This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
The reason why great men meet with so little pity or attachment in adversity, would seem to be this: the friends of a great man were made by his fortune, his enemies by himself, and revenge is a much more punctual paymaster than gratitude.
Adversity | Fortune | Gratitude | Little | Man | Men | Pity | Reason | Revenge | Friends |
Few things are more agreeable to self-love than revenge, and yet no cause so effectually restrains us from revenge as self-love. And this paradox naturally suggests another; that the strength of the community is not infrequently built upon the weakness of those individuals that compose it.
Cause | Love | Paradox | Revenge | Self | Self-love | Strength | Weakness |
Injuries accompanied with insults are never forgiven; all men, on these occasions, are good haters and layout their revenge at compound interest.
It is a work of prudence to prevent injury, and of a great mind, when done, not to revenge it. He that hath revenge in his power, and does not use it, is the great man; it is for low and vulgar spirits to transport themselves with vengeance. To endure injuries with a brave mind is one half the conquest.
Conquest | Man | Mind | Power | Prudence | Prudence | Revenge | Vengeance | Work |
In taking revenge a man is but equal to his enemy, but in passing it over he is his superior.
Men fear death, as children fear the dark; and as that natural fear in children is increased by frightful tales, so is the other. Groans, convulsions, weeping friends, and the like show death terrible; yet there is no passion so weak but conquers the fear of it, and therefore death is not such a terrible enemy. Revenge triumphs over death, loves slights its, honor aspires to it, dread of shame prefers it, grief flies to it, and fear anticipates it.
Children | Death | Dread | Enemy | Fear | Grief | Honor | Men | Passion | Revenge | Shame |
Nothing is terrible, except fear itself... revenge is a kind of wild justice; which the more man's nature runs to, the more ought law to week it out... Certainly, in taking revenge a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior; for it is a prince's part to pardon. This is certain, the man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well.
Enemy | Fear | Justice | Law | Man | Nature | Nothing | Pardon | Revenge |
Education, then, beyond all other devices, of human origin, is a great equalizer of conditions of men,-the balance wheel of the social machinery. It does better than to disarm the poor of their hostility toward the rich: it prevents being poor. Agrarianism is the revenge of poverty against wealth.
Balance | Better | Education | Men | Poverty | Revenge | Wealth |
Josh Billings, pen name for Henry Wheeler Shaw, aka Uncle Esek
There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.
Forgiveness | Revenge |
The desire to repel harmful things and to revenge oneself, is the most persistent of all desires.
In taking revenge a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior.
Men are more prone to revenge injuries than to requite kindnesses.
Worldly and sensual pleasures lie, for the most part, are short, false, and deceitful. Like drunkenness, they revenge the jolly madness of one hour with the sad repentance of many.
Madness | Repentance | Revenge |