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Common Quotes

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Common Quotes

“It is necessary to gain the common people to our order. The best means to that end is influence in the schools.”

People Mean Ends School Order Common Influence Gains Jew

Author:Adam Weishaupt

“To understand the works of celebrated authors, to comprehend their systems, and retain their reasonings, is a task more than equal to common intellects; and he is by no means to be accounted useless or idle, who has stored his mind with acquired knowledge, and can detail it occasionally to others who have less leisure or weaker abilities.”

Mind Mean Ability Common Knowledge Equal Tasks Details Intellect Useless Reasoning Leisure Idle

Book:The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: With An Essay on His Life and Genius

Source: The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: With An Essay on His Life and Genius

“The invention of the arts, and other things which serve the common use and convenience of life, is a gift of God by no means to be despised, and a faculty worthy of commendation.”

Mean Art Use Life Is Common Worthy Invention Faculty Convenience Despised Gift From God Life Is A Gift Commendation

Book:John Calvin's Commentaries On Genesis 1-23 (Annotated Edition)

Source: John Calvin's Commentaries On Genesis 1-23 (Annotated Edition)

“The free enterprise concept inherent in the economic model of capitalism should mean common people, or lower and middle class wage-earners, have greater potential to rise up and gain financial independence. In reality, however, free enterprise all too often leads to an almost total lack of government regulation that in turn allows the global elite to run amuck in Gordon Gecko-style financial coups.”

“Look at the things around you, the immediate world around you. If you are alive, it will mean something to you, and if you care enough about photography, and if you know how to use it, you will want to photograph that meaningness. If you let other people's vision get between the world and your own, you will achieve that extremely common and worthless thing, a pictorial photograph.”

People Ifs Knows World Want Looks Mean Enough Use Care Common Vision Know How Alive Achieve Photography Photograph Worthless If You Care Pictorial

Author:Paul Strand

“Economists use the word consume to mean "utilize economic goods," but the Shorter Oxford Dictionary's definition is more appropriate to ecologists: "To make away with or destroy; to waste or to squander; to use up." The economies that cater to the global consumer society are responsible for the lion's share of the damage that humans have inflicted on common global resources.”

Humans Mean Use Common Economy Share Economic Waste Resources Responsible Definitions Consumers Damage Appropriate Goods Lions Consumerism Economist Dictionary Overconsumption Oxford

Author:Alan Thein Durning

“Obstinacy and contention are common qualities, most appearing in, and best becoming, a mean and illiterate soul.”

Mean Soul Common Quality Becoming Appearing Illiterate Contention Obstinacy

Book:Montaigne's Essays in Three Books: With Notes and Quotations. And an Account of the Author's Life. With a Short Character of the Author and Translator

Source: Montaigne's Essays in Three Books: With Notes and Quotations. And an Account of the Author's Life. With a Short Character of the Author and Translator

“Just because it's common sense, doesn't mean it's common practice.”

Mean Common Practice Common Sense

Author:Will Rogers

“According to which principle or hypothesis all the objections against the universality of Christ's death are easily solved; neither is it needful to recur to the ministry of angels, and those other miraculous means which they say God useth to manifest the doctrine and history of Christ's passion unto such, who, living in the places of the world where the outward preaching of the Gospel is unknown, have well improved the first and common grace.”

World Firsts Wells Mean Passion Christ Common Principles Grace Angel Doctrine Manifest Ministry Preaching Hypothesis Miraculous Objections Universality

Book:An Apology for the Christian Divinity: As the Sameis Held Forth and Preached by the People Called, in Scorm Quakers, Being a Full Explanation and Vindication of Their Principles and Doctrines

Source: An Apology for the Christian Divinity: As the Sameis Held Forth and Preached by the People Called, in Scorm Quakers, Being a Full Explanation and Vindication of Their Principles and Doctrines

“Where any work can be done conformably to the reason which is common to gods and men, there we have nothing to fear; for where we are able to get profit by means of the activity which is successful and proceeds according to our constitution, there no harm is to be suspected.”

Men Mean Reason Done Able Common Successful Activity Constitution Profit Harm

Book:Stoic Six Pack: Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, Golden Sayings, Fragments and Discourses of Epictetus, Letters from a Stoic and The Enchiridion

Source: Stoic Six Pack: Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, Golden Sayings, Fragments and Discourses of Epictetus, Letters from a Stoic and The Enchiridion

“Among the words that can be all things to all men, the word "race" has a fair claim to being the most common, most ambiguous and most explosive. No one today would deny that it is one of the great catchwords about which ink and blood are spilled in reckless quantities. Yet no agreement seems to exist about what race means.”

