QUOTES by Voltaire, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, John Wayne

JOHN WAYNE: May 26 1907 - June 11 1979

Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.

I've always followed my father's advice. He told me, first to always keep my word and, second, to never insult anybody unintentionally. If I insult you, you can be goddamn sure I intend to. And, third, he told me not to go around looking for trouble.

Life's tough. Its even tougher if you're stupid.

If you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.

Talk low, talk slow, and don't talk too much.

Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. Its perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.


VOLTAIRE: November 21 1694 - May 30 1778

[I always find it interesting, when reading quotes, articles, etc from someone who lived long ago, to imagine their words and their frame of mind, their reasons for thinking that way, in context with the time they lived in and the events of that time; then I like to compare how accurately or inaccurately the same words may fit with the world today - often you see how timeless things really are - and compare the events of their day with those of today. Sometimes its a mere slip of thought that quickly blows away; but sometimes the parallels and/or the changes, and so on, can really stir up some interesting ideas and show the way to fascinating life lessons. Its hard to describe what I mean, but I'm sure many others do the same, and that some won't be interested in such things, and the rest, the ones I write of this for, will try it and then you'll see what I mean. I have a hard time describing it without writing a small book on it, so I'll stop here. -JasWolfhawk]

A clergyman is one who feels himself called upon to live without working at the expense of the rascals that work to live.

A multitude of laws in a country is, like a great number of physicians, a sign of weakness and malady. +++
+++ [This is one of the sayings I was speaking of above - one of my main complaints in this country today is that our elected representatives make WAY too many laws - many to protect us from ourselves, because they know what is best for us. This is strictly and directly opposed to our Constitution and the ideas and ideals of our Founding Fathers and the many who died fighting for our FREEDOM. Laws are meant to be GUIDELINES to be USED WITH COMMON SENSE, for the purpose of protecting us from others that would do us harm. As for the individual, the only thing of his/hers that this nation's government is supposed to protect is our LIBERTY, our right to pursue happiness as long as its not at the expense of others. We all will die. Til then, we each have the right to live in a way that makes us happy. What use is a long life if its so restricted you cannot enjoy it? Okay here I go again. You see what I mean, and I'll go on with the quotes now.]

A witty saying proves nothing.

All sects are different, because they come from men. Morality is everywhere the same, because it comes from God.

As long as people believe in absurdities, they will continue to commit atrocities.

As long as there are fools and rascals, there will be religions.

Common sense is not so common.

Do well and you will have no need for ancestors.

Doctors are men who prescribe medicines of which they know little, to cure diseases of which they know less in human beings of which they know nothing.
'
Doubt is not a pleasant condition but certainty is an absurd one.

England has 42 religions and only 2 sauces. (Ha ha)

Every man is guilty of all the good he DID NOT do.

God created sex. Priests created marriage.

God is a circle whose center is everywhere and circumference nowhere.

God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.

God is always on the side of the big battalions. [Well I guess so, since all winning sides always claim God helped them win, therefore their cause was just. Very excellent point.]

History is fables agreed upon.

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

I have lost the half of myself - a soul for which mine was made. [NOTE: Voltaire wrote this when Emilie, the love of his life, died. If you wish, you may read the love story of Voltaire and Emilie du Chatelet here http://www.visitvoltaire.com/love_story_voltaire.htm ++++++++


MARK TWAIN

Love seems the swiftest, but is the slowest of growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century.

Man - a figment of God's imagination.

My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.

Of all things I've lost, I miss my mind the most. [Seen it on bumper stickers and all over the place, but never have seen anyone credit Twain for saying it.]

Of all the delights of this world man cares most for sexual intercourse, yet he has left it out of his heaven.

Pessimism is only the name that men weak of nerve give to wisdom.

The best cure for Christianity is reading the Bible.

The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.

When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much he'd learned in 7 years.

OSCAR WILDE: October 16 1854 - November 30 1900

A grand passion is the privilege of people who have nothing to do.

A man can be happy with any woman as long as he does not love her.

A man can't be too careful in the choice of his enemies.

Alas, I am dying beyond my means. (Wilde said this as he sipped champagne on his deathbed)

All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling.

A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much.

America had often been discovered befoe Columbus, but it had always been hushed up.

America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between.

Being natural is simply a pose.

Between men and women there is no friendship possible. there is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship.

Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.

Everyone who is incapable of learning has taken to teaching.

I am not young enough to know everything. [HA! I seen teenagers and young men and women have not changed at all!]

I can resist anything but temptation.

Missionaries are going to reform the world whether it wants to or not.