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

Gabriela Mistral

The poet is an untier of knots, and love wqithout words is a knot, and it drowns.

Love | Words |

Judith M. Newman

Children seem to learn to talk by inventing their own words and rules: by experimenting with language. Children make statements to adults and then wait for adults to put the statements into adult language so they can make a comparison… If the adult says nothing or simply continues the conversation, the child assumes his or her utterance is correct. When adults “correct” – that is, expand in adult language what the children have said – they are providing feedback. The adult and the child are actually speaking different languages, but they understand the situation, the child can compare their different ways of saying the same thing.

Children | Conversation | Language | Nothing | Words | Child | Learn | Understand |

Nasir Khusraw, fully Abu Mo’in Hamid ad-Din Nasir ibn Khusraw al-Qubadiani or Nāsir Khusraw Qubādiyānī, also spelled as Nasir Khusrow and Naser Khosrow

Your words are the seed, your soul is the farmer, the world is your field; let the farmer look to the sowing, that the soil may abundance yield.

Abundance | Soul | Words | World |

Thomas Paine

Those words, “temperate and moderate,” are words either of political cowardice, or of cunning, or seduction. A thing moderately good, if not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue, but moderation in principle is a species of vice.

Cowardice | Cunning | Good | Moderation | Temper | Virtue | Virtue | Words | Moderation |

Arabian Proverbs

The words of the tongue should have three gatekeepers; Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?

Words |

William Shenstone

A fool and his words are soon parted.

Words |

Florence Scovel Shinn

The game of life is a game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later with astounding accuracy.

Accuracy | Deeds | Life | Life | Words | Deeds |

Richard “Rick” Stone

Real listening is the creation of a sacred space in which another’s words are contained and transformed into hallowed speech. Like remembering, this form of listening is also intentional.

Listening | Sacred | Space | Speech | Words |

Baird T. Spalding

Words are things. Thoughts are things. Where your thoughts are, you are. When we learn to discipline and control our thoughts and feelings, and use only the positive, constructive words, sent forth with divine love, our body and mind respond to that righteousness – right-use-ness. The right use and selection of words is of vital importance but equally important is the feeling behind those words, for feeling is the motivating power that makes the words live.

Body | Control | Discipline | Feelings | Important | Love | Mind | Power | Right | Righteousness | Words | Learn |

Zoroaster, aka Zarathustra or Zarathushtra Spitama NULL

Purity is for man, next to life, the greatest good, that purity that is procured by the law of Mazda to him who cleanses his own self with good thoughts, words and deeds.

Deeds | Good | Law | Life | Life | Man | Purity | Self | Words |

Valmiki NULL

Truth all religion comprehends, in truth alone is justice placed, in truth the words of God are based.

God | Justice | Religion | Truth | Words | God |

Henry Nelson Wieman

If by prayer I mean the power of words to persuade God to do things, then prayer is futile and foolish. One might utter the words of the most devout prayer that was ever breathed and yet not be praying at all. It is the attitude of the personality which is the prayer, not the words.

God | Personality | Power | Prayer | Words | God |

Samuel Johnson, aka Doctor Johnson

Do not accustom yourself to use big words for little matters.

Little | Words |