Without great men and without clear convictions this age is nevertheless very active intellectually: it is studious, empirical, inventive, sympathetic. Its wisdom consists in a certain contrite openness of mind; it flounders, but at least in floundering it has gained a sense of possible depths in all directions.
George Santayana, as quoted in Why We Should Read ——, by S. P. B. Mais (1921).
I was battered and bruised, but the king was amused
Sung by Danny Kaye, playing Hubert Hawkins, in The Court Jester (1955), movie writing credits to Norman Panama and Melvin Frank but lyrics credited to Sammy Cahn.
And before the siesta, he made me his jester
And I found out soon, that to be a buffoon
Was a serious thing as a rule!
For a jester’s chief employment,
is to kill himself for your enjoyment
And a jester unemployed is nobody’s fool!
A genius is a genius, regardless of the number of morons who belong to the same race — and a moron is a moron, regardless of the number of geniuses who share his racial origin.
Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness (1964).
We are all willing to work with anyone who’s serious about doing the work of censoring the American people and advancing progress.
Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), taking “a bit of umbrage” and speaking “on behalf of my colleagues.” Best guess as to what she meant to say is “centering the American people,” whatever that means. But she did not say that. She said “censoring.” She is talking about the Department of Government Efficiency and the closing of the rogue agency the CFPB. She concludes this statement with “But they are not serious,” referring to the people she opposes: the Republicans and President Trump’s team constituting the DOGE.
Heaven is the work of the best and kindest men and women. Hell is the work of prigs, pedants and professional truth-tellers. The world is an attempt to make the best of both.
The Note-Books of Samuel Butler; Part II: Elementary Morality (1912).
When you consider socialism, do not fool yourself about its nature. Remember that there is no such dichotomy as “human rights” versus “property rights.” No human rights can exist without property rights.
Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness (1964).
Ma fin est mon commencement
Et mon commencement ma fin.
My end is my beginning, and my beginning my end.
Guillaume de Machaut, “Ma fin est mon commencement,” line 1; translation from Donald N. Ferguson, A History of Musical Thought (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, [1935] 1948) p. 94.
An individualist is a man who says: ‘I’ll not run anyone’s life — nor let anyone run mine. I will not rule nor be ruled. I will not be a master nor a slave. I will not sacrifice myself to anyone — nor sacrifice anyone to myself.’
Ayn Rand, Textbook of Americanism (1946).
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but a little want of knowledge is also a dangerous thing.
What is called the Progress of Civilization has been marked and conditioned at every step by an extension of the opportunities, a greater facility in the use of the means, a more eager searching for proper expedients, and a higher certainty in the securing of the returns, of mutual exchanges among men.