticker

Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.

— William A. Foster

The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.

— Albert Einstein

If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my ax.

— Abraham Lincoln

Sir my concern is not whether God is on our side. My great concern is to be on God's side.

— Abraham Lincoln

Happy relationships are built, not discovered.

— Sherman Pemberton

Organization doesn't really accomplish anything. Plans don't accomplish anything, either. Theories of management don't much matter. Endeavors succeed or fail because of the people involved. Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds.

— Colin Powell

First they came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.

— Pastor Martin Niemoller

I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.

— President Thomas Jefferson

The loneliest moment in life is when you have just experienced that which you thought would deliver the ultimate, and it has let you down.

— Ravi Zacharias

Blessed is he who has learned to admire but not to envy, to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter, and to lead but not manipulate.

— William Arthur Ward

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Much of the social history of the Western world over the past three decades has involved replacing what worked with what sounded good.

— Thomas Sowell

We are shaped by our thoughts. We become what we think.
— The Buddha, 500 BC

One's own thought is one's world. What a person thinks is what he becomes.
— Maitri Upanishad, 1,000 BC

As a man thinketh, so is he.
— Proverbs 23:7

— Wisdom