Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike oil.
—J. Paul Getty
Archive
Quotes
People commonly travel the world over to see rivers and mountains, new stars, garish birds, freak fish, grotesque breeds of human; they fall into an animal stupor that gapes at existence, and they think they have seen something.
—Søren Kierkegaard, 1843All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it.
—Henry David Thoreau, 1849I imagined it was more difficult to die.
—Louis XIV, 1715He that serves God for money will serve the Devil for better wages.
—Roger L’Estrange, 1692I am ill every time it blows hard, and nothing but my enthusiastic love for the profession keeps me one hour at sea.
—Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1804Till taught by pain, / Men really know not what good water’s worth.
—Lord Byron, 1819Revolutions are not about trifles, but they are produced by trifles.
—Aristotle, c. 350 BCSome things are privileged from jest—namely, religion, matters of state, great persons, all men’s present business of importance, and any case that deserves pity.
—Francis Bacon, 1597’Tis the sport to have the engineer / Hoist with his own petard.
—William Shakespeare, c. 1600As to the sea itself, love it you cannot. Why should you? I will never believe again the sea was ever loved by anyone whose life was married to it. It is the creation of omnipotence, which is not of humankind and understandable, and so the springs of its behavior are hidden.
—H.M. Tomlinson, 1912Seize from every moment its unique novelty, and do not prepare your joys.
—André Gide, 1897I have often been convinced that a democracy is incapable of empire.
—Thucydides, c. 404 BC