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Currently showing 10,076 quotes

What is it that breathes fire into the equations and makes a universe for them to describe?...Why does the universe go to all the bother of existing?

Stephen Hawking

A Brief History of Time

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Topic

Laws of physics Existence of the universe Origin of the universe The universe

Author

Stephen Hawking

Source

A Brief History of Time

Genre

Scientific literature

Statement Type

Question

Language

English

Time

1988 1980s 20th century

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Citation

Hawking, Steven. A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes. Bantam Dell Publishing Group, 1988, conclusion.

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I traveled among unknown men,
In lands beyond the sea;
Nor, England! did I know till then
What love I bore to thee.

William Wordsworth

I Traveled Among Unknown Men

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Topic

One's native land Travel

Author

William Wordsworth

Source

I Traveled Among Unknown Men

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1807 1800s 19th century

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Original Citation

Wordsworth, William. "I travell'd among unknown Men." Poems, in Two Volumes. London: Vol. 1, Longman, Hurst, Rees & Orme, 1807, st. 1.

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Current Citation

Wordsworth, William. "I travelled among unknown Men." William Wordsworth: The Major Works including The Prelude, edited by Stephen Gill. Oxford University Press, 2008.

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Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.

Alan Watts

The Way of Zen

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Topic

Stillness Inaction Patience

Author

Alan Watts

Source

The Way of Zen

Genre

Religious literature Philosophical literature

Statement Type

Proverbs, aphorisms and adages Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

English

Time

1957 1950s 20th century

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Citation

Watts, Alan. The Way of Zen. Vintage Books, 1957.

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But the wheel what squeaks the loudest
Is the one what gets the grease.

Josh Billings

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Topic

Complaining

Author

Josh Billings

Statement Type

Proverbs, aphorisms and adages

Language

English

Time

1870 1870s 19th century

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Citation

Stewart, Cal. Uncle Josh's Punkin Centre Stories. Punkin Centre Company, 1903, epigraph to Uncle Josh Weathersby.

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A learning experience is one of those things that says, "You know that thing you just did? Don't do that.”

Douglas Adams

The Salmon of Doubt

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Topic

School of hard knocks Learning from mistakes Learning Life lessons

Author

Douglas Adams

Source

The Salmon of Doubt

Medium

Novel

Genre

Science fiction

Language

English

Time

2001 2000s 21st century

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Original Citation

Adams, Douglas. "Interview: Douglas Adams." Interviewed by Brendan Buhler. Artsweek. University of California Santa Barbara Daily Nexus, 5 Apr. 2001.

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Current Citation

Adams, Douglas. The Salmon of Doubt. William Heinemann Ltd./Pocket Books, 2002, ch. 11.

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The collapse of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.

Vladimir Putin

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Topic

Soviet Union Russia International politics Politics

Speaker

Vladimir Putin

Source

2005 Address to Russian Parliament

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

Russian

Time

2005 2000s 21st century

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Citation

Putin, Vladimir. "Annual Address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation." 25 Apr. 2005, The Kremlin, Moscow, Russia.

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A war can perhaps be won single-handedly, a lasting peace cannot be secured without the support of all.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

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Topic

Peace

Speaker

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

2003 2000s 21st century

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Citation

Silva, Luiz Inácio Lula da. Address to United Nations. United Nations General Assembly. 23 Sept. 2003, New York, NY, USA.

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In every political society, parties are unavoidable. A difference of interests, real or supposed is the most natural and fruitful source of them...the great art of politicians lies in making them checks and balances to each other.

James Madison

Parties

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Topic

Political parties Checks and balances Political theory

Author

James Madison

Source

Parties The National Gazette

Medium

Essay Newspaper

Genre

Political literature

Language

English

Time

1792 1790s 18th century

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Original Citation

Madison, James "Parties." The National Gazette. 23 Jan. 1792.

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Current Citation

Madison, James. "Political Essays: Charters and Parties; January 19 and 23, 1792." Selected Writings of James Madison, edited by Ralph Ketcham. Hackett Publishing Company, 2006.

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People forget the brain is the biggest erogenous zone.

The Big Lebowski

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Topic

Turn-ons

Speaker

Jackie Treehorn

Actor

Ben Gazzara

Source

The Big Lebowski

Medium

Film

Genre

Crime comedy (film) Comedy (film) Crime comedy Comedy

Language

English

Time

1998 1990s 20th century

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Citation

The Big Lebowski. Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Working Title Films, 1998.

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No man can lose what he never had.

Izaak Walton

The Compleat Angler

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Topic

Loss

Speaker

Piscator

Author

Izaak Walton

Source

The Compleat Angler

Medium

Treatise

Language

English

Time

1653 1650s 17th century

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Original Citation

Walton, Izaak. The Compleat Angler. London: Richard Marriot, 1653, pt. 1, ch. 5.

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Current Citation

Walton, Izaak. The Compleat Angler, edited by Marjorie Swann. Oxford University Press, 2014, pt. 1, ch. 5.

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Hasty marriage seldom proveth well.

