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Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid.

Raymond Chandler

The Simple Art of Murder

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Topic

Courage

Author

Raymond Chandler

Source

The Simple Art of Murder

Language

English

Time

1944 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Chandler, Raymond. "The Simple Art of Murder." Atlantic Monthly, Dec. 1944.

Not many sounds in life... Exceed in interest a knock at the door.

Charles Lamb

More information about this quote

Topic

Unexpected visitors Visitors

Author

Charles Lamb

Source

Valentine's Day The London Magazine

Medium

Essay Magazine

Language

English

Time

1820 1820s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Lamb, Charles. "Valentine's Day." The Examiner, c. 1819.

Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones.

Bertrand Russell

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Topic

Nature of man Credulity Beliefs

Author

Bertrand Russell

Source

An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish Unpopular Essays

Medium

Essay

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

English

Time

1950 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Russell, Bertrand. "An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish." Unpopular Essays. George Allen & Unwin, 1950.

I'll tip my hat to the new Constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again

The Who

Won't Get Fooled Again

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Topic

Disillusionment Nature of progress Political progress

Speaker

The Who

Source

Won't Get Fooled Again Who's Next

Medium

Song

Genre

Rock music

Language

English

Time

1971 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Townshend, Peter. Won't Get Fooled Again. Performed by The Who. Track Records/Decca Records, 1971.

The law is the last result of human wisdom acting upon human experience for the benefit of the public.

Samuel Johnson

More information about this quote

Topic

Law

Speaker

Samuel Johnson

Language

English

Time

1784 1780s 18th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in Anecdotes of the Late Samuel Johnson, by Hester Lynch Piozzi. London: Thomas Cadell, 1786.

The foot less prompt to meet the morning dew,
The heart less bounding at emotion new,
And hope, once crush'd, less quick to spring again.

Matthew Arnold

More information about this quote

Topic

Loss of passion Aging

Author

Matthew Arnold

Source

Thyrsis

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1866 1860s 19th century

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Arnold, Matthew. "Thyrsis." Macmillan's Magazine, 1866.

Current Citation

Arnold, Matthew. "Thyrsis (1866)." Dover Beach and Other Poems. Dover Publications, 2012.

Did you see the frightened ones? Did you hear the falling bombs? Did you ever wonder why we had to run for shelter when the promise of a brave new world unfurled beneath a clear blue sky?

Pink Floyd

Goodbye Blue Sky

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Topic

World War II

Speaker

Pink Floyd

Source

Goodbye Blue Sky

Medium

Song

Genre

Rock music

Statement Type

Question

Language

English

Time

1979 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Waters, Roger. "Goodbye Blue Sky." Performed by Pink Floyd. The Wall. Harvest Records/Columbia Records, 1979.

Age, that Age appeared
to be best in four things: Old
Wood best to burn, Old Wine to drink, Old
Friends to trust, and old Authors to read.

Francis Bacon

More information about this quote

Topic

Old things Friends Wine Books

Author

Francis Bacon

Source

Apophthegms New and Old

Statement Type

Proverbs, aphorisms and adages

Language

English

Time

1625 1620s 17th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Bacon, Francis. Apophthegms New and Old. London: Hanna Barret/Richard Whittaker, 1625, no. 36.

The truth isn't always beauty, but the hunger for it is.

Nadine Gordimer

More information about this quote

Topic

Seeking the truth Nature of truth Truth

Author

Nadine Gordimer

Source

A Bolter and the Invincible Summer

Medium

Short story

Language

English

Time

1963 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Gordimer, Nadine. "Leaving School—II." London Magazine, May 1963.

If a man does not make new acquaintance as he advances through life, he will soon find himself left alone. A man, Sir, should keep his friendship in constant repair.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

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Topic

Value of friendship Friendship

Speaker

Samuel Johnson

Author

James Boswell

Source

The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D

Genre

Biography

Language

English

Time

1784 1780s 18th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, written by James Boswell. Vol. 1, London: Charles Dilly, 1791, "1755," aetat. 46.

Current Citation

Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

Sex loses all its power and magic when it becomes explicit, mechanical, overdone, when it becomes a mechanistic obsession. It becomes a bore.

Anaïs Nin

More information about this quote

Topic

Sex

Author

Anaïs Nin

Source

Journals of Anaïs Nin

Medium

Personal journal

Language

English

Time

1941 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Nin, Anaïs. "December, 1941." The Diary of Anaïs Nin, vol. 3, 1939-1944, edited by Gunther Stuhlmann. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1969.

I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night.