Men Mean Seems Today Common Race Blood Fairs All Things Claims Deny Agreement Quantity Ink Reckless Ambiguous Explosives

Book:Race: a study in superstition

Source: Race: a study in superstition

“I myself hate that old Hemingwayesque paradigm of the writer as prizefighter and I have tried hard to create an alternate one for myself. When Anne Sexton admonished me, "We are all writing God's poem," I took it to mean there should be no competition between writers because we are all involved in a common project, a common prayer. But to Gore's and Norman's generation, particularly those male writers who served in the second world war, the prizefighter paradigm remains.”

World Should Writing Mean War Hard Hate Prayer Common Generations Involved Projects Remains Competition Males War Of The Worlds Paradigm Gore Second World War Self Hate

Author:Erica Jong

“It may be expecting too much to expect most intellectuals to have common sense, when their whole life is based on their being uncommon -- that is, saying things that are different from what everyone else is saying. There is only so much genuine originality in anyone. After that, being uncommon means indulging in pointless eccentricities or clever attempts to mock or shock.”

Source: Ever Wonder Why?: and Other Controversial Essays

“Jokes often arise involuntarily, like dreams, and tend to be swiftly forgotten. From these similarities Freud inferred that jokes and dreams share a common origin in the unconscious. Both are essentially means of outwitting our inner 'censor'.”

Mean Dream Common Share Humour Jokes Forgotten Arise Unconscious Similarity Outwitting

Book:Stop Me If You've Heard This: A History and Philosophy of Jokes

Source: Stop Me If You've Heard This: A History and Philosophy of Jokes

“In this world laws are written for the lofty aim of "the common good" and then acted out in life on the basis of the common greed. In this world irrationality clings to man like his shadow so that the right things get done for the wrong reasons - afterwards, we dredge up the right reasons for justification. It is a world not of angels but of angles, where men speak of moral principles but act on power principles; a world where we are always moral and our enemies always immoral; a world where "reconciliation" means that when one side gets the power and the other side gets reconciled to it.”

“The Common lawes of the Realme should by no means be delayed for the law is the surest sanctuary, that a man should take, and the strongest fortresse to protect the weakest of all, lex et tutissima cassis.”

Men Should Mean Law Common Protect Strongest Sanctuary Delayed

Author:Edward Coke

“I always go to the lowest common denominator for that ingredient. So if I think squash, I try to think what it means to me -- and if it doesn't mean anything to me, I'm not gonna do well when I cook it. So [squash] means to me: fall, maple syrup, cinnamon, and things just come into your head so you can narrow the vortex and make it a bit smaller and you go with something because there's no time.”

Ifs Thinking Trying Wells Mean Fall Bits Common Cooks Ingredients Lowest Common Denominator Squash Vortex Maple Syrup Cinnamon Lowest Common Denominator Maple Syrup

Author:Geoffrey Zakarian

“Wherefore it is impossible to succeed in comparing wealth of different eras or different nations. This, in political economy, like squaring the circle in mathematics, is impracticable, for want of a common mean or measure to go by.”

Want Mean Different Political Nations Wealth Common Economy Impossible Succeed Mathematics Circles Eras Compare Political Economy Different Eras

Book:A treatise on political economy: or, The production, distribution and consumption of wealth

Source: A treatise on political economy: or, The production, distribution and consumption of wealth

“If there are some who talk the same language as myself, then why should I neglect their interests for the sake of some other group of people who are alien and remote? They have their own 'gods and idols' and we have nothing in common. ... If you try to please audiences, uncritically accepting their tastes, it can only mean that you have no respect for them: that you simply want to collect their money.”

People Ifs Want Should Trying Mean Language Interest Common Accepting Audience Groups Please Taste Sake Aliens Neglect Idols Should I No Respect

Author:Andrei Tarkovsky

“Generally speaking, an Indian university must regard itself as one of the living organs of national reconstruction. It must discover the best means of blending together both the spiritual and the material aspects of life. It must equip its alumni irrespective of caste, creed or sex, with individual fitness, not for its own sake, not for merely adorning varied occupations and professions, but in order to teach them how to merge their individuality in the common cause of advancing the progress and prosperity of their motherland and upholding the highest traditions of human civilisation.”

“We must speak first about the division of land and about those who cultivate it: who should they be and what kind of person? We do not agree with those who have said that property should be communally owned, but we do believe that there should be a friendly arrangement for its common use, and that none of the citizens should be without means of support.”

Should Firsts Believe Kind Mean Persons Said Use Wisdom Politics Speak Common Support Economy Land Citizens Agree Property Liberalism Friendly Division Arrangements

Author:Aristotle

“Obviously, if theism is a belief in a God and atheism is a lack of a belief in a God, no third position or middle ground is possible. A person can either believe or not believe in a God. Therefore, our previous definition of atheism has made an impossibility out of the common usage of agnosticism to mean "neither affirming nor denying a belief in God."”

