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

Patrick Grim

Our pursuit of knowledge involves exploring the consequences of our initial assumptions, both our conceptual assumptions and empirical ones

Consequences | Knowledge |

Robert M. Linder, fully Robert Mitchell Linder

Only by being permitted to experience the consequences of his actions will the child acquire a sense of responsibility; and within the limits marked by the demands of his safety this must be done. From such training we can expect many benefits to the person, one of which will certainly be the development of a natural rather than an imposed control over [himself].

Consequences | Control | Experience | Responsibility | Sense | Training | Will | Child |

Janet H. Murray

Stories have to have an equivalent “moral physics,” which indicates what consequences attach to actions, who is rewarded, who is punished, how fair the world is.

Consequences | World |

B. F. Skinner, fully Burrhus Frederic "B.F." Skinner

If there is any purpose or direction in the evolution of culture, it has to do with bringing people under the control of more and more of the consequences of behavior.

Behavior | Consequences | Control | Culture | Evolution | People | Purpose | Purpose |

Sydney Smith

The only true way to make the mass of mankind see the beauty of justice is by showing to them in pretty plain terms the consequences of injustice.

Beauty | Consequences | Injustice | Injustice | Justice | Mankind | Beauty |

Josiah Stamp, Josiah Charles Stamp, 1st Baron Stamp, Lord Stamp

It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.

Consequences |

Leo Tolstoy, aka Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy or Tolstoi

A religious man is guided in his activity not by the consequences of his action, but by the consciousness of the destination of his life.

Action | Consciousness | Consequences | Life | Life | Man |

William James

Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.

Acceptance | Consequences | Misfortune |

Samuel Smiles

It will generally be found that men who are constantly lamenting their ill luck are only reaping the consequences of their own neglect, mismanagement, and improvidence, or want of application

Consequences | Luck | Men | Neglect | Will | Luck |

Adlai Ewing Stevenson

Let's face it. Let's talk sense to the American people. Let's tell them the truth, that there are no gains without pains, that we are now on the eve of great decisions, not easy decisions, like resistance when you're attacked, but along, patient, costly struggle which alone can assure triumph over the great enemies of man - war, poverty and tyranny - and the assaults upon human dignity which are the most grievous consequences of each.

Consequences | Dignity | Man | People | Poverty | Sense | Struggle | Truth | Tyranny | War |

Albert Camus

All systems of morality are based on the idea that an action has consequences that legitimize or cancel it. A mind imbued with the absurd merely judges that those consequences must be considered calmly.

Absurd | Action | Consequences | Mind | Morality |

Albert Camus

The certainty of a God giving meaning to life far surpasses in attractiveness the ability to behave badly with impunity. The choice would not be hard to make. But there is no choice and that is where the bitterness comes in. The absurd does not liberate; it binds. It does not authorize all actions. Everything is permitted does not mean that nothing is forbidden. The absurd merely confers an equivalence on the consequences of those actions.

Ability | Absurd | Bitterness | Choice | Consequences | Giving | God | Life | Life | Meaning | Nothing | God |

Bruce Barton

Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think there are no little things.

Consequences | Little | Think |

Dag Hammarskjöld

Forgiveness breaks the chain of causality because he who ‘forgives’ you - out of love - takes upon himself the consequences of what you have done. Forgiveness, therefore, always entails a sacrifice. The price you must pay for your own liberation through another’s sacrifice, is that you in turn must be willing to liberate in the same way, irrespective of the consequences yourself.

Consequences | Forgiveness | Love | Price | Sacrifice |

Dag Hammarskjöld

Forgiveness breaks the chain of causality because he who forgives you -- out of love--takes upon himself the consequences of what you have done. Forgiveness, therefore, always entails a sacrifice.

Consequences | Forgiveness | Love | Sacrifice |

Edmund Burke

Terrible consequences there will always be when the mean vices attempt to mimic the grand passions. Great men will never do great mischief but for some great end.

Consequences | Men | Will |