Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Related Quotes

Plotinus NULL

Withdraw into yourself and look. And if you do not find yourself beautiful yet, act as does the creator of a statue that is to be made beautiful: he cuts away here, he smoothes there, he makes this line lighter, this other purer, until a lovely face has grown upon his work. so do you also: cut away all that is excessive, straighten all that is crooked, bring light to all that is overcast, labor to make all one glow of beauty and never cease chiseling your statue, until there shall shine out on you from it the godlike splendor of virtue, until you shall see the perfect goodness surely established in the stainless shrine.

Beauty | Character | Labor | Light | Virtue | Virtue | Work | Beauty |

William Penn

To be innocent is to be not guilty; but to be virtuous is to overcome our evil inclinations.

Character | Evil |

William Penn

God is better served in resisting a temptation to evil than in many formal prayers.

Better | Character | Evil | God | Temptation | Wisdom | Temptation |

Plotinus NULL

For most or even all forms of evil serve the Universe - much as the poisonous snake has it use - though in most cases their function is unknown. Vice itself has many useful sides: it brings about much that is beautiful, in artistic creations for example, and it stirs us to thoughtful living, not allowing us to drowse in security.

Character | Evil | Example | Security | Universe | Vice |

Tai-shang Kan-Ying Pien (Treatise of the Exalted One on Response and Retribution) NULL

The recompense of good and evil follows as the shadow follows the figure.

Character | Evil | Good | Recompense |

Saint Vincent de Paul

Make it a practice to judge persons and things in the most favorable light at all times and under all circumstances.

Character | Circumstances | Light | Practice |

Antonio Porchia

No one is a light unto himself, not even the sun.

Character | Light |

Publius Syrus

Even when there is no law, there is conscience... An evil conscience is often quiet, but never secure.

Character | Conscience | Evil | Law | Quiet |

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Do to others as you would have them do unto you, inspires all men with that other maxim of natural goodness, much less perfect indeed, but perhaps more useful: Do good to yourself with as little evil as possible to others.

Character | Evil | Good | Little | Men |

Francis Quarles

The light of the understanding, humility kindleth and pride covereth.

Character | Humility | Light | Pride | Understanding |

Publius Syrus

What greater evil could you wish a miser, than long life?

Character | Evil | Life | Life |

James H. Aughey

The great comprehensive truths, written in letters of living light on every page of our history, are these: Human happiness has no perfect security but freedom; freedom, none but virtue; virtue, none but knowledge; and neither freedom nor virtue has any vigor or immortal hope except the principles of the Christian faith...

Character | Faith | Freedom | History | Hope | Knowledge | Light | Principles | Religion | Security | Virtue | Virtue | Happiness |