Notable Quotes (Nonreligious)

Cafe Society
21

The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not “Eureka!” (I found it!) but “That’s funny …” — Isaac Asimov

There are few situations in life that cannot be resolved promptly, and to the satisfaction of all concerned, by either suicide, a bag of gold, or thrusting a despised antagonist over a precipice on a dark night. — Ernest Bramah (Kai Lung stories)

For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled. — Richard Feynman

22

“If you’re running away from something, never ever look behind you, 'cause whatever it is, it’s catching up!”

—Soupy Sales

23

“If you are in a fair fight, you didn’t plan it very well.”
“Lost a lotta fights, but I learned how to lose OK”
– Billy Joel, “Keepin’ the Faith”
Make the truth apparent, and morality will take care of itself.
– Julian Barnes (of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“In a rich man’s house, there is no place to spit but in his face”
–Diogenes

24

“I need a hacksaw.”

—Jack Bauer

25

Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things break. And all things can be mended. Not with time, as they say, but with intention. So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally. The broken worlds waits in darkness for the light that is you. (L R Knost)

It is ever so beautiful to be strange. To do things differently from others. To see things in a rare light. To me, that is such gold to carry. (C Poindexter)

26

Sadly this is not very useful as there are a lot of exceptions e.g.

  • ie after c: species, science, sufficient

  • ei not preceded by c: seize, vein, weird, their, feisty, foreign

27

“With great power comes great responsibility” - Spider-Man

I know it’s much older than that, but nobody who said it before had Spiderman’s powers - so I’m attributing it to Stan Lee!

28

“Nando, don’t be a schnook. It’s not how you feel, it’s how you look.”

29

Leave this place in better shape than you found it. - Attributed to quite a few people, sometimes as “this world”.

…to respect the laws, improving them and never making them worse… - part of the swearing-in vows of the kings of Navarre, but I also find it good as a general philosophy of work and life.

30

A kinder, gentler version:

You can get more with a kind word and a 2x4 than you can with just a kind word.
–Marcus Cole, Babylon Five

31

You remind me of this quote:

32

“The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.” - Twain

“Patriotism is the belief that one country is superior to all others because you were born in it.” - Wilde

33

Optimism is the first step toward disappointment.

34

My favorite JB quote (and I have to paraphrase because I don’t remember it exactly) is the scene where Kim (aka Dim) is being threatened by the guy for whom she was working and Jack is on the phone with her talking her through the killing process:

JB: OK, Kim. Pull the trigger and shoot him.
KB: I did. I shot him. [the guy is lying, presumably dead, on the floor]
JB: Ok, good. Now, shoot him again, Kim!

It’s great to have a dad who can give you advice like that when you need it!

35

Ugh. Note to self: avoid anything written by Ernest Bramah.

I heard this in casual conversation years ago and it has stuck with me:

Everyone wants change, but no one wants to change.
mmm

36

Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you want.

37

To be fair, he *was *writing these around the 1900s. Different sensibility then.

38

If you’ve got time to lean, you’ve got time to clean.
Ray Kroc

39

“If your biscuits look pink, maybe you’re cruller blind.”

—Soupy Sales

Another (paraphrased) quote from Soupy:

“When you drink champagne from a woman’s slipper, it tastes like Dr Scholl’s foot powder.”

40

“Failure is always an option.”

—Anonymous