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

John Albert Broadus

All the sin that has darkened human life an saddened human history began in believing in a falsehood.

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Character | Falsehood | History | Life | Life | Sin |

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Richard Maurice Bucke, often called Maurice Bucke

The “resurrection” is not of the so-called dead, but of the living who are “dead” in the sense of never having entered upon true life.

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Character | Life | Life | Sense |

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Hugh Blair

The prevailing manners of an age depend, more than we are aware of, or are willing to allow, on the conduct of the women: this is one of the principal things on which the great machine of human society turns.

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Age | Character | Conduct | Manners | Society | Society |

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Phillips Brooks

Only the soul that with an overwhelming impulse and a perfect trust gives itself up forever to the life of other men, finds the delight and peace which such complete self-surrender has to give.

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Character | Impulse | Life | Life | Men | Peace | Self | Soul | Surrender | Trust |

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Christian Nestell Bovee

Self-distrust is the cause of most of our failures. In the assurance of strength, there is strength, and they are the weakest, however strong, who have no faith in themselves or their own powers.

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Cause | Character | Distrust | Faith | Self | Strength |

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Wernher von Braun, fully Wernher Magnus Maximilian, Freiherr von Braun

Part of human nature resents change, loves equilibrium, while another part welcomes novelty, loves the excitement of disequilibrium. There is no formula for the resolution of this tug-of-war, but it is obvious that absolute surrender to either of them invites disaster.

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Absolute | Change | Character | Excitement | Human nature | Nature | Novelty | Resolution | Surrender | War |

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Thomas Brooks

Nothing humbles and breaks the heart of a sinner like mercy and love. Souls that converse much with sin and wrath, may be much terrified; but souls that converse much with grace and mercy, will be much; humbled.

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Character | Grace | Heart | Love | Mercy | Nothing | Sin | Will |

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Heywood Broun, fully Matthew Heywood Campbell Broun

The ability to make love frivolously is the thing which distinguishes human beings from the beasts.

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Ability | Character | Love |

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Buddha, Gautama Buddha, or The Buddha, also Gotama Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha and Buddha Śākyamuni NULL

On life's journey faith is nourishment, virtuous deeds are a shelter, wisdom is the light by day and right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life nothing can destroy him; if he has conquered greed nothing can limit his freedom.

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Character | Day | Deeds | Destroy | Faith | Freedom | Greed | Journey | Life | Life | Light | Man | Mindfulness | Nothing | Right | Wisdom | Deeds |

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Jean Shinoda Bolen

I had the opportunity to deliver babies... In each of these numinous moments, I knew that life had meaning; each experience was accompanied by an upwelling of gratitude and humility. These moments, which can be called an experience of the self, or archetype of meaning, are akin to the act of finally seeing the Holy Grail after a long quest... It is through these moments of grace and gratitude that we acquire a sense of meaning and a desire to live a meaningful life. The personal challenge is now.

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Challenge | Character | Desire | Experience | Grace | Gratitude | Humility | Life | Life | Meaning | Opportunity | Self | Sense |

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Jean de La Bruyère

Discretion is the perfection of reason, and a guide to us in all the duties of life; cunning is a kind of instinct, that only looks after our immediate interests and welfare. Discretion is only found in men of strong sense and good understanding; cunning is often to be met with in brutes themselves, and in persons who are but the fewest removes from them.

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Character | Cunning | Discretion | Good | Instinct | Life | Life | Looks | Men | Perfection | Reason | Sense | Understanding |

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Eldress Harriet Bullard

Do good. This should be the aim of every human being, to make the world better for their having lived.

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Better | Character | Good | World |

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Frank Borman, fully Frank Frederick Borman, II

Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit.

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Character | Spirit |

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Wilhelm Büchsel, fully Wilhelm Karl von Gotthilf Büchsel

Orthodoxy can be learnt from others; living faith must be a matter of personal experience.

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Character | Experience | Faith |

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Pearl S. Buck, fully Pearl Sydenstricker Buck, also known by her Chinese name Sai Zhenzhu

The person who tries to live alone will not succeed as a human being. His heart withers if it does not answer another heart. His mind shrinks away if he hears only the echoes of his own thoughts and finds no other inspiration.

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Character | Heart | Inspiration | Mind | Will | Wisdom |

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