When Harry Met Sally…

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Topic

Being in love Love

Speaker

Harry Burns

Actor

Billy Crystal

Source

When Harry Met Sally…

Medium

Film

Genre

Romantic comedy (film) Comedy (film) Romantic comedy Comedy

Statement Type

Profession of love

Language

English

Time

1989 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

When Harry Met Sally... Directed by Rob Reiner, Nelson Entertainment/Castle Rock Entertainment, 1989.

You don't know about real loss 'cause that only occurs when you love something more than you love yourself. I doubt you've ever dared to love anybody that much.

Good Will Hunting

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More information about this quote

Topic

Vulnerability Taking risks Courage Relationships

Speaker

Sean

Actor

Robin Williams

Source

Good Will Hunting

Medium

Film

Genre

Psychological drama (film) Drama (film) Psychological drama Drama

Language

English

Time

1997 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Good Will Hunting. Directed by Gus Van Sant, Be Gentlemen, 1997.

I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.

Douglas Adams

The Salmon of Doubt

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Topic

Deadlines Procrastination Writer's block

Author

Douglas Adams

Source

The Salmon of Doubt

Medium

Novel

Genre

Science fiction

Language

English

Time

2001 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Adams, Douglas. Quoted in "Lament for Douglas Adams," by Richard Dawkins. The Guardian, 13 May 2001.

Current Citation

Adams, Douglas. Quoted in The Salmon of Doubt, written by Richard Dawkins, edited by Peter Guzzardi. William Heinemann/Pocket Books, 2002, epilogue.

Tuning the lyre and handling the harp are no accomplishments of mine, but rather taking in hand a city that was small and inglorious and making it glorious and great.

Themistocles

Quoted in Plutarch's Lives, by Plutarch

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Topic

Political leadership Statecraft

Speaker

Themistocles

Author

Plutarch

Source

Plutarch's Lives

Genre

Historical literature

Language

Greek

Time

119 110s 2nd century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Themistocles. Quoted in "Themistocles." Parallel Lives by Plutarch. c. 2nd century BC, ch. 2, sect. 3.

Current Citation

Themistocles. Quoted in "Themistocles." Parallel Lives by Plutarch. Oxford University Press, 2009, ch. 2, sect. 3.

Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty.

Bertrand Russell

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More information about this quote

Topic

Superstition

Author

Bertrand Russell

Source

An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish Unpopular Essays

Medium

Essay

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

English

Time

1950 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Russell, Bertrand. "An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish." Unpopular Essays. George Allen & Unwin, 1950.

Of all the calamities, all the sufferings, all the terrors of this world, the only principle is the feeling or love of the self: it must be renounced.

Shantideva

More information about this quote

Topic

Happiness

Author

Shantideva

Source

Bodhicaryavatara

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Sanskrit

Time

700 700s 8th century

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Shantideva. बोधिसत्त्वाचर्यावतार [Bodhicaryavatara]. c. 700, ch. 8.

Current Citation

Shantideva. The Bodhicaryavatara, translated by Kat Crosby and Andrew Skilton. Oxford University Press, 2008, ch. 8.

We cannot tear out a single page of life, but we can throw the whole book in the fire.

George Sand

Mauprut

More information about this quote

Topic

Suicide

Author

George Sand

Source

Mauprut

Medium

Novel

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

French

Time

1837 1830s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Sand, George. "Mauprat." Revue des deu Monds, Apr.-June 1837. Serial.

I don’t need another friend, I already have two.

Freaks and Geeks

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Topic

Friends

Speaker

Sam Weir

Actor

John Francis Daley

Source

Freaks and Geeks

Medium

TV program

Genre

Comedy (TV) Drama (TV) Comedy Drama

Language

English

Time

2000 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

"Girlfriends and Boyfriends." Freaks and Geeks, written by Paul Feig and Patty Lin, directed by Lesli Linka Glatter, season 1, episode 8, Apatow Productions and DreamWorks Television, 2000.

Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right... and a desire to know-but besides this they have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most dreaded, and envied kind of knowledge. I mean of the characters and conduct of their rulers.

John Adams

Read A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law at the National Archives website

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Topic

Transparency in government Preservation of freedom Freedom Political theory

Author

John Adams

Source

A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law Boston Gazette

Medium

Dissertation Newspaper

Genre

Political literature

Language

English

Time

1765 1760s 18th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Adams, John. "A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law." Boston Gazette, 30 Sept. 1765.

Current Citation

Adams, John. "A Disseratation on the Canon and Feudal Law." The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States, edited by Charles Francis Adams. Vol. 3, Cambridge University Press, 2011.