In our family, as far as we are concerned, we were born and what happened before that is myth.
—V.S. Pritchett, 1968
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Quotes
Nature resolves everything into its component elements, but annihilates nothing.
—Lucretius, c. 57 BCWrite while the heat is in you. The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole with. He cannot inflame the minds of his audience.
—Henry David Thoreau, 1852Men willingly believe what they wish.
—Julius Caesar, c. 50 BCThere are people whom one loves immediately and forever. Even to know they are alive in the world with one is quite enough.
—Nancy Spain, 1956In every ill turn of fortune, the most unhappy sort of unfortunate man is the one who has been happy.
—Boethius, c. 520A family’s photograph album is generally about the extended family—and, often, is all that remains of it.
—Susan Sontag, 1977One great reason why many children abandon themselves wholly to silly sports and trifle away all their time insipidly is because they have found their curiosity baulked and their inquiries neglected.
—John Locke, 1693Love is giving something you haven’t got to someone who doesn’t exist.
—Jacques LacanNever trust her at any time when the calm sea shows her false alluring smile.
—Lucretius, c. 60 BCWe who officially value freedom of speech above life itself seem to have nothing to talk about but the weather.
—Barbara Ehrenreich, 1991Better no law than no law enforced.
—Danish proverbThe Founding Fathers in their wisdom decided that children were an unnatural strain on parents. So they provided jails called schools, equipped with tortures called an education. School is where you go between when your parents can’t take you and industry can’t take you.
—John Updike, 1963