# Share your favorite quotes! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 6, 2002, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904 "2002-12-06T13:23:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/1 "2002-12-06T13:23:20Z")
**Qwerty** ’s thread [My new favorite word](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=148293) inspired this one. I have a small white board in my cube upon which I write the word of the day from [http://www.dictionary.com](http://www.dictionary.com) and a quote I randomly select from [The Book of Positive Quotations](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1577490533/qid=1039180337/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-0647390-0116737?v=glance&s=books), edited by John Cook. Yeah, I know. I’m a geek-of-all-trades. What can I say? The positive quotations really help me stay that way during the stressful workday. Anyway, I thought that those of us who enjoy quotes could share a few. Here are a few of my favorites:[ul][li]“All animals except man know that the principle business of life is to enjoy it.” - Samuel Butler[/li] [li]“In about the same degree as you are helpful, you will be happy.” - Karl Reiland[/li] [li]“The first recipe for happiness is: Avoid too lengthy meditations on the past.” - Andre Maurois[/li] [li]“Today is the future from which you expected so much in the past.” - Anonymous[/li] [li]“No matter how far you have gone on a wrong road, turn back.” - Turkish proverb[/li] [li]“Full maturity… is achieved by realizing that you have choices to make.” - Angela Barron McBride[/li] [/ul] I’ve been doing my own quotes of the day for over a year now, so I’ve got a bunch. One more. This is one of my favorites from [The Runner’s Book of Daily Inspiration: A Year of Motivation, Revelation, and Instruction](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0809229625/qid%3D1039180908/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/104-0647390-0116737) by Kevin Nelson. “My life is so much more exciting, much more fun, as a result of running. Life is so richer as a result of running. Running gives me more than I have ever given to it.” - Unidentified runner ---
**Author:** ![dbygawdcapn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dbygawdcapn/32/3995_2.png) [@dbygawdcapn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dbygawdcapn)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/2 "2002-12-06T13:42:03Z")
“If I had a hammer, I’d use it on Peter, Paul and Mary” - Howard Rosenberg “When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said ‘Let us pray’. We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.” - Desmond Tutu “An alcoholic is someone you don’t like who drinks as much as you do” - Dylan Thomas ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/3 "2002-12-06T13:45:10Z")
“Not a finger!” - Darren McGavin, **Christmas Story** _tis the season!_ ---
**Author:** ![SweetGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@SweetGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SweetGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/4 "2002-12-06T13:47:58Z")
"Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/5 "2002-12-06T13:56:16Z")
Muslim: All other religions that worship idols are wrong. Hume: In what way? M: They bow down to lumps of rock. Can’t you see that’s wrong? H: And when _you_ pray, what do _you_ pray to? M: We pray to Allah! H: So since Allah is everywhere, it doesn’t matter which way you face? M: We must face Mecca. H: And if you’re _in_ Mecca, which way do you face? M: We face the Ka’abah H: And what _is_ the Ka’abah? M: It’s this huge rock… I like this one from “Real Genius” “the last words of Socrates; I drank what?” ---
**Author:** ![welby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@welby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/welby)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/6 "2002-12-06T15:07:51Z")
“Not by wrath does one kill, but by laughter.” - Nietzsche ---
**Author:** ![Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raymond_luxury_yacht/32/4099_2.png) [@Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raymond_Luxury_Yacht)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/7 "2002-12-06T17:52:30Z")
“Those who fail to see the whimsy of things will experience rigor mortis before death.” - Tom Robbins “This one goes to eleven.” “Look, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.” “D’oh” “Stay away from the cans!” “It’s all ball bearings these days.” “I’ll be able to send more money next week as I will have more work. My friend Patty promised me a blow job.” “This is the best pizza in a cup ever.” “Worst. Episode. Ever.” “Smithers!” “Sometimes you eat the bar and sometimes the bar eats you.” “You’re the assistant to the assistant manager.” “No, no, you’ve got it all wrong, man. I’m the dude.” I leave it at that, although I could probably go on for another couple of pages. Don’t forget my sig. ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/8 "2002-12-06T18:05:16Z")
As always, H.L. Mencken shows us the way: “The worst government is the most moral. One composed of cynics is often very tolerant and humane. But when fanatics are on top there is no limit to oppression.” “Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.” ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/9 "2002-12-06T18:10:57Z")
