# How would you sum up your life philosophy on a t-shirt?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [February 27, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931 "2007-02-27T20:57:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 6
### Author:  [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2007, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/101 "2007-03-02T20:01:32Z")
“It is in vain to hope to please all alike. Let a man stand with his face in what direction he will, he must necessarily turn his back on one half of the world.” -
– George Dennison Prentice
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### Author:  [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2007, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/102 "2007-03-02T20:44:17Z")
Christopher Marlowe is always good:
Nature that fram’d us of four elements,
Warring within our breasts for regiment,
Doth teach us to have aspiring minds:
Our souls, whose faculties can comprehend
The wondrous Architecture of the world:
And measure every wand’ring planet’s course,
Still climbing after knowledge infinite,
And always moving as the restless Spheres,
Will us to wear ourselves and never rest,
Until we reach the ripest fruit of all,
That perfect bliss and sole felicity,
The sweet fruition of an earthly crown.
{ **Tamburlaine** , 1.1.869}
Or, more pithily:
I count religion but a childish toy,
And hold there is no sin but ignorance.
{ **The Jew Of Malta** , 1.1.14}
Or, if you want some pop culture:
These are not the breasts you’re looking for.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2007, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/103 "2007-03-02T21:01:49Z")
The quote I had written on my school shirt this year (a gift from Student Council) is:
_Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo._ - **Virgil** , _Aeneid_, VII, 312
(If I can’t move Heaven, I’ll raise Hell.)
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### Author:  [@Tomcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tomcat)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2007, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/104 "2007-03-02T21:18:43Z")
Beyond pessimism: “Who the fuck drank half of my glass of water?”
-Tcat
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### Author:  [@wonder9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonder9)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/105 "2007-03-02T22:10:11Z")
[QUOTE=Scissorjack]
Christopher Marlowe is always good:
Nature that fram’d us of four elements,
Warring within our breasts for regiment,
Doth teach us to have aspiring minds:
Our souls, whose faculties can comprehend
The wondrous Architecture of the world:
And measure every wand’ring planet’s course,
Still climbing after knowledge infinite,
And always moving as the restless Spheres,
Will us to wear ourselves and never rest,
Until we reach the ripest fruit of all,
That perfect bliss and sole felicity,
The sweet fruition of an earthly crown.
{ **Tamburlaine** , 1.1.869}
[/QUOTE]
I think I’d be a bit nervous if someone was staring at my chest long enough to read all that. But maybe that’s the effect you’re going for?
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### Author:  [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2007, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/106 "2007-03-02T22:58:26Z")
[QUOTE=wonder9]
I think I’d be a bit nervous if someone was staring at my chest long enough to read all that. But maybe that’s the effect you’re going for?
[/QUOTE]
Well, if you eschew scrutiny, there’s always “These are not the breasts you’re looking for.”
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### Author:  [@Thirty-Nine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thirty-Nine)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2007, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/107 "2007-03-03T00:31:59Z")
“Ride the slide.”
I’d love an ornate coat of arms with a latin scroll that translates to “Ride the slide”. What a waste of latin.
but realistically
“Hurry up!”
or maybe
“Your mundane anecdote has failed, try again.” (Men In Hats)
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### Author:  [@DurbBook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DurbBook)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/108 "2007-03-04T18:23:39Z")
> [@](#):
>
> I spend most of my day in cubicle-based beauracracy, so mine would be:
>
> “Power Corrupts; PowerPoint Corrupts Absolutely”
When I was the acting boss for a week, my email signature was “Power corrupts, and absolute power is really neat.”
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### Author:  [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2007, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/109 "2007-03-04T18:41:31Z")
[QUOTE=DurbBook]
When I was the acting boss for a week, my email signature was “Power corrupts, and absolute power is really neat.”
[/QUOTE]
One of the Demotivators at [www.despair.com](http://www.despair.com) says something about absolute power and how it corrupts, “but it absolutely rocks, too.” 😃
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### Author:  [@Flip\_Pancake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flip_Pancake)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/110 "2007-03-04T19:36:15Z")
Thoughtful:
“The secret to a long life is knowing when it’s time to go”
Less thoughtful:
“Fuck this, I’m going home”
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### Author:  [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2007, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/111 "2007-03-05T01:47:10Z")
“What Would Jeeves Do?”
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### Author:  [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2007, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/112 "2007-03-05T03:47:19Z")
Back in my younger wilder days, I was at a Grateful Dead concert, feeling the vibe… I was in the aisle dancing, playing air guitar, having a good ole time. In a rare moment of clarity, I asked my druggie friend/acquaintance, “What are all of these people going to think of me?”
He replied, “ **They’re all watching you, to show _them_ what to do.** ”
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### Author:  [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2007, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/113 "2007-03-05T04:16:53Z")
Eschew obfuscation
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/114 "2007-03-05T18:37:08Z")
I already have the shirt:
\*
Age and treachery will triumph over youth and skill.\*
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### Author:  [@SpectBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpectBrain)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2007, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/115 "2007-03-06T00:24:31Z")
Veni Vici Velcro
(I came, I saw, I stuck around.)
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### Author:  [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2007, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/116 "2007-03-06T00:34:15Z")
Front (done tastefully, almost as a monogram): Gentleman Pervert
Back (my old sig around here): Chivalry Was Invented by an Ass Man
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### Author:  [@Charger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charger)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2007, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/117 "2007-03-06T09:15:22Z")
I had a shirt custom-made that says the following (with the same emphasis):
“Do not make friends with a **hot-tempered man** , **do not associate** with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.” -Proverbs 22:24-25
We should all live by that philosophy. Then assholes would be lonely.
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### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2007, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-sum-up-your-life-philosophy-on-a-t-shirt/393931/118 "2007-03-06T09:21:08Z")
don’t ask…no, really, don’t
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