“The individual - stupendous and beautiful paradox - is at once infinitesimal dust and the cause of all things.” Quote by C. V. Wedgwood
“I lay very little stress either upon asking or giving advice. Generally speaking, they who ask advice know what they wish to do, and remain firm to their intentions. A man may allow himself to be enlightened on various points, even upon matters of expediency and duty; but, after all, he must determine his course of action, for himself.” KnowsMenGivingMayLittlesMatterActionCoursesAsksWishAdviceDutyStressAskingLaysIntentionDetermineVariousFirmEnlightenedExpediencyGiving Advice Author:Wilhelm von Humboldt
“Every man, however good he may be, has a yet better man dwelling in him, which is properly himself, but to whom nevertheless he is often unfaithful. It is to this interior and less mutable being that we should attach ourselves, not to be changeable, every-day man.” MenShouldMayConscienceEvery ManNeverthelessInteriorsDwellingUnfaithfulBetter Man Author:Wilhelm von Humboldt
“Real inward devotion knows no prayer but that arising from the depths of its own feelings.” KnowsRealFeelingsPrayerDepthDevotionInward Author:Wilhelm von Humboldt
“The things of the world are ever rising and falling, and in perpetual change; and this change must be according to the will of God, as He has bestowed upon man neither the wisdom nor the power to enable him to check it. The great lesson in these things is, that man must strengthen himself doubly at such times to fulfill his duty and to do what is right, and must seek his happiness and inward peace from objects which cannot be taken away from him.” MenWorldFallTakenObjectsDutyLessonsGods WillChecksRisingPerpetualInward Author:Wilhelm von Humboldt
“Women are in this respect more fortunate than men, that most of their employments are of such a nature that they can at the same time be thinking of quite different things.” ThinkingMenDifferentEmploymentFortunateDifferent Things Author:Wilhelm von Humboldt
“More things in politics happen by accident or exhaustion than happen by conspiracy.” HappensPoliticalPoliticsAccidentsConspiracyExhaustion Author:Jeff Greenfield
“Map reconciles himself to almost any event, however trying, if it happens in the ordinary course of nature. It is the extraordinary alone that he rebels against. There is a moral idea associated with this feeling; for the extraordinary appears to be something like an injustice of heaven.” IfsTryingIdeasFeelingsHappensCoursesHeavenMoralEventsOrdinaryExtraordinaryInjusticeMapsRebelReconcile Author:Wilhelm von Humboldt
“The mere reality of life would be inconceivably poor without the charm of fancy, which brings in its bosom, no doubt, as many vain fears as idle hopes, but lends much oftener to the illusions it calls up a gay flattering hue than one which inspires terror.” RealityWould BePoorDoubtInspireGayIllusionMereTerrorVainReality Of LifeFancyCharmNo DoubtIdleBosomsFlatteringHue Author:Wilhelm von Humboldt
“To behold, is not necessary to observe, and the power of comparing and combining is only to be obtained by education. It is much to be regretted that habits of exact observation are not cultivated in our schools; to this deficiency may be traced much of the fallacious reasoning, the false philosophy which prevails.” MayPhilosophySchoolHabitObservationCompareReasoningDeficiencyCombining Author:Wilhelm von Humboldt