"In every place, where there is any thing worthy of observation, there should be a short printed directory for strangers."

James Boswell Law See all quotes by James Boswell →

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“Johnson is dead. Let us go to the next best — there is nobody; no man can be said to put you in mind of Johnson.”

“I jumped up on the benches, roared out, "Damn you, you rascals!", hissed and was in the greatest rage. I hated the English; I wished from my soul that the Union was broke and that we might give them another battle of Bannockburn.”

“He who has provoked the lash of wit, cannot complain that he smarts from it.”

“The best good man, with the worst natur'd muse.”

“As all who come into the country must obey the King, so all who come into an university must be of the Church.”

“You are a philosopher, Dr. Johnson. I have tried too in my time to be a philosopher; but, I don't know how, cheerfulness was always breaking in.”

Resonant Thoughts

"...here I have a very strong objection to what Edward Said writes in his book Orientalism. I am sure this book is very popular with you and I think it is very important for me to say that, there were …"

— Edward Said

Literature1935–2003

#knowledge

"It is the interest of the individual and of all society, that he should be made, at the earliest period, to understand his own construction, the proper use of its parts, and how to keep them at all ti…"

— Robert Owen

Philosophy1771–1858

#knowledge

"Now I can say that I have sampled the spectrum of the pleasure system at both ends — none and all there is — and I think the rest of my life I will dedicate myself to the middle of the road and see ho…"

— Spider Robinson

Literature1948

#knowledge

"job is to provide permanent solace and spiritual leadership to the people as a whole, whatever their government at the moment, so long as it stays within the bounds of moral decency."

— James A. Michener

Literature1907–1997

#leadership