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Folly Quotes

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Folly Quotes

“The statesman who should attempt to direct private people in what manner they ought to employ their capitals would not only load himself with most unnecessary attention but assume an authority which could safely be trusted to no council and senate whatever, and which would nowhere be so dangerous as in the hands of man who have folly and presumption enough to fancy himself fit to exercise it.”

PeopleMenShouldEnoughHandsPoliticsAttentionDangerousOughtFitExerciseAuthorityDirectAssumingFancyFollySenateLoadTrustedUnnecessaryCouncilStatesmenPresumptionWealth Of Nations
Book:The Wealth of Nations: Representative Selections
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“You never see animals going through the absurd and often horrible fooleries of magic and religion. . . . Dogs do not ritually urinate in the hope of persuading heaven to do the same and send down rain. Asses do not bray a liturgy to cloudless skies. Nor do cats attempt, by abstinence from cat's meat, to wheedle the feline spirits into benevolence. Only man behaves with such gratuitous folly. It is the price he has to pay for being intelligent but not, as yet, quite intelligent enough.”

MenEnoughSpiritReligionHeavenFearAnimalPayMagicSkyAtheismDogRainCatIntelligentAtheistRageHorribleAbsurdAssMeatBehaveFollyBenevolenceAbstinencePersuadingLiturgyFelineFoolery
Author:Aldous Huxley
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“I have faults enough, but they are not, I hope, of understanding. My temper I dare not vouch for. It is, I believe, too little yielding— certainly too little for the convenience of the world. I cannot forget the follies and vices of other so soon as I ought, nor their offenses against myself. My feelings are not puffed about with every attempt to move them. My temper would perhaps be called resentful. My good opinion once lost, is lost forever.”

WorldBelieveLittlesEnoughFeelingsMovingLostI BelieveUnderstandingForgetOpinionForeverPrideOughtPrejudiceFaultsVicesDareFollyTemperOffenseConvenienceResentfulDarcy
Book:Pride and Prejudice (Diversion Classics)
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“I can easily believe it. Women of that class have great opportunities, and if they are intelligent may be well worth listening to. Such varieites of human nature as they are in the habit of witnessing! And it is not merely in its follies, that they are read; for they see it occasionally under every circumstance that can be most interesting or affecting. What instances must pass before them of ardent, disinterested, self-denying attachment, of heroism, fortitude, patience, resignation-- of all the sacrifices that ennoble us most. A sick chamber may often furnish the worth of volumes.”

IfsBelieveHumansWellsMayI CanSelfOpportunityInterestingClassSacrificeHuman NatureListeningHabitCircumstancesSickIntelligentInstanceFollyAttachmentHeroismVolumeFortitudeChamberMost InterestingResignationArdentGreat OpportunityDisinterestedAnne Elliot
Author:Jane Austen
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“And yet, just as our body would burst asunder if the pressure of the atmosphere were removed from it, so would the arrogance of men expand, if not to the point of bursting then to that of the most unbridled folly, indeed madness, if the pressure of want, toil, calamity and frustration were removed from their life. One can even say that we require at all times a certain quantity of care or sorrow or want, as a ship requires ballast, in order to keep on a straight course.”

IfsMenWantBodyCareCertainOrderCoursesSorrowMadnessPressureShipsAll TimeAtmosphereArroganceFollyFrustrationQuantityToilCalamityBurstingBallast
Author:Arthur Schopenhauer
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“A well-informed mind is the best security against the contagion of folly and vice. The vacant mind is ever on the watch for relief, and ready to plunge into error, to escape from the languor of idleness. Store it with ideas, teach it the pleasure of thinking; and the temptations of the world without, will be counteracted by the gratifications derived from the world within.”

ThinkingWorldMindWellsIdeasPleasureWatchesTeachSecurityReadyErrorsVicesStoresTemptationFollyReliefIdlenessGratificationPlungeVacantContagion
Book:The Mysteries of Udolfo: A Romance Interspersed with Some Pieces of Poetry
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“...I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire...I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you might forget it now and then for a moment and not spend all of your breath trying to conquer it. Because no battle is ever won he said. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools.”

MenGivingTryingMaySaidMomentsMightRememberDesireForgetFieldsFoolVictoryBattleDespairIllusionBreathsPhilosopherConquerFollyNow And ThenForget ItFuryMausoleum
Author:William Faulkner
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“He thinks great folly, child,' said Aslan. "This world is bursting with life for these few days because the song with which I called it into life still hangs in the air and rumbles in the ground. It will not be so for long. But I cannot tell that to this old sinner, and I cannot comfort him either; he has made himself unable to hear my voice. If I spoke to him, he would hear only growlings and roarings. Oh, Adam's son, how cleverly you defend yourself against all that might do you good!”