Source: An Anthology of Atheism and Rationalism

“What is this world?--A term which men have got, To signify not one in ten knows what; A term, which with no more precision passes To point out herds of men than herds of asses; In common use no more it means, we find, Than many fools in same opinions joined.”

Knows Men World Mean Use Term Common Opinion This World Fool Ten Ass Herds Precision

Book:The poetical works of Charles Churchill: with memoir, critical dissertation, and explanatory notes / by the Rev. George Gilfillan

Source: The poetical works of Charles Churchill: with memoir, critical dissertation, and explanatory notes / by the Rev. George Gilfillan

“[P]rescientific people... could never guess the nature of physical reality beyond the tiny sphere attainable by unaided common sense. Nothing else ever worked, no exercise from myth, revelation, art, trance, or any other conceivable means; and notwithstanding the emotional satisfaction it gives, mysticism, the strongest prescientific probe in the unknown, has yielded zero.”

People Giving Mean Art Reality Religion Common Emotional Exercise Satisfaction Myth Tiny Common Sense Revelations Mysticism Strongest Zero Spheres Trance

Author:E. O. Wilson

“Every modulated sound is not a song, and every voice that executes a beautiful air does not sing. Singing should enchant. But to produce this effect there must be a quality of soul and voice which is by no means common even with great singers.”

Should Mean Doe Soul Beautiful Song Sound Voice Common Quality Air Effects Produce Singing Singers

Book:Pensées of Joubert

Source: Pensées of Joubert

“I think that the best profession or the best thing to do is to be a public servant... I mean there's nothing better than working for the people - working for the common people out there and being a servant, a public servant, and I have seen this.”

People Thinking Mean Common Profession Best Things Servant Things To Do Public Servants

Author:Arnold Schwarzenegger

“I'm good at my job for a midwestern American. Maybe it's because people in fashion often mistake common sense for genius. I mean, some model walks down the runway in an impossible outfit, and I state the obvious ? no one is going to wear that ? and people are like, you're brilliant!.”

People Mean States Jobs Walks Common Mistake Impossible Fashion Like You Genius Models Obvious Brilliant Common Sense Runway

Author:David Wolfe

“I didn't become CM on 07-10-2001. I have always been CM, I am CM today and shall be CM forever. For me CM means not Chief Minister but Common Man.”

Men Mean Today Politics Common Forever India Chiefs Ministers Common Man

Author:Narendra Modi

“The leader has to command the respect of all those under his supervision - and he must be open to those under his supervision. Effective leadership means having a lot of people working toward a common goal. And when you have that with no one caring who gets the credit, you're going to accomplish a lot. If you have those just wanting the credit for themselves, you're not going to get as much accomplished.”

People Ifs Mean Goal Common Leader Caring Credit Accomplish Command Accomplished Effective Leadership Supervision Common Goal

Author:John Wooden

“The idea of direct action against the evil that you want to overcome is a kind of common denominator for anarchist ideas and anarchist movements. I think one of the most important principles of anarchism is that you cannot separate means and ends. Anarchism requires means and ends to be in line with one another. I think this is in fact one of the distinguishing characteristics of anarchism.”

Thinking Want Kind Mean Important Ideas Ends Facts Action Evil Lines Common Principles Movement Direct Overcoming Characteristics Anarchism Anarchist Common Denominator Direct Action

Author:Howard Zinn

“The classic trap for any revolutionary is always, “What's your alternative?” But even if you could provide the interrogator with a blueprint, this does not mean he would use it: in most cases he is not sincere in wanting to know. In fact this is a common offensive, a technique to reflect revolutionary anger and turn it against itself. Moreover, the oppressed have no job to convince all people. All they need know is that the present system is destroying them.”

People Ifs Knows Needs Mean Doe Facts Use Jobs Turns Common Cases Technique Alternatives Revolutionary Classic Convince Sincere Destroying Traps Offensive Oppressed Blueprints

Author:Shulamith Firestone

“We are in danger of developing a cult of the Common Man, which means a cult of mediocrity.”

Men Mean Common Modern Danger Developing Mediocrity Cult Modern Life Common Man

Book:Addresses Upon the American Road

Source: Addresses Upon the American Road

“The politics of courts are so mean that private people would be ashamed to act in the same way; all is trick and finesse, to which the common cause is sacrificed.”

People Way Mean Would Be Politics Causes Common Court Tricks Ashamed Finesse

Book:The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

Source: The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

“It is hard to write a simple definition of something as varied as hacking, but I think what these activities have in common is playfulness, cleverness, and exploration. Thus, hacking means exploring the limits of what is possible, in a spirit of playful cleverness. Activities that display playful cleverness have "hack value".”

