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

Hugh Blair

Action, so to speak, is the genius of nature.

Action | Character | Genius | Nature |

Samuel Egerton Brydges

I have observed that vulgar readers almost always lose their veneration for the writings of the genius with whom they have had personal intercourse.

Character | Genius |

James Boswell

True great genius is always accompanied with good sense.

Character | Genius | Good | Sense |

Calvin Coolidge, fully John Calvin Coolidge, Jr.

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

Character | Determination | Education | Genius | Men | Nothing | Persistence | Will | World | Talent |

Madame Deluzy, Luzy Dorothee

There is but one book for genius - nature.

Character | Genius | Nature |

Julius Charles Hare (1795-1855) and his brother Augustus William Hare

Heroism is the self-devotion of genius manifesting itself in action.

Action | Character | Devotion | Genius | Self |

Julius Charles Hare (1795-1855) and his brother Augustus William Hare

Heroism is active genius; genius, contemplative heroism. Heroism is the self-devotion of genius manifesting itself in action.

Action | Character | Devotion | Genius | Self |

Victor Hugo

Inspiration and genius - one and the same.

Character | Genius | Inspiration | Wisdom |

David Hume

The spirit of the people must frequently be roused, in order to curb the ambition of the court; and the dread of rousing this spirit must be employed to prevent that ambition. Nothing so effectual to this purpose as the liberty of the press; by which all the learning, wit, and genius of the nation, may be employed on the side of freedom, and every one be animated to its defense.

Ambition | Character | Defense | Dread | Freedom | Genius | Learning | Liberty | Nothing | Order | People | Purpose | Purpose | Spirit | Wit | Ambition |

David Hume

Curiosity, or the love of knowledge, has a very limited influence, and requires youth, leisure, education, genius and example to make it govern any person.

Character | Curiosity | Education | Example | Genius | Influence | Knowledge | Leisure | Love | Youth | Govern |

Johann Kaspar Lavater

He alone is a man who can resist the genius of the age, the tone of fashion, with vigorous simplicity and modest courage.

Age | Character | Courage | Genius | Man | Simplicity |

Pablo Picasso, fully Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso

Every positive value has its price in negative terms, and you never see anything very great which is not, at the same time, horrible in some respect... the genius of Einstein leads to Hiroshima.

Character | Genius | Price | Respect | Time | Value |