IfsThinkingWorldChildrenLongMadeSaidStillsMightSongVoiceAirThis WorldSonComfortFollySinnerSpokesAdamRoaringBurstingRumbleGrowling
Author:C. S. Lewis
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“A woman may possess the wisdom and chastity of Minerva, and we give no heed to her, if she has a plain face. What folly will not a pair of bright eyes make pardonable? What dullness may not red lips are sweet accents render pleasant? And so, with their usual sense of justice, ladies argue that because a woman is handsome, therefore she is a fool. O ladies, ladies! there are some of you who are neither handsome nor wise.”

IfsGivingMayEyeFacesJusticeWiseSweetFoolRedLipsArguingPleasantFollyPairsUsualAccentsHandsomeHeedChastityDullnessRed LipsBright EyesMinerva
Book:Vanity Fair
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“Good Lord! who can account for the fathomless folly of the public?”

LordAccountsFolly
Book:Collected Works of Rudyard Kipling (Illustrated Edition): 5 Novels & 350+ Short Stories, Poetry, Historical Military Works and Autobiographical Writings from one of the most popular writers in England, known for The Jungle Book, Kim, The Man Who Would Be King
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“They trespassed upon my thoughts. They were intruders whose knowledge of life was to me an irritating pretense, because I felt so sure they could not possibly know the things I knew. Their bearing, which was simply the bearing of commonplace individuals going about their business in the assurance of perfect safety, was offensive to me like the outrageous flauntings of folly in the face of a danger it is unable to comprehend. I had no particular desire to enlighten them, but I had some difficulty in restraining myself from laughing in their faces, so full of stupid importance.”

KnowsFacesDesireIndividualFeltPerfectLaughingStupidDangerParticularImportanceDifficultySafetyFollyOffensiveMy ThoughtsAssuranceEnlighteningCommonplaceOutrageousPretenseIrritatingRestrainingIntrudersFlaunting
Book:Heart of Darkness
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“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.”

KindHumorStrongChallengesLeadershipBusinessLeaderVisionProudWeakHumblePersonal DevelopmentThoughtfulFollyLazyBe KindLazinessArrogantRudeBe ProudBullyBoldnessGreat LeaderInsperationalBe HumbleBeing StrongBusiness LeadershipTimidityTrue LeaderBeing A LeaderInspiring LeaderGreat LeadershipLeadership By Famous LeadersBest LeaderTrue LeadershipMotivational LeadershipLeadership SkillsGood LeadershipLeadership By Great LeadersGreatest LeadershipNot StrongFuture LeadersOutstanding LeadershipPowerful LeadersLeaders MotivationalBorn LeadersStay HumbleEmpowering OthersStrong LeadersMoney MotivationWeak Leaders
Author:Jim Rohn
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“What is life but a series of inspired follies? The difficulty is to find them to do. Never lose a chance: it doesn’t come every day.”

InspirationalChoicesOpportunityLosesChanceDifficultySeriesInspiredFollyWhat Is LifePygmalion
Book:The Collected Works of George Bernard Shaw: Plays, Novels, Articles, Lectures, Letters and Essays: Pygmalion, Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Candida, Arms and The Man, Man and Superman, Caesar and Cleopatra, Androcles And The Lion, The New York Times Articles on War, Memories of Oscar Wilde and more
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“I had paid for my folly and, as a reward, was invited to take part in the nest builder’s performance piece. The script was great. ‘When I bleat here, do you want me to just bleat or to really let go and “bleat, bleat”?’ I asked. ‘I feel like “bleat, bleating,” but if Mother/Destroyer is going to be crawling through the birth canal of concertina wire, I don’t want to steal focus, you know what I mean?”

IfsKnowsWantFeelsMeanMotherFocusPiecesBirthLetting GoPerformancesPaidRewardsScriptsStealingFollyWant MeInvitedWireNestsBuilderYou Want MeDestroyersCrawlingCanalsDo You Want Me
Author:David Sedaris
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“When Eleanor's arm touched his he felt his hands grow cold with deadly fear lest he should lose the shadow brush with which his imagination was painting wonders of her. He watched her from the corners of his eyes as ever he did when he walked with her-- she was a feast and a folly and he wished it had been his destiny to sit forever on a haystack and see life through her green eyes.”

ShouldHandsEyeGrowsFeltLosesImaginationWonderDestinyForeverPaintingArmsColdShadowGreenCornersHis EyesFollyTouchedBrushesEleanorGreen Eyes
Book:This Side of Paradise
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“For there is no folly so great as keeping one's sorrows hidden.”

SorrowFolly
Book:Anthony Trollope: The Chronicles of Barsetshire & The Palliser Novels (Unabridged): The Warden + The Barchester Towers + Doctor Thorne + Framley Parsonage + The Small House at Allington + The Last Chronicle of Barset + Can You Forgive Her? + The Prime Minister + Eustace Diamonds...
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