Freedom only for the members of the government, only for the members of the Party — though they are quite numerous — is no freedom at all. Freedom is always the freedom of dissenters. ~ Rosa Luxemburg (born 5 March 1870 or 1871)
Technology adds nothing to art. Two thousand years ago, I could tell you a story, and at any point during the story I could stop, and ask, Now do you want the hero to be kidnapped, or not? But that would, of course, have ruined the story. Part of the experience of being entertained is sitting back and plugging into someone else's vision. ~ Penn Jillette
This is a haunted world. It hath no breeze But is the echo of some voice beloved: Its pines have human tones; its billows wear The color and the sparkle of dear eyes. Its flowers are sweet with touch of tender hands That once clasped ours. All things are beautiful Because of something lovelier than themselves, Which breathes within them, and will never die.— Haunted,—but not with any spectral gloom; Earth is suffused, inhabited by heaven. ~ Lucy Larcom ~
Two things have always been true about human beings. One, the world is always getting better. Two, the people living at that time think it`s getting worse. It's because you get older, your responsibilities are different. Now I'm taking care of children instead of being a child. It makes the world look scarier. That happens to everyone.
I can readideas from all different people from all different cultures. Without God, we can agree on reality, and I can keep learning where I'm wrong. We can all keep adjusting, so we can really communicate. I don't travel in circles where people say, "I have faith, I believe this in my heart and nothing you can say or do can shake my faith." That's just a long-winded religious way to say, "shut up," or another two words that the FCC likes less.
If every trace of any single religion were wiped out and nothing were passsed on, it would never be created exactly that way again. There might be some other nonsense in its place, but not that exact nonsense. If all of science were wiped out, it would still be true and someone would find a way to figure it all out again.
Of all the consequences of Moscow’s unprovoked attack, one of the most unexpected is the spark it has lit in people around the world who have come out to demonstrate for freedom, for the rights of Ukrainians. That includes valiant individuals in places where protesting the Kremlin’s war means risking arrest, beatings, or worse, as thousands of Russians and Belarusians have done. For years, we’ve seen the dangerous tide rolling back democracy and human rights and undercutting the rules-based order, fueled in no small part by Moscow. With this brutal invasion, we, our European allies and partners, and people everywhere are being reminded of just how much is at stake. Now, we see the tide of democracy rising to the moment.
Without general elections, without unrestricted freedom of press and assembly, without a free struggle of opinion, lifedies out in every public institution, becomes a mere semblance of life, in which only the bureaucracy remains as the active element. Public life gradually falls asleep, a few dozen party leaders of inexhaustible energy and boundless experience direct and rule.
Thy universe, O God, is home, In height or depth, to me; Yet here upon thy footstool green Content am I to be; Glad when is oped unto my need Some sea-like glimpse of Thee.
The Quote of the Day (QOTD) is a prominent feature of the Wikiquote Main Page. Thank you for submitting, reviewing, and ranking suggestions!
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initially proposed on the posting page as "A saying quoted often from memory by my sister (source is unknown)" by Tara 11:40, 4 March 2006 (UTC)
1 ♞☤☮♌︎Kalki·⚚⚓︎⊙☳☶⚡ 23:23, 4 March 2020 (UTC) 2 Kalki 21:24, 4 March 2006 (UTC) (a good statement, but I greatly prefer using traceable quotes to anonymous ones for QOTD, as well as ones with some relevance to the date)
2 UDScott 15:34, 4 March 2009 (UTC) - I like the quote, but since it is unsourced, I do not feel it is appropriate for QOTD.