Thinking Writing Mean Hard Spirit Values Simple Common Activity Limits Definitions Exploration Display Exploring Cleverness Hacks Hacking Playfulness

Author:Richard Stallman

“Office of itself does much to equalize politicians. It by no means brings all characters to a level; but it does bring high characters down and low characters up towards a common standard.”

Mean Doe Character Levels Common Politician Office Lows Standards Down And

Author:Thomas B. Macaulay

“The more elaborate our means of our common sense is, the less the common sense it becomes.”

Mean Common Common Sense

Author:Joseph Priestley

“We are ourselves the stumbling-blocks in the way of our happiness. Place a common individual - by common, I mean with the common share of stupidity, custom, and discontent - place him in the garden of Eden, and he would not find it out unless he were told, and when told, he would not believe it.”

Way Believe Mean Individual Common Share Awareness Garden Stupidity Block Customs Discontent Eden Stumbling Garden Of Eden Stumbling Blocks

Book:Romance and reality, by L.E.L.

Source: Romance and reality, by L.E.L.

“Beyond the formative effects of reading on the individuals composing society, the fact that they have read the same books gives them experiences and ideas in common. These constitute a kind of shorthand of ideas which helps make communication quicker and more efficient. That is what we mean when we say figuratively of another person, We speak the same language.”

Giving Kind Mean Persons Book Ideas Facts Helping Reading Individual Speak Language Common Effects Communication Efficient Composing Shorthand

Author:Charles Scribner IV

“Political correctness is an intellectual sickness. It means lying when telling the truth is not expedient. It is a disgusting habit and yet it is so widespread and so common that it is considered to be normal.”

Mean Political Lying Common Habit Truth Is Normal Intellectual Sickness Telling The Truth Disgusting Political Correctness Correctness

Author:Ali Sina

“A central theme of all about love is that from childhood into adulthood we are often taught misguided and false assumptions about the nature of love. Perhaps the most common false assumption about love is that love means we will not be challenged or changed.”

Mean Love Is Common Childhood Changed Taught Assumption Theme Adulthood Misguided Love Means False Assumptions

Author:Bell Hooks

“All my experiments in Ahimsa have taught me that nonviolence in practice means common labour with the body.”

Mean Body Common Practice Taught Experiments Labour Nonviolence Ahimsa

Author:Mahatma Gandhi

“A congregational prayer is a means for establishing essential human unity though common worship.”

Humans Mean Prayer Common Essentials Worship Unity

Author:Mahatma Gandhi

“Leaders encourage others to continue the quest and inspire others through courage and hope. Leaders give heart by visibly recognizing others' contributions to the common vision. With a thank you note, a smile, an award, and public praise, the leader lets others know how much they mean to the organization.”

Source: The leadership challenge: how to get extraordinary things done in organizations

“To share a lot of ideas - not ideas - emotions, a way of looking at people, a way of looking at life. If it can be shared, it means there is a common denominator.”

People Ifs Way Mean Ideas Common Emotion Share Common Denominator

Author:Agnes Varda

“I mean, teenage girls and their fathers don't have a lot in common, but when you add something like comedy into the mix, it just opens up all sorts of doors for them to bond.”

Mean Girl Father Common Comedy Doors Add Teenage Teenage Girl

Author:Stephanie Beatriz

“You cannot reform your society or institution without opening your mind. So the core issue is how to open the mind, the whole society, and this means everybody in society including everyone. I am not talking about the state or average or common people. I am talking about everybody; because when you close your mind as an official you cannot upgrade and vice versa.”

People Mind Mean States Whole Common Talking Issues Institutions Including Average Vices Core Opening Reform Officials Vice Versa Not Talking Opening Your Mind Including Everyone

Author:Bashar al-Assad

“Those who marry God can become domesticated too - it's just as hum-drum a marriage as all the others. The word Love means a formal touch of the lips as in the ceremony of the Mass, and Ave Maria like dearest is a phrase to open a letter. This marriage like the world's marriages was held together by habits and tastes shared in common between God and themselves - it was God's taste to be worshipped and their taste to worship, but only at stated hours like a suburban embrace on a Saturday night.”

World Love Mean Together Night Hours Church Common Habit Taste Worship Mass Letters Embrace Lips Phrases Formal Saturday Ceremony Saturday Night Love Means Words Love

Book:A Burnt Out Case

Source: A Burnt Out Case

“To subvert the tyranny of our execrable government, to break the connection with England, the never-failing source of all our political evils and to assert the independence of my country- these were my objectives. To unite the whole people of Ireland, to abolish the memory of all past dissensions, and to substitute the common name of Irishman in place of the denominations of Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter - these were my means.”

Source: Freedom the Wolfe Tone way

“It would be a nice problem to have. It would mean we had reached the final. I'd like to think common sense would prevail and we'd have the use of both of them.”

Thinking Mean Use Problem Would Be Common Nice Finals Common Sense

Author:John Hughes