This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
It is certain that a serious attention to the sciences and liberal arts softens and humanizes the temper, and cherishes those fine emotions in which true virtue and honor consist. It very rarely happens that a man of taste and learning is not, at least, an honest man, whatever frailties may attend him.
Attention | Emotions | Frailties | Honor | Learning | Man | Taste | Temper | Virtue | Virtue | Wisdom |
Horace, full name Quintus Horatius Flaccus NULL
There is a mean in all things. Even virtue itself hath its stated limits: which not being strictly observed, it ceases to be virtue.
Søren Kierkegaard, fully Søren Aabye Kierkegaard
All coming into existence takes place with freedom, not by necessity. Nothing comes into existence by virtue of a logical ground, but only by a cause. Every cause terminates in a freely effecting cause.
Cause | Existence | Freedom | Necessity | Nothing | Virtue | Virtue | Wisdom |
If once you forfeit the confidence of your fellow-citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem.
Confidence | Esteem | Respect | Wisdom | Respect |
Søren Kierkegaard, fully Søren Aabye Kierkegaard
It is very dangerous to go into eternity with possibilities which one has oneself prevented from becoming realities. A possibility is a hint from God. One must follow it. In every man there is latent the highest possibility; one must follow it. If God does not wish it, then let Him prevent it, but one must not hinder oneself. Trusting to God I have dared, but I was not successful; in that is to be found peace, calm, a confidence in God. I have not dared; that is woeful thought, a torment in eternity.
Confidence | Eternity | God | Man | Peace | Thought | Wisdom | God |
Intelligence is derived from two words - inter and legere - inter meaning "between" and legere meaning "to choose." An intelligent person, therefore, is one who has learned "to choose between." He knows that good is better than evil, that confidence should supersede fear, that love is superior to hate, that gentleness is better than cruelty, forbearance than intolerance, compassion than arrogance and that truth has more virtue than ignorance.
Arrogance | Better | Compassion | Confidence | Cruelty | Evil | Fear | Forbearance | Gentleness | Good | Hate | Ignorance | Intelligence | Intolerance | Love | Meaning | Truth | Virtue | Virtue | Wisdom | Words |
Maurice Maeterlinck, fully Count Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck
To look fearlessly upon life; to accept the laws of nature, not with meek resignation, but as her sons, who dare to search and question; to have peace and confidence within our souls - these are the beliefs that make for happiness.
Confidence | Life | Life | Nature | Peace | Question | Resignation | Search | Wisdom |
Nothing inspires confidence in a business man sooner than punctuality, nor is there any habit which sooner saps his reputation than that of being always behind time.
Business | Confidence | Habit | Man | Nothing | Punctuality | Reputation | Time | Wisdom | Business |
For knowledge to become wisdom, and for the soul to grow, the soul must be rooted in God: and it is through prayer that there comes to us that which is the strength of our strength, and the virtue of our virtue, the Holy Spirit.
God | Knowledge | Prayer | Soul | Spirit | Strength | Virtue | Virtue | Wisdom |
Baron de Montesquieu, fully Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu
As virtue is necessary in a republic, and in a monarchy honor, so fear is necessary in a despotic government: with regard to virtue, there is no occasion for it, and honor would be extremely dangerous.
Fear | Government | Honor | Regard | Virtue | Virtue | Wisdom |
There is nothing that is meritorious but virtue and friendship; and, indeed, friendship itself is only a part of virtue.
Nothing | Virtue | Virtue | Wisdom | Friendship |
Magnanimity is above circumstance; and any virtue which depends on that is more of constitution than of principle.
Magnanimity | Virtue | Virtue | Wisdom |