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

Blaise Pascal

The majority is the best way, because it is visible and has strength to make itself obeyed. Yet it is the opinion of the least able.

Majority | Opinion | Strength |

Bernard Bosanquet

Nothing gives such force in getting rid of evil as this belief that the good is the only reality.

Belief | Evil | Force | Good | Nothing | Reality |

Blaise Pascal

We sometimes learn more from the sight of evil than from an example of good; and it is well to accustom ourselves to profit by the evil which is so common, while that which is good is so rare.

Evil | Example | Good | Learn |

Blaise Pascal

The majority is the best way, because it is visible, and has strength to make itself obeyed. Yet it is the opinion of the least able.

Majority | Opinion | Strength |

Blaise Pascal

Evil is easily discovered; there is an infinite variety; good is almost unique. But some kinds of evil are almost as difficult to discover as that which we call good; and often particular evil of this class passes for good. It needs even a certain greatness of soul to attain to this, as to that which is good.

Evil | Good | Greatness | Soul | Unique |

Blaise Pascal

The strength of a man's virtue should not be measured by his special exertions, but by his habitual acts.

Man | Strength | Virtue | Virtue |

Blaise Pascal

Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction.

Evil | Men |

Bertrand Russell, fully Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell

There is… no point in deliberately flouting public opinion; this is still to be under its domination, though in a topsy-turvy way. But to be genuinely indifferent to it is both a strength and a source of happiness.

Opinion | Public | Strength |

Blaise Pascal

Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.

Evil | Men |

Charles Caleb Colton

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 |

Cato the Elder, Marcus Porius Cato, aka Censorius (the Censor), Sapiens (the Wise), Priscus (the Ancient) NULL

We cannot control the evil tongues of others; but a good life enables us to disregard them.

Control | Evil | Good | Life | Life |

Cesare Pavese

We are all capable of evil thoughts, but only very rarely of evil deeds: we can all do good deeds, but very few of us can think good thoughts.

Deeds | Evil | Good | Think |

Charles Churchill

That evil is half-cured whose cause we know.

Cause | Evil |

C. S. Lewis, fully Clive Staples "C.S." Lewis, called "Jack" by his family

Free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love of goodness or joy worth having.

Evil | Free will | Joy | Love | Will | Worth |

Confucius, aka Kong Qiu, Zhongni, K'ung Fu-tzu or Kong Fuzi NULL

Is there anyone who exerts himself even for a single day to achieve humanity? I have not see any who had not the strength to achieve it.

Day | Humanity | Strength |

Coretta Scott King

As one whose husband and mother-in-law have both died the victims of murder assassination, I stand firmly and unequivocally opposed to the death penalty for those convicted of capital offenses. An evil deed is not redeemed by an evil deed of retaliation. Justice is never advanced in the taking of a human life. Morality is never upheld by legalized murder.

Death | Evil | Husband | Justice | Law | Life | Life | Morality | Mother | Murder | Retaliation | Murder |

Coventry Patmore, fully Coventry Kersey Dighton Patmore

The power of the soul for good is in proportion to the strength of passion.

Good | Passion | Power | Soul | Strength |

Dag Hammarskjöld

Life only demands from you the strength you possess. Only one feat is possible - not to have run away.

Life | Life | Strength |

Dag Hammarskjöld

Life only demands from the strength you possess. Only one feat is possible - not to have run away.

Life | Life | Strength |

Democritus NULL

It is godlike ever to think on something beautiful and on something new... Happiness does not reside in strength or money; it lies in rightness and manysideedness... Cheerfulness, and often Confidence, that is a mind devoid of fear, the highest good.

Cheerfulness | Confidence | Fear | Good | Mind | Money | Strength | Happiness | Think |