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

William Blake

Acts themselves alone are history.... Tell me the acts, o historian, and leave me to reason upon them as I please; away with your reasoning and your rubbish! All that is not action is not worth reading.

Action | Property | Reason | Worth |

William Congreve

For blessings ever wait on virtuous deeds, and though a late, a sure reward succeeds.

Worth |

William Blake

What is it men in women do require: The lineaments of gratified desire. What is it women do in men require: The lineaments of gratified desire.

Worth |

William Cowper

I agree with your Lordship that a translation perfectly close is impossible, because time has sunk the original strict import of a thousand phrases, and we have no means of recovering it. But if we cannot be unimpeachably faithful, that is no reason why we should not be as faithful as we can; and if blank verse affords the fairest chance, then it claims the preference.

Merit | Worth |

William Cowper

When admirals extoll'd for standing still, of doing nothing with a deal of skill.

Worth |

Will Rogers, fully William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers

I make a living off (politicians), so I can't knock 'em. Every time we elect some fellow we think he's terrible and then when we get another one in he's worse. So, I am always in favor of keeping the one we've got and let the other go.

Cost | Marriage | Worth |

Will Rogers, fully William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers

It's easy being a humorist when you've got the whole government working for you.

Depression | Little | Men | Worth |

Will Rogers, fully William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers

If you're riding ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then

Time | Worth |

Will Rogers, fully William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers

One good thing about European nations: they can’t hate you so bad they wouldn’t use you.

Worth |

Will Rogers, fully William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers

So when all the yielding and objections is over, the other Senator said, "I object to the remarks of a professional joker being put into the Congressional Record." Taking a dig at me, see? They didn't want any outside fellow contributing. Well, he had me wrong. Compared to them I'm an amateur, and the thing about my jokes is that they don't hurt anybody. You can say they're not funny or they're terrible or they're good or whatever it is, but they don't do no harm. But with Congress - every time they make a joke it's a law. And every time they make a law it's a joke.

Cost | Doubt | Good | Money | Will | Worth |

Wernher von Braun, fully Wernher Magnus Maximilian, Freiherr von Braun

Our sun is one of 100 billion stars in our galaxy. Our galaxy is one of billions of galaxies populating the universe. It would be the height of presumption to think that we are the only living things in that enormous immensity.

Good | Worth |

Walt Whitman, fully Walter "Walt" Whitman

City of the world (for all races are here, all the lands of the earth make contributions here), city of the sea! City of wharves and stores - city of tall facades of marble and iron! Proud and passionate city - mettlesome, mad, extravagant city!

Force | Worth |

Walter Savage Landor

Ah, what avails the sceptred race! Ah, what the form divine! What every virtue, every grace! Rose Aylmer, all were thine. Rose Aylmer, whom these wakeful eyes may weep, but never see, a night of memories and sighs I consecrate to thee.

Fame | Heaven | Land | Little | Love | Nothing | Peace | World | Worth |

Walter Chrysler, fully Walter Percy Chrysler

The reason so many people never get anywhere in life is because when opportunity knocks they are out in the backyard looking for four-leaf clovers.

Sense | Thought | Words | Worth | Thought |

Walter Savage Landor

If there were no falsehood in the world, there would be no doubt; if there were no doubt, there would be no inquiry; if no inquiry, no wisdom, no knowledge, no genius.

Nature | Worth |

Walter J. Ong, fully Walter Jackson Ong

We have reached a period today when the accumulation of knowledge has made possible insights of new clarity and depth into the history of knowledge itself. Growth of knowledge soon produces growth in knowledge about knowledge, its constitution, and its history, for knowledge is of itself reflective. Given time, it will try to explain not only the world but itself more and more.

Words | Worth |

Warren Buffett, fully Warren Edward Buffett, aka Oracle of Omaha

I will tell you how to become rich. Close the doors. Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful.

Choice | Gold | Will | Worth | Value |

Warren Buffett, fully Warren Edward Buffett, aka Oracle of Omaha

In some corner of the world they are probably still holding regular meetings of the Flat Earth Society. We derive no comfort because important people, vocal people, or great numbers of people agree with us. Nor do we derive comfort if they don't.

Experience | Past | Worth |

Warren Buffett, fully Warren Edward Buffett, aka Oracle of Omaha

Intrinsic value can be defined simply: It is the discounted value of the cash that can be taken out of a business during its remaining life. The calculation of intrinsic value, though, is not so simple. As our definition suggests, intrinsic value is an estimate rather than a precise figure, and it is additionally an estimate that must be changed if interest rates move or forecasts of future cash flows are revised.

Confidence | Will | Worth |