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

Eudora Welty

People give pain, are callous and insensitive, empty and cruel... but place heals the hurt, soothes the outrage, fills the terrible vacuum that these human beings make.

Tenderness |

Gore Vidal, fully Eugene Luther Gore Vidal

I came from a guiltless world as far as sex went — the world I grew up in was Southern, Washington and political. Everyone in my world did absolutely everything. I am speaking now of the Thirties. No one I knew denied himself anything. Of course, there was a great deal of care about appearances. People in public life had to be careful.

Eustace Budgell

When you have gained a victory, do not push it too far; 'tis sufficient to let the company and your adversary see 'tis in your power but that you are too generous to make use of it.

Argument | Man |

Euripedes NULL

Humility, a sense of reverence before the sons of heaven — of all the prizes that a mortal man might win, these, I say, are wisest; these are best.

Courage | Failure | Fortune | Good | Failure |

Feisal Abdul Rauf

I read, read enormously on all different fields of Islamic thought, from philosophy to Islamic literature, poetry, exegeses, knowledge of the Hadith, the teachings of the prophet. That's how I trained myself. And then I was appointed imam by a Sufi master from Istanbul, Turkey.

Man |

Italian Proverbs

Trouble shared is trouble halved.

Children | Day | Depression | Despair | Effort | Knowledge | Life | Life | Parents | Suicide | World | Wrong | Child |

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

And so they stood on the walls of the City of Gondor, and a great wind rose and blew, and their hair, raven and golden, streamed out mingling in the air.

Children | Global | Government | Labor | People | Rights | War | Government |

J. B. Priestly, fully John Boynton Priestly

Much of writing might be described as mental pregnancy with successive difficult deliveries.

Religion |

J. B. Priestly, fully John Boynton Priestly

Our great-grandchildren, when they learn how we began this war by snatching glory out of defeat . . . may also learn how the little holiday steamers made an excursion to hell and came back glorious.

Rebellion | Religion |

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

But if I had spoken sooner, it would not have lessened your desire, or made it easier to resist. On the contrary! No, the burned hand teaches best. After that advice about fire goes to the heart.

Business | Will | Business |

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

But I am the real Strider, fortunately. I am Aragorn son of Arathorn; and if by life or death I can save you, I will.

Little | Reality | Slavery | Old Testament | Old | Think | Understand | Value |

J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

Aragorn threw back his cloak. The elven-sheath glittered as he grasped it, and the bright blade of And£ril shone like a sudden flame as he swept it out. 'Elendil!' he cried. 'I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and am called Elessar, the Elfstone, D£nadan, the heir of Isildur Elendil's son of Gondor. Here is the Sword that was Broken and is forged again! Will you aid me or thwart me? Choose swiftly!

Control | Enough | Improvement | Labor | Money | People | Reason | Responsibility | Slavery | Child | Think |