June 3

Quotes of the day from previous years:

2004

There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. That little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative. ~ W. Clement Stone

selected by Kalki

2005

A time is marked not so much by ideas that are argued about as by ideas that are taken for granted. The character of an era hangs upon what needs no defense. Power runs with ideas that only the crazy would draw into doubt. The "taken for granted" is the test of sanity... In these times, the hardest task for social or political activists is to find a way to get people to wonder again about what we all believe is true. The challenge is to sow doubt. ~ Lawrence Lessig (born 3 June 1961)

selected by Kalki

2006

It's a bumper sticker culture. People have to get it like that, and if they don't, if it takes three seconds to make them understand, you're off their radar screen. Three seconds to understand, or you lose. This is our problem. ~ Lawrence Lessig

selected by Kalki

2007

We are on the cusp of this time where I can say, "I speak as a citizen of the world" without others saying, "God, what a nut." ~ Lawrence Lessig

selected by Kalki

2008

When government disappears, it's not as if paradise will take its place. When governments are gone, other interests will take their place. ~ Lawrence Lessig

proposed by Zarbon

2009

It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little. ~ Sydney Smith

proposed by Zarbon

2010

You can't incent a dead person. No matter what we do, Hawthorne will not produce any more works, no matter how much we pay him. ~ Lawrence Lessig

proposed by Zarbon

2011

Have the courage to be ignorant of a great number of things, in order to avoid the calamity of being ignorant of every thing. ~ Sydney Smith

proposed by Zarbon

2012

It might be crazy to expect a high government official to speak the truth. It might be crazy to believe that government policy will be something more than the handmaiden of the most powerful interests. It might be crazy to argue that we should preserve a tradition that has been part of our tradition for most of our history — free culture.
If this is crazy, then let there be more crazies. Soon.

~ Lawrence Lessig ~

proposed by Kalki

2013

If the Internet teaches us anything, it is that great value comes from leaving core resources in a commons, where they're free for people to build upon as they see fit.

~ Lawrence Lessig ~

proposed by Kalki

2014

So uncritically do we accept the idea of property in ideas that we don't even notice how monstrous it is to deny ideas to a people who are dying without them. So uncritically do we accept the idea of property in culture that we don't even question when the control of that property removes our ability, as a people, to develop our culture democratically. Blindness becomes our common sense. And the challenge for anyone who would reclaim the right to cultivate our culture is to find a way to make this common sense open its eyes.
So far, common sense sleeps. There is no revolt. Common sense does not yet see what there could be to revolt about.

~ Lawrence Lessig ~

proposed by Kalki

2015

There's nothing much I can tell you about this war. It's like all wars, I suppose. The undertakers are winning it. Oh, the politicians will talk a lot about the "glory" of it, and the old men'll talk about the "need" of it — the soldiers, they just want to go home.

~ James Lee Barrett ~
in
~ Shenandoah ~

proposed by allixpeeke

2016

Americans have been selling this view around the world: that progress comes from perfect protection of intellectual property. Notwithstanding the fact that the most innovative and progressive space we've seen — the Internet — has been the place where intellectual property has been least respected. You know, facts don't get in the way of this ideology.

~ Lawrence Lessig ~

proposed by Kalki

2017

We, the most powerful democracy in the world, have developed a strong norm against talking about politics. It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with. Political discourse becomes isolated, and isolated discourse becomes more extreme. We say what our friends want to hear, and hear very little beyond what our friends say.

~ Lawrence Lessig ~

proposed by Kalki

2018

The truth is, that most men want knowledge, not for itself, but for the superiority which knowledge confers; and the means they employ to secure this superiority, are as wrong as the ultimate object, for no man can ever end with being superior, who will not begin with being inferior.

~ Sydney Smith ~

proposed by Zarbon

2019

Let's forget today who is friend or foe,
and hold each other in caring embrace.
Let your love be the magnet
to bring the humanity to Allah's grace.

Remember those in perennial fast,
constantly in hunger and deprivation,
Share with the poor, orphans and the destitutes,
to make inclusive your celebration.

~ Kazi Nazrul Islam ~

proposed by Kalki, in regard to this year's Eid al-Fitr.

2020

When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

~ Jesus ~
as quoted in the
~ Gospel of Matthew ~

proposed by Kalki

2021

Life is to be fortified by many friendships. To love, and to be loved, is the greatest happiness of existence.

~ Sydney Smith ~

proposed by Kalki

2022

According to new data just released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, guns are the number one killer of children in the United States of America. The number one killer. More than car accidents. More than cancer.
Over the last two decades, more school-aged children have died from guns than on-duty police officers and active-duty military combined. Think about that: more kids than on-duty cops killed by guns, more kids than soldiers killed by guns.
For God’s sake, how much more are we willing to accept? How many more innocent American lives must be taken before we say “enough”? Enough.

~ Joe Biden ~

proposed by Kalki; recent remarks on recurring tragedies.

2023

Among the smaller duties of life I hardly know any one more important than that of not praising where praise is not due.

~ Sydney Smith ~

proposed by Kalki

2024

Manners are the shadows of virtues; the momentary display of those qualities which our fellow creatures love, and respect.

~ Sydney Smith ~

proposed by Kalki

2025: Rank or add further suggestions…

The Quote of the Day (QOTD) is a prominent feature of the Wikiquote Main Page. Thank you for submitting, reviewing, and ranking suggestions!

Ranking system

4 : Excellent – should definitely be used. (This is the utmost ranking and should be used by any editor for only one quote at a time for each date.)