William Shakespeare

Henry VI, Part 3

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Topic

Getting married Marriage

Speaker

Richard Plantagenet

Author

William Shakespeare

Source

Henry VI, Part 3

Medium

Play

Genre

History (play)

Language

English

Time

1595 1590s 16th century

Era

European Renaissance

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Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. Henry the Sixth, Part 3. London: Thomas Millington, 1595, act 4, sc. 1.

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Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "The Third Part of Henry the Sixth." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 4, sc. 1.

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The law, in all vicissitudes of government, fluctuations of the passions, or flights of enthusiasm, will preserve a steady undeviating course; it will not bend to the uncertain wishes, imaginations, and wanton tempers of men... On the one hand it is inexorable to the cries and lamentations of the prisoners; on the other it is deaf, deaf as an adder to the clamours of the populace.

John Adams

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Topic

Rule of law

Speaker

John Adams

Medium

Courtroom speech Speech

Language

English

Time

1770 1770s 18th century

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Citation

Adams, John. Spoken at the argument in defense of the British soldiers in the Boston Massacre Trials. Boston Massacre Trials. 4 Dec. 1770, Queen Street courtroom, Boston, MA, USA.

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Who has not sat nervously before the stage curtain of his heart?

Rainer Maria Rilke

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Topic

Introspection Vulnerability Fear

Author

Rainer Maria Rilke

Medium

Poem

Language

German

Time

1923 1920s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

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Original Citation

Rilke, Rainer Maria. "Die vierte Elegie [Fourth Elegy]." Duineser Elegien [Duino Elegies]. Insel-Verlag, 1923.

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Current Citation

Rilke, Rainer Maria. Duino Elegies, translated by David Young. W. W. Norton & Company, 2006.

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What a heavy oar the pen is, and what a strong current ideas are to row in.

Gustave Flaubert

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Topic

Challenges of writing Writing

Author

Gustave Flaubert

Source

Letters of Gustave Flaubert

Medium

Letter

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

French

Time

1851 1850s 19th century

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Original Citation

Flaubert, Gustave. Letter to Louise Colet. 23 Oct. 1851.

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Current Citation

Flaubert, Gustave. The Letters of Gustave Flaubert 1830-1857, translated and edited by Francis Steegmuller. Faber and Faber, 1981.

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We have seen their kind before. They're the heirs of all the murderous ideologies of the 20th century. By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions, by abandoning every value except the will to power, they follow in the path of fascism, Nazism, and totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way to where it ends in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies.

George W. Bush

Address to Joint Session of Congress, September 20, 2001

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Islamic extremism

Speaker

George W. Bush

Source

Address to Joint Session of Congress, September 20, 2001

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

2001 2000s 21st century

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Citation

Bush, George W. Address to joint session of Congress. Joint session of Congress. 20 Sept. 2001, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

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Never seek to tell thy love
Love that never told can be;
For the gentle wind does move
Silently, invisibly.

I told my love, I told my love,
I told her all my heart;
Trembling, cold, in ghastly fears -
Ah, she doth depart.

William Blake

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Topic

Unrequited love Love

Author

William Blake

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1792 1790s 18th century

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Original Citation

Blake, William. Poem written in his notebook. c. 1792.

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Current Citation

Blake, William. "Never Pain to Tell Thy Love." William Blake: Selected Poems, edited by Nicholas Shrimpton. Oxford University Press, 2019.

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No one man can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all his accomplices.

Edward R. Murrow

On Joseph McCarthy.

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McCarthyism Red Scare Cold War Communism American politics

Speaker

Edward R. Murrow

Source

See It Now

Medium

TV program

Language

English

Time

1954 1950s 20th century

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Citation

Murrow, Edward R. Private comments to staff prior to broadcast of See It Now. 9 Mar. 1954, New York City, NY, USA.

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The almighty dollar, that great object of universal veneration throughout our land.

Washington Irving

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Topic

American capitalism America

Author

Washington Irving

Source

The Creole Village

Medium

Short story

Language

English

Time

1836 1830s 19th century

Authentication Score 1

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Citation

Irving, Washington. "The Creole Village." Knickerbocker Magazine, 12 Nov. 1836.

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Laws grind the poor, and rich men rule the law.

Oliver Goldsmith

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Topic

Rich vs. poor Law

Author

Oliver Goldsmith

Source

The Traveller

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1764 1760s 18th century

Era

Age of Enlightenment

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Citation

Goldsmith, Oliver. The Traveller; or, a Prospect of Society. London: John Newbery, 1764.

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Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing;
Only a signal shown and a distant voice in the darkness;
So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak one another,
Only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Read The Theologian's Tale: Elizabeth at hwlongfellow.org
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Topic

Shortness of life Life and death Life Death

Author

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Source

The Theologian's Tale: Elizabeth Tales of a Wayside Inn

Medium

Poem

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

English

Time

1873 1870s 19th century

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Original Citation

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. "The Theologian's Tale: Elizabeth." Tales of a Wayside Inn. Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1873, sect. 4.

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Current Citation

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. "The Theologian's Tale: Elizabeth." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Favorite Poems. Dover Publications, 1992, sect. 4.

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