**Rodd** , I like those. Hey, Mencken’s in my book! “Men are the only animals that devote themselves, day in and day out, to making one another unhappy.” “We are here and it is now. Further than that, all knowledge is moonshine.” (This one has the sound of a sig line to me.) ---
**Author:** ![Magickly\_Delicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magickly\_Delicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magickly_Delicious)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/10 "2002-12-06T18:12:12Z")
“It’s one thing to want someone out of your life, but it’s another to serve them a wake-up cup full of Liquid Drano.” -Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder), _Heathers_ ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/11 "2002-12-06T18:12:53Z")
> [@](#): > > **For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled."** > Richard Feynmann, Appendix to the Challenger Commission report ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/12 "2002-12-06T18:26:13Z")
Not necessarily positive quotes from an old[sigfile](http://fff.fathom.org/pages/eunoia/sigfile.html). ---
**Author:** ![TheOtherOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@TheOtherOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheOtherOne)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/13 "2002-12-06T18:43:26Z")
“Once in a while you get shown the light/In the strangest of places if you look at it right”~Robert Hunter ---
**Author:** ![Eggerhaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@Eggerhaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eggerhaus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/14 "2002-12-06T18:44:58Z")
My favorites: “Strange how people who suffer together have stronger connections than people who are most content.” Bob Dylan said that. “Unmitigated seriousness betokens a lack of virtue.” Aristotle said that. “All bleeding stops. Eventually.” Some surgeon said that. “God gives men time, and He can afford to give men time, because He has eternity and is eternally unchanging.” Soren Kierkegaard said that. “I could go on, but I won’t.” I said that. ---
**Author:** ![VenusProbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e495f1/32.png) [@VenusProbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VenusProbe)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/15 "2002-12-06T18:46:40Z")
A few of my favorites, in no patricular order: “If you’re going to get eaten, you might as well get eaten by the Son of God.” – Cecil Adams “I’ve got a plan so cunning, you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel.” – Blackadder "The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off! – Unknown “If you’re not part of the solution you’re just scumming up the bottom of the beaker.” – Unknown “Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy.” – Albert Einstein ok I’ll stop now ---
**Author:** ![deathawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@deathawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deathawk)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/16 "2002-12-06T18:51:45Z")
“There is no question, life is not fair. I hope you didn’t think it was.” Alexei Panshin - _Star Well_ “All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal, or fattening” Alexander Wolcott ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/17 "2002-12-06T19:42:49Z")
A few of my favorites: “Think like a man of action but act like a man of thought.” - Adm. Hyman Rickover “Never express yourself more clearly than you are able to think.” - Niels Bohr “Take away the right to say ‘fuck’ and you take away the right to say ‘fuck the government’.” - Lenny Bruce “Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian.” - Robert Orben “I believe in God, only I spell it Nature.” - Frank Lloyd Wright and my all time favorite…see my sig. ---
**Author:** ![airdisc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@airdisc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/airdisc)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/18 "2002-12-06T20:25:31Z")
“It takes intelligence to enjoy wit and humor, but none to be offended by it.” Johnny Hart, creator of B.C. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Wrong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Mr.Wrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Wrong)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/19 "2002-12-06T20:38:40Z")
“Giving money and power to government is like giving liquor and car keys to a teenage boy.” -P.J. O’Roarke “Money may not be able to buy happiness, but it can buy a boat big enough to sail right up next to it.” -David Lee Roth(?!) ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904/20 "2002-12-06T21:29:26Z")
“When faced with a diffucutly decision, it can be solved more easily by reducing it to the question, ‘How would the Lone Ranger handle this?’” “Give a small boy a hammer and he will find that everything he encounters needs pounding.” “The more you run over a dead cat, the flatter it gets.” I got these from some crappy quote generating program on my old PC. Most it had attributed to anonymous, some the writers made themselves, I don’t remember where these came from. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/share-your-favorite-quotes/140904.md?page=2)