All the world's most powerful governments pay millions of dollars for seas and deserts, 100's of acres of land bought for ownership, and improvement done for later benefit. Because it's land that is forever stable, money is just paper. ~ Vazgen Sargsyan (born March 5)
3 because land has remained stagnant although many things are not. Zarbon 04:15, 18 April 2008 (UTC)
Nothing shocks me more than ferocity against the vanquished, especially when victors take poses. Between the dogs and the wolf, I shall always side with the wolf, especially when he is wounded. ~ Jacques Vergès
0 ♞☤☮♌︎Kalki·⚚⚓︎⊙☳☶⚡ 23:23, 4 March 2020 (UTC) 2 Kalki 17:01, 3 March 2009 (UTC) this is a misattribution, it is actually a statement of Aron Nimzowitsch.
I have always believed that success would be the inevitable result if the two services, the army and the navy, had fair play, and if we sent the right man to fill the right place. ~ Austen Henry Layard
2 because it's witty and Pavese is not only about suffering. Nemo 13:57, 18 January 2012 (UTC)
0 bystander (talk) 16:32, 19 February 2012 (UTC) Don't understand connection to this date.
Not every quotation can (or should) have a connection with the date. --Nemo 14:54, 14 March 2012 (UTC)
That observation is correct, and when there is no clear connection with the date which I can discern, but the quote itself is notable I often will rank it at least a 1, and sometimes 2 or more. ~ ♞☤☮♌︎Kalki·⚚⚓︎⊙☳☶⚡ 15:12, 14 March 2012 (UTC)
1 ♞☤☮♌︎Kalki·⚚⚓︎⊙☳☶⚡ 23:23, 4 March 2020 (UTC) 2 ♞☤☮♌︎Kalki·⚚⚓︎⊙☳☶⚡ 15:14, 14 March 2012 (UTC) though I might rank it higher on a page clearly related by date, or if nothing better connected to the date were to be suggested here.
2 ♞☤☮♌︎Kalki·⚚⚓︎⊙☳☶⚡23:29, 4 March 2016 (UTC) with a lean toward 3.
That power which circumstances placed in my hands, and which is an emanation of divinity, I am conscious of having used to the best of my skill. I have never wittingly wronged any one. For this campaign there were good and sufficient reasons; and if some should think that I have not fulfilled all expectations, they ought in justice to reflect that there is a mysterious power without us, which in a great measure governs the issue of human undertakings.
For 50 million years our biggest problems were too few calories, too little information. For about 50 years our biggest problem has been too many calories, too much information. We have to adjust, and I believe we will really fast. I also believe it will be wicked ugly while we’re adjusting.
Whatever you do, don't read the Bible for a moral code: it advocates prejudice, cruelty, superstition, and murder. Read it because: we need more atheists — and nothin' will get you there faster than readin' the damn Bible.
The question I get asked by religious people all the time is, without God, what’s to stop me from raping all I want? And my answer is: I do rape all I want. And the amount I want is zero. And I do murder all I want, and the amount I want is zero. The fact that these people think that if they didn’t have this person watching over them that they would go on killing, raping rampages is the most self-damning thing I can imagine.
I love people. And I think if you take the 7 billion people on the planet and you round it off, about 7 billion of them are good. To find bad people is really difficult. Not people doing bad things, but really bad people who get up in the morning and say, How can I fuck people up? That’s a really rare thing.
There are really good sociobiological reasons for why we evolved to cooperate. It really is good for all of us. You can be a hard ass and just run common sense, you know, what is the most effective way for people to interact and you do better if you treat people well, you just do. And on top of that the whole world does better if you treat people well. It works out on any level.
Government is force — literally, not figuratively. I don't believe the majority always knows what's best for everyone. The fact that the majority thinks they have a way to get something good does not give them the right to use force on the minority that don't want to pay for it. If you have to use a gun, I don't believe you really know jack. Democracy without respect for individual rights sucks. It's just ganging up against the weird kid, and I'm always the weird kid.
What makes me libertarian is what makes me an atheist — I don't know. If I don't know, I don't believe. I don't know exactly how we got here, and I don't think anyone else does, either. We have some of the pieces of the puzzle and we'll get more, but I'm not going to use faith to fill in the gaps. I'm not going to believe things that TV hosts state without proof. I'll wait for real evidence and then I'll believe.
