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

Niccolò Machiavelli, formally Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli

For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are.

Character | Majority | Mankind |

George S. Merriam

That belief which inspires a man to higher life, which moves him to trample down his besetting sins, to help his weaker brother, to rise into communion with God, is to him a Divine voice.

Belief | Character | God | Life | Life | Man |

W. H. Murray, fully William Hutchinson Murray

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets: Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

Boldness | Chance | Character | Decision | Events | Genius | Ideas | Ignorance | Initiative | Magic | Man | Power | Providence | Respect | Truth | Respect |

John T. McNicholas, fully John Timothy McNicholas

The God-given rights of parents are not understood or are ignored by our secularist educators and by many school administrators who, in the delusion of sovereignty, act as though they, not the parents, have complete control of the education of the child.

Character | Control | Delusion | Education | God | Parents | Rights |

C. Wright Mills, fully Charles Wright Mills

The aim of the college, for the individual student, is to eliminate the need in his life for the college; the task is to help become a self-educating man.

Character | Individual | Life | Life | Man | Need | Self | Wisdom |

National Commission on Excellence in Education NULL

Help your children understand that excellence in education cannot be achieved without intellectual and moral integrity coupled by hard work and commitment.

Character | Children | Commitment | Education | Excellence | Integrity | Work | Excellence | Understand |

John F. Milburn

Fear is like fire: If controlled it will help you; if uncontrolled, it will rise up and destroy you. Men's actions depend a great deal upon fear. We do things either because we enjoy doing them or because we are afraid not to do them. This sort of fear has not relation to physical or moral courage. It is inspired by the knowledge that we are not adequately prepared to face the future and the events it may bring - poverty perhaps, or injury, or death.

Character | Courage | Death | Destroy | Events | Fear | Future | Knowledge | Men | Poverty | Will | Afraid |

Jacques Maritain

The sole philosophy open to those who doubt the possibility of truth is absolute silence - even mental.

Absolute | Character | Doubt | Philosophy | Silence | Truth |

Pliny the Younger, full name Casus Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo NULL

The highest of characters, in my estimation, is his who is as ready to pardon the moral errors of mankind as if he were every day guilty of some himself; and at the same time as cautious of committing a fault as if he never forgave one.

Character | Day | Estimation | Fault | Mankind | Pardon | Time | Fault | Guilty |

Jane Porter

It depends on education to open the gates which lead to virtue or to vice, to happiness or to misery.

Character | Education | Virtue | Virtue | Happiness |

Jane Porter

Self-love leads men of narrow minds to measure all mankind by their own capacity.

Capacity | Character | Love | Mankind | Men | Self | Self-love | Wisdom |

Francis Wayland Parker

The end and aim of all education is the development of character.

Character | Education |

Nisargadatta Maharaj, fully Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, born Maruti Shivrampant Kambli

If you are serious about the sufferings of mankind, you must perfect the only source of help you have - yourself.

Character | Mankind |

Pliny the Elder, full name Casus Plinius Secundus NULL

The lust of avarice has so totally seized upon mankind that their wealth seems rather to possess them than they possess their wealth.

Avarice | Character | Lust | Mankind | Wealth |

Alexander Pope

Thus education forms the common mind: just as the twig is bent, the tree’s inclined.

Character | Education | Mind |