Favorite Quotes
Imagine others complexly
Year included when relevant
Imagine others complexly
John Green
The difference between theory and practice is greater in practice than in theory.
Unknown
One day the great European War will come out of some damned foolish thing in the Balkans.
Otto von Bismarck, 1888
The better you know a particular historical period, the harder it becomes to explain why things happened one way and not another
Yuval Noah Harari
Don’t rely on the adults too much. Most of them mean well, but they just don’t understand the world.
Yuval Noah Harari
For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.
H.L. Mencken (paraphrased)
As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.
H.L. Mencken, 1920
In this world, Elwood, you must be oh-so-smart, or oh-so-pleasant. Well for years I was smart...I recommend pleasant.
Elwood P. Dowd (James Stewart) from the movie Harvey
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
C.S. Lewis