Purpose
To put in one place a collection of quotes that interest me. These will be sorted in the order I find them and they will be just text. I will look to do fancier things–such as index them by author, genre, subject, etc.–later.
Quotes:
“The price you pay for being is limitation and the price you pay for limitation is suffering. So the price you pay for being is suffering.” -Jordan Peterson, The Necessity of Virtue, the 2010 Hancock Lecture
“Do the thing and you will have the power. But they that do not the thing, had not the power.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson (“The Power of Emerson’s Wisdom”, 1954?)
“Power is a conceit which reveals our limitations.”
-Parthian Queen, Dragon Blade (2015)
“Talent and discipline coalesce into power. Find your talent and discipline yourself within it. Find purpose in empowering yourself and others.”
-me
“Boredom is a mask frustration wears.”
-Neal Stephenson, Anathem
“Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils.”
-Hector Berlioz, Letter written in November 1856, published in Pierre Citron (ed.) Correspondance générale (Paris: Flammarion, 1989) vol. 5, p. 390; Paul Davies About Time: Einstein’s Unfinished Revolution (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996) p. 214.
The essence of abstraction is preserving information that is relevant in a given context, and forgetting information that is irrelevant in that context.
– John V. Guttag, as quoted on Wikipedia article on abstraction.
“The elder Baron Rothschild had the walls of his bank placarded with the following maxims: Shun liquors. Dare to go forward. Never be discouraged. Never tell business lies. Be polite to everybody. Employ your time well. Be prompt in everything. Pay your debts promptly. Bear all troubles patiently. Do no reckon upon chance. Make no useless acquaintances. Be brave in the struggle of life. Maintain your integrity as a sacred thing. Never appear something more than you are. Take time to consider, and then decide positively. Carefully examine into every detail of your business. Then work hard and you will be certain to succeed in life.”
-Pacific Rural Press, Volume 48, Number 4, 28 July 1894
“Attend carefully to details of your business.
Be prompt in all things.
Consider well, then decide positively.
Dare to do right; fear to do wrong.
Endure trials patiently
Fight life’s battles bravely, manfully.
Go not into the society of the vicious.
Hold integrity sacred.
Injure not another’s reputation, or business.
Join hands only with the virtuous.
Keep your mind from evil thoughts.
Lie not for any consideration.
Make few acquaintances.
Never try to appear what you are not.
Observe good manners.
Pay your debts promptly.
Question not the veracity of a friend.
Respect the counsel of your parents.
Sacrifice money, rather than principle.
Touch not, taste not, handle not intoxicating drink.
Use your leisure time for improvement.
Venture not upon the threshold of wrong.
Watch carefully over your passions.
Xtend to everyone a kindly salutation.
Yield not to discouragement.
Zealously labo[u]r for the right.”
–https://www.rothschildarchive.org/collections/treasure_of_the_month/treasure_of_the_month_august_2014, with the following two notes:
(1) Taking a prominent place in the St Swithin’s Lane office of the late Mr Edmund de Rothschild (1916-2009) was this small document, now in the collection of The Rothschild Archive London.
(2) Dated 9 Sept 1911, it is a handwritten alphabetical list of humorous good advice, entitled ‘Baron Rothschild’s Maxims, framed and hung in the Bank, recommended to young men who wished to get on’. It was probably the work of clerks of the London bank, rather than Nathaniel, 1st Lord Rothschild (1840-1915), who was then senior partner, N M Rothschild & Sons.
“Baron Rothschild’s Maxims.
Attend carefully to details of your business.
Be prompt in all things.
Endure trials patiently.
Fight life’s battles bravely, manfully.
Hold integrity sacred.
Injure not another’s reputation or business.
Join hands only with the virtuous.
Keep your mind from evil thoughts.
Lie not for any consideration.
Make few acquaintances.
Never try to appear what you are not.
Observe good manners.
Pay your debts promptly.
Question not the veracity of a friend.
Touch not, taste not, handle not intoxicating liquors.
Extend to every one a kindly salutation.
Yield not to discouragements.
Zealously labor for the right.
And success is certain.”
-Prudence Person’s Scrapbook, https://scalar.usc.edu/works/prudence-persons-scrapbook/about-the-digital-edition, https://scalar.usc.edu/works/prudence-persons-scrapbook/annotation-44.
“You may get through the world, but ’twill be very slow,
If you listen to all that is said as you go;
You’ll be worried and fretted and kept in a stew,
For meddlesome tongues will have something to do–
For people will talk.
If quiet and modest, you’ll have it presumed
That your humble position is only assumed;
You’re a wolf in sheep’s clothing, or else you’re a fool;
But don’t get excited–keep perfectly cool–
For people will talk.
And then if you show the least boldness of heart,
Or a slight inclination to take your own part,
They will call you an upstart, conceited and vain:
But keep straight ahead–don’t stop to explain–
For people will talk.
If threadbare your dress, or old-fashioned your hat,
Some one will surely take notice of that,
And hint rather strong that you can’t pay your way,
But don’t get excited whatever they say,
For people will talk.
If you dress in the fashion don’t think to escape,
For they criticize then in a different shape:
You’re ahead of your means, or your taylor’s unpaid;
But mind your own business–there’s naught to be made–
For people will talk.
Now, the best way to do is to do as you please,
For your mind, if you have one, will then be at ease;
Of course you will meet with all sorts of abuse,
But don’t think to stop them–it isn’t any use–
For people will talk.”
-Prudence Person’s Scrapbook, see https://scalar.usc.edu/works/prudence-persons-scrapbook/about-the-digital-edition, specifically, https://scalar.usc.edu/works/prudence-persons-scrapbook/annotation-44.
“You may get through the world, but ’twill be very slow,
If you listen to all that is said as you go;
You’ll be worried and fretted and kept in a stew,
For meddlesome tongues will have something to do;
For People Will Talk.
If quiet and modest, you’ll have it presumed
That your humble position is only assumed;
You’re a wolf in sheep’s clothing, or else you’re a fool,
But don’t get excited, keep perfectly cool;
For People Will Talk.
If generous and noble, they’ll vent out their spleen.
You’ll hear some loud hints that you’re selfish and mean.
If upright and honest and fair as the day,
They’ll call you a rogue in a sly, sneaking way!
For People Will Talk.
And then if you show any boldness of heart,
Or a slight inclination to take your own part,
They will call you an upstart, conceited, and vain;
But keep straight ahead, don’t stop and explain;
For People Will Talk.
If threadbare your dress, or old-fashioned your hat,
Some one will surely take notice of that,
And hint rather strong that you can’t pay your way;
But don’t get excited whatever they say,
For People Will Talk.
If you dress in the fashion, don’t think to escape,
For they criticize then if a different shape;
You’re ahead of your means, or your tailor’s unpaid
But mind your own business, don’t mind what is said;
For People Will Talk.
Now, the best way to do is to do as your please,
For your mind, if you have one, will then be at ease.
Of course you will meet with all sorts of abuse,
But don’t think to stop it, it is of no use,
For People Will Talk.”
-Mary E. Harris, found at https://njkatwoman.wordpress.com/2010/06/13/a-beloved-poem/, accessed 10/16/2020.