15 of my favorite quotes to ponder in the fight for justice

[Nothing Without Hope]

1. Nature magically suits a man to his fortunes, by making them the fruit of his character. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882) (Are you listening, George? Are you worried yet?)

2. The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -Dante Alighieri, poet (1265-1321)

3. You can't wake a person who is pretending to be asleep. -Navajo Proverb (I think this one is good for the freepers and other willfully blind * supporters)

4. Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction. -Blaise Pascal, philosopher and mathematician (1623-1662)

5. It is as hard for the good to suspect evil, as it is for the bad to suspect good. -Marcus Tullius Cicero, statesman, orator, writer (106-43 BCE) (This is one of our problems -- a lot of good people cannot fathom the deliberate evil of this administration.)

6. To feed men and not to love them is to treat them as if they were barnyard cattle. To love them and not respect them is to treat them as if they were household pets. -Mencius, philosopher (c. 380-289 BCE)

7. Laws are the spider's webs which, if anything small falls into them they ensnare it, but large things break through and escape. -Solon, statesman (c. 638-c558 BCE) (Let's hope we can change this one -- it's been true long enough for this administration.)

8. I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the rights of the people by the gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations. -James Madison, fourth US president (1751-1836) (This administration had done a bit of both.)

9. The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts. -- Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), Welsh philosopher and reformer

10. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell. --William Tecumseh Sherman, Union General in the American Civil War (1820-1891)

11. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppose. -- Frederick Douglass

12. You can't wring your hands and roll up your sleeves at the same time. -- Pat Schroeder

13. You have to make more noise than anybody else, you have to make yourself more obtrusive than anybody else, you have to fill all the papers more than anybody else, in fact you have to be there all the time and see that they do not snow you under, if you are really going to get your reform realized. -- Emmeline Pankhurst

14. A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public debt....If the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at stake.
Thomas Jefferson

15. In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. –Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, physician, and musician (1875-1965) (My gratitude to Will Pitt and all the others who are inspiring us to keep up the good fight to keep American democracy alive!)

[Miami Liberal]

1. Thanks

those are great!

[Nothing Without Hope]

2. ... N/T (don't want it to disappear - these are worth reading)

[Nothing Without Hope]

3. ... n/t

[xerenthar]

4. I really like #2. Here's another one.

"There is a level of cowardice lower than that of the conformist: the fashionable nonconformist."
-Ayn Rand

[Nothing Without Hope]

7. Yes, Ayn got that one right on. Here's another author...

...who is one of my favorites. I especially love her Miles Vorkosigan series. It's "hard sci-fi," yes, but it's REALLY about the range of human psychology and its interaction with political, societal, and familial structures. (That really doesn't do them justice.) Each of these books is unique, though they continue the story of Miles and his friends and family; some are funny, some are swashbuckling, some are amazingly insightful and moving. Most are some combination of these. I'd be happy to give you titles etc if you are interested; the books are wonderful and insightful.
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"Either the world was not so huge and frightening a place as she'd once been led to believe, or else...she was not so small and helpless as she'd once been encouraged to imagine herself. If power was an illusion, wasn't weakness necessarily one also?" –Lois McMaster Bujold (Civil Campaign, epilogue)

[xerenthar]

9. That's a great quote :)

[Endangered Specie]

5. What luck it is for leaders that men do not think.

[Nothing Without Hope]

6. Good one -- here's another one for you

A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience. -Doug Larson

Seems appropriate for all too many players in our current national and world situation.

[zann725]

8. My favorite's: #3, 11 and 15. And I agree, 15 DOES describe D.U.

Thanks to everyone at D.U. for keeping the 'fire' of hope alive!

[hellbound-liberal]

10. "In victory,magnanimity; In defeat, defiance!" Frederick the Great

Found this quote in George Carlin's new book and it suits my mood perfectly. I am fed up with people telling us that we have to reexamine our values. People voted for Bush out of ignorance and we can not afford to allow this current state to continue. Remember,as Jiddu Krishnamurti once said, "It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a fundamentally sick society".

[Nothing Without Hope]

14. Good one. Oliver Wendall Holmes Sr had something to say...

...that I think is related to your Jiddu Krishnamurti quote:

To have doubted one's own first principles is the mark of a civilized man. -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., poet, novelist, essayist, and physician (1809-1894)

I interpret this as meaning that one needs to examine one's premises to be sure they are sound rather than simply soaking in whatever is around you and assuming it is all true. He isn't saying we should doubt ourselves, but rather that we shouldn't take anything for granted without first thinking it through. And also that we should be ready, if clear evidence to the contrary comes up, to rethink and reconfirm. Blind acceptance of what "they" say, the talking heads and the crooked politicians and their cronies, has gotten this country into a fix that is going to require, among other things, clear vision and a readiness to question assumptions to repair.

This is one of the things I like about science at its best as well as the great philosophies -- it's the truth you are after, even if it turns out to be rough on your own pet theories. Maintaining this pursuit isn't the same as doubting yourself. In fact, it takes great courage and will.

[0007]

11. In a nut shell

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

[Nothing Without Hope]

13. I love this. Is this the one that was found in the cathedral?

I had seen references to it but not the text or the full story.

And thanks. It is indeed pretty close to all of it.

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Edited to add another personal favorite, one that has a similar sense:

A Successful Life:
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

[Rex Ferine]

12. " We must have faith in the masses

and we must have faith in the Party. These are two cardinal principles. If we doubt these principles, we shall accomplish nothing." - Mao Zedong, July 31, 1955 :grr:

[Nothing Without Hope]

15. Perhaps you will like this one

My aim is to agitate and disturb people. I'm not selling bread, I'm selling yeast.
-Miguel de Unamuno, writer and philosopher (1864-1936)

[Nothing Without Hope]

16. ... (keeping this kicked) n/t

[GOPBasher]

17. Thanks for those!

I love inspiring quotes.