3 : Very Good – strong desire to see it used.

2 : Good – some desire to see it used.

1 : Acceptable – but with no particular desire to see it used.

0 : Not acceptable – not appropriate for use as a quote of the day.

An averaging of the rankings provided to each suggestion produces it’s general ranking in considerations for selection of Quote of the Day. The selections made are usually chosen from the top ranked options existing on the page, but the provision of highly ranked late additions, especially in regard to special events (most commonly in regard to the deaths of famous people, or other major social or physical occurrences), always remain an option for final selections.

Thank you for participating!

Suggestions

The object of preaching is, constantly to remind mankind of what mankind are constantly forgetting; not to supply the defects of human intelligence, but to fortify the feebleness of human resolutions. ~ Sydney Smith (born June 3)

2 because he says it as it is. Zarbon 16:28, 17 May 2008 (UTC)
3 Kalki 14:25, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
3 InvisibleSun 21:55, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
1 allixpeeke (talk) 19:17, 22 August 2014 (UTC)

Every day sends to their graves a number of obscure men who have only remained obscure because their timidity has prevented them from making a first effort. ~ Sydney Smith

3 because I agree. Many people who are timid, don't make an effort...but the possibilities would be endless if they did. Zarbon 16:28, 17 May 2008 (UTC)
3 Kalki 14:25, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
3 InvisibleSun 21:55, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
3 allixpeeke (talk) 19:17, 22 August 2014 (UTC)

Marriage resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they can not be separated; often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing anyone who comes between them. ~ Sydney Smith

2 because this one is rather comical, although it holds some abundant truth to it. Zarbon 16:28, 17 May 2008 (UTC)
3 Kalki 14:25, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
3 InvisibleSun 21:55, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
1 (leaning toward 2) allixpeeke (talk) 19:17, 22 August 2014 (UTC)

The law should regulate in certain areas of culture — but it should regulate culture only where that regulation does good. Yet lawyers rarely test their power, or the power they promote, against this simple pragmatic question: "Will it do good?" When challenged about the expanding reach of the law, the lawyer answers, "Why not?"
We should ask, "Why?" Show me why your regulation of culture is needed. Show me how it does good. And until you can show me both, keep your lawyers away. ~ Lawrence Lessig

3 Kalki (talk · contributions) 05:44, 29 May 2011 (UTC) with a strong lean toward 4.
2 allixpeeke (talk) 19:17, 22 August 2014 (UTC)

There has never been a time in history when more of our "culture" was as "owned" as it is now. And yet there has never been a time when the concentration of power to control the uses of culture has been as unquestioningly accepted as it is now. ~ Lawrence Lessig

3 Kalki (talk · contributions) 05:44, 29 May 2011 (UTC)
1 allixpeeke (talk) 19:17, 22 August 2014 (UTC)

If you can't fight for your freedom . . . you don't deserve it … This is not a left and right issue. This is the important thing to recognize: This is not about conservatives versus liberals. … This is not about left and right. This is about right and wrong. That's what this battle is. ~ Lawrence Lessig

3 Kalki (talk · contributions) 05:44, 29 May 2011 (UTC) with a lean toward 4.
2 allixpeeke (talk) 19:17, 22 August 2014 (UTC)

We have a massive system to regulate creativity. A massive system of lawyers regulating creativity as copyright law has expanded in unrecognizable forms, going from a regulation of publishing to a regulation of copying. ~ Lawrence Lessig

3 Kalki (talk · contributions) 05:44, 29 May 2011 (UTC) with a lean toward 4.
3 allixpeeke (talk) 19:17, 22 August 2014 (UTC)

Creation always involves building upon something else. There is no art that doesn't reuse. And there will be less art if every reuse is taxed by the appropriator. Monopoly controls have been the exception in free societies; they have been the rule in closed societies. ~ Lawrence Lessig

3 Kalki (talk · contributions) 05:44, 29 May 2011 (UTC) with a lean toward 4.
3 allixpeeke (talk) 19:17, 22 August 2014 (UTC)

Overregulation stifles creativity. It smothers innovation. It gives dinosaurs a veto over the future. It wastes the extraordinary opportunity for a democratic creativity that digital technology enables. ~ Lawrence Lessig

3 Kalki (talk · contributions) 05:44, 29 May 2011 (UTC) with a strong lean toward 4.
3 (leaning toward 4) allixpeeke (talk) 19:17, 22 August 2014 (UTC)

Creativity and innovation always builds on the past.
The past always tries to control the creativity that builds upon it.
Free societies enable the future by limiting this power of the past.
Ours is less and less a free society. ~ Lawrence Lessig

3 Kalki (talk · contributions) 05:44, 29 May 2011 (UTC) with a lean toward 4.

Great men hallow a whole people and lift up all who live in their time. ~ Sydney Smith

3 Kalki (talk · contributions) 10:55, 3 June 2011 (UTC) with a lean toward 4.

When I hear any man talk of an unalterable law, the only effect it produces upon me is to convince me that he is an unalterable fool. ~ Sydney Smith

3 Kalki (talk · contributions) 10:55, 3 June 2011 (UTC) with a very strong lean toward 4.
2 (leaning toward 1) allixpeeke (talk) 19:17, 22 August 2014 (UTC)

My corn I take serious because it's my corn, and my potatoes and my tomatoes and fences I take note of because they're mine. But this war is not mine and I take no note of it! ~ Charlie Anderson in Shenandoah