“The property which every man has in his own labour, as it is the original foundation of all other property, so it is the most sacred and inviolable. The patrimony of a poor man lies in the strength and dexterity of his hands; and to hinder him from employing this strength and dexterity in what manner he thinks proper without injury to his neighbour, is a plain violation of this most sacred property. It is a manifest encroachment upon the just liberty both of the workman, and of those who might be disposed to employ him. As it hinders the one from working at what he thinks proper, so it hinders the others from employing who they think proper. To judge whether he is fit to be employed, may surely be trusted to the discretion of the employers whose interest it so much concerns. The affected anxiety of the law-giver lest they should employ an improper person, is evidently as impertinent as it is oppressive.” – Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Vol. One
Category: Verandah
“Men can counsel and speak comfort to that grief which they themselves not feel; but, tasting it, their counsel turns to passion, which before would give preceptial medicine to rage, fetter strong madness in a silken thread, charm ache with air and agony with words: no, no; ’tis all men’s office to speak patience to those that wring under the load of sorrow; but no man’s virtue nor sufficiency to be so moral when he shall endure the like himself.” – William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing 5.1
“O, what men dare do! what men may do! what men daily do! not knowing what they do!” – William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing 4.1
“Never use a word simply because it is obscure, but never hesitate to use a word on account of its obscurity either.” – David Bentley Hart, “How to Write English Prose” (emphasis in original)
“You should never hit anybody about God.” – Philip Roth, “The Conversion of the Jews”
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. . . . It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” – Vivian Greene
“The man who sees everything is more blessed than cursed.” – Tony Gilroy, “Rix Road,” Andor
“Without empathy for others, we cannot see ourselves.” – Timothy Snyder, “Class War or Culture War?”, Thinking about…, December 19, 2024
“That one might read the book of fate, and see the revolution of the times make mountains level, and the continent,—weary of solid firmness,—melt itself into the sea! and, other times, to see the beachy girdle of the ocean too wide for Neptune’s hips; how chances mock, and changes fill the cup of alteration with divers liquors! Oh, if this were seen, the happiest youth,—viewing his progress through, what perils past, what crosses to ensue,—would shut the book, and sit him down and die.” – William Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Second Part 3.1
“Anti-feminism was a fundamental tenet of Byzantine thinking until the sporadic introduction of western ideas of romantic love in about the twelfth century. The sight of a woman, we are told, is like a poisoned arrow: the longer the poison remains in the soul, the more corruption it produces. There was, of course, such a thing as a virtuous woman: it was the one who never showed her face to a stranger. Generally, however, she was a crawling worm, the daughter of mendacity, the enemy of peace. The catalogue of her vices and weaknesses is endless: she was frivolous, garrulous, and licentious. Above all, she was addicted to luxury and expense. She loaded herself with jewellery, powdered her face, painted her cheeks with rouge, scented her garments and thus made herself into a deadly trap to seduce young men through all their senses. No amount of wealth was sufficient to satisfy a woman’s desires. Day and night she thought of nothing but gold and precious stones, of purple cloth and embroidery, of ointments and perfumes. Were it not for sexual desire, no man in his right mind would wish to share his house with a woman and suffer the consequent injuries, in spite of the domestic services she performed. That is why God, knowing her contemptible nature, provided her from the beginning with the weapon of sexuality. Oblivious to the sorrows that awaited them, Byzantine men continued to marry.” – Cyril Mango, “The Ideal Life,” Byzantium: The Empire of New Rome
“Walking a cat is less like walking a dog and more like walking a crime scene investigator.” – Katherine Catmull (@ Bluesky, December 3, 2024)
“In a world full of wonders man invented boredom.” – Wendy Northcutt, The Darwin Awards: Next Evolution
“Doing reporting costs money, but lies are free.” – Marcie Jones, “How Baltimore Locals Beat A Right-Wing Media Tycoon,” Wonkette, November 8, 2024
“Avenues of approach exist in all domains.” – Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center, ADP 3-90, Offense and Defense
“Bypassing obstacles is the preferred method of overcoming obstacles.” – Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center, ADP 3-90, Offense and Defense
“There is nothing like a natural disaster to remind you of your powerlessness.” – Lyz, Men Yell at Me, October 2, 2024
“The lamp that burns by night dries up his oil to lend the world his light.” – William Shakespeare, Venus and Adonis
“I believe in God in spite of religion, not because of it.” – Nick Cave (interviewed by Jarvis Cocker, Jarvis Cocker’s Sunday Service)
“Real life opens before you only in the face of death, when you realize that at any moment you will be gone, only at this moment you understand what life is and how beautiful this world is.” – ZOV at Czmyt’s Pubs
“Saloon is a sanctuary. Every man worth the name knows the value of being unreachable.” – David Milch, Deadwood
“I have lived with several Zen masters – all of them cats.” – Eckhart Tolle
“Artificial Intelligence will never catch up to Natural Stupidity.” – Rooster Cogburn, Wonkette, April 26, 2024
“The unleavened bread of knowledge will sustain life, but it is dull fare unless it is leavened with the yeast of personality.” – Lt. Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.
“You are not beaten until you admit it.” – Lt. Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.
“When a man gets married, he must be just as careful to keep his wife’s love as he was to get it. It would be very sad for both of them if he said to himself, ‘Now that I have you I need not worry about losing you’. Don’t do that, ever!” – Lt. Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.
“Follow your discomfort. And listen to it.” – Stephen Colbert, The Late Show
“Change is not an event. It’s a process. It takes time.” Justin King, “The Roads Not Taken, Ep. 29,” March 10, 2024
“Revenge is a dish best served with ice cream.” – Not a troll, Wonkette, February 27, 2024
“A cat sits until it is tired of sitting, then gets up, stretches, and walks away.” – Alan Watts
“There is cruelty and there is viciousness. Viciousness is the attack dog that hasn’t eaten in a week, and is drooling and barking and snarling. Cruelty is the person holding the leash.” – Amanda Long Chu, “I Want a Critic” (interview by Merve Emre)