It is easier to forgive an Enemy than to forgive a Friend!
William Blake (1757-1827) English poet, mystic, artist
Jerusalem: The Emanation of the Giant Albion (c. 1803–20)
(Source)
He’s a Blockhead who wants a proof of what he Can’t Perceive
And he’s a Fool who tries to make such a Blockhead believe.William Blake (1757-1827) English poet, mystic, artist
Notebooks (1793)
What is now proved was once only imagined.
William Blake (1757-1827) English poet, mystic, artist
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, “Proverbs of Hell” (1790–93)
(Source)
I was angry with my friend;
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe;
I told it not, my wrath did grow.William Blake (1757-1827) English poet, mystic, artist
Songs of Experience, “A Poison Tree”, st. 1 (1794)
A truth that’s told with bad intent
Beats all the lies you can invent.William Blake (1757-1827) English poet, mystic, artist
“Auguries of Innocence,” l.53 (1803)
(Source)
The strongest poison ever known
Came from Caesar’s laurel crown.William Blake (1757-1827) English poet, mystic, artist
“Auguries of Innocence,” l. 97 (1803)
(Source)
You never know what is enough until you know what is more than enough.
William Blake (1757-1827) English poet, mystic, artist
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, “Proverbs of Hell”, l. 46 (1790-93)
(Source)
The pride of the peacock is the glory of God.
The lust of the goat is the bounty of God.
The wrath of the lion is the wisdom of God.
The nakedness of a woman is the work of God.William Blake (1757-1827) English poet, mystic, artist
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790-93)
There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness.
Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington (1789-1849) English socialite, writer
(Attributed)
The chief prerequisite for a escort is to have a flexible conscience and an inflexible politeness.
Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington (1789-1849) English socialite, writer
(Attributed)
When there is too much naívetë around, the universe has no choice but to crystallize out some betrayal.
Robert Bly (b. 1926) American poet, story teller, lecturer
Iron John: A Book About Men, ch. 3 “The Road of Ashes, Descent and Grief” (1990)
(Source)
Peace is not the absence of struggle, it is the absence of uncertainty.
Anthony Bloom (1914-2003) English writer, Orthodox cleric [a.k.a. Anthony of Sourozh]
(Attributed)
Genius is the gold in the mine, talent is the miner who works and brings it out.
Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington (1789-1849) English socialite, writer
(Attributed)
I think “immoral” is probably the wrong word to use. I prefer the word “unethical.”
Ivan Boesky (b. 1937) American investment banker, inside trader
(Attributed)
In John B. Stewart, Den of Thieves (1991).
Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.
Niels Bohr (1885-1962) Danish physicist
(Attributed)
Also attrib. to Yogi Berra, various humorists, Danish poet Piet Hein ("det er svært at spå - især om fremtiden"), Robert Storm Petersen ("Storm P"), and Markus M. Ronner.
Genius is the capacity to make all possible mistakes in the least amount of time.
Niels Bohr (1885-1962) Danish physicist
(Attributed)
Of course I don’t believe in it. But I understand that it brings you luck whether you believe in it or not.
Niels Bohr (1885-1962) Danish physicist
(Attributed)
When asked why he had a horseshoe on his wall.Variants:
- "Of course I don't believe in such nonsense. However, I've been told that a horseshoe brings you good luck whether you believe in it or not."
- "I believe in no such thing, my good friend. Not at all. I am scarcely likely to believe in such foolish nonsense. However, I am told that a horseshoe will bring you good luck whether you believe in it or not."
Never express yourself more clearly than you are able to think.
Niels Bohr (1885-1962) Danish physicist
(Attributed)
If imagination is not set to the task of building a creative life, it busies itself with weaving a web of inner fears and doubts, blame and excuse.
Laurence G. Boldt (b. 1954) American writer, philospher
(Attributed)
MORE: You’d be a fine teacher. Perhaps even a great one.
RICH: And if I was, who would know it?
MORE: You, your pupils, your friends, God. Not a bad public, that.Robert Bolt (1924-1935) English dramatist
A Man for All Seasons (1966)
MORE: When a man takes an oath, Meg, he’s holding his own self in his hands, like water. And if he opens his fingers, then he needn’t hope to find himself again.
Robert Bolt (1924-1935) English dramatist
A Man for All Seasons, Act 2 (1960)
Also in the 1966 screen adaptation.
MORE: If we lived in a State where virtue was profitable, common sense would make us good, and greed would make us saintly. And we’d live like animals or angels in the happy land that needs no heroes. But since in fact we see that avarice, anger, envy, pride, sloth, lust and stupidity commonly profit far beyond humility, chastity, fortitude, justice and thought, and have to choose, to be human at all . . . why then perhaps we must stand fast a little — even at the risk of being heroes.
Robert Bolt (1924-1935) English dramatist
A Man for All Seasons (1966)
ROPER: So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!
MORE: Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?
ROPER: Yes, I’d cut down every law in England to do that!
MORE: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned ’round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man’s laws, not God’s! And if you cut them down, and you’re just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I’d give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety’s sake!Robert Bolt (1924-1935) English dramatist
A Man for All Seasons, Act I (1967)
When your mother asks, “Do you want a piece of advice?” it’s a mere formality. It doesn’t matter if you answer yes or no. You’re going to get it anyway.
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996) American humorist
(Attributed)
MORE: I should in fairness add that my taste in music is reputedly deplorable.
HENRY: Your taste in music is excellent. It exactly coincides with my own!Robert Bolt (1924-1935) English dramatist
A Man for All Seasons (1966)
Everyone is guilty at one time or another of throwing out questions that beg to be ignored, but mothers seem to have a market on the supply. “Do you want a spanking or do you want to go to bed?” Don’t you want to save some of the pizza for your brother?” Wasn’t there any change?”
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996) American humorist
(Attributed)
Have you any idea how many children it takes to turn off one light in the kitchen? Three. It takes one to say, “What light?” and two more to say, “I didn’t turn it on.”
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996) American humorist
(Attributed)
I remember buying a set of black plastic dishes once, after I saw an ad on television where they actually put a blowtorch to them and they emerged unscathed. Exactly one week after I bought them, one of the kids brought a dinner plate to me with a large crack in it. When I asked what happened to it, he said it hit a tree. I don’t want to talk about it.
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996) American humorist
(Attributed)
Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996) American humorist
(Attributed)
People shop for a bathing suit with more care than they do a husband or wife. The rules are the same. Look for something you’ll feel comfortable wearing. Allow for room to grow.
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996) American humorist
(Attributed)
The odds of going to the store for a loaf of bread and coming out with ONLY a loaf of bread are three billion to one.
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996) American humorist
(Attributed)
Marriage has no guarantees. If that’s what you’re looking for, go live with a Sears battery.
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996) American humorist
(Attributed)
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, “I used everything you gave me.”
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996) American humorist
(Attributed)
No one ever died from sleeping in an unmade bed. I have known mothers who remake the bed after their children do it because there’s a wrinkle in the spread or the blanket is on crooked. This is sick.
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996) American humorist
(Attributed)
I just clipped 2 articles from a current magazine. One is a diet guaranteed to drop 5 pounds off my body in a weekend. The other is a recipe for a 6 minute pecan pie.
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996) American humorist
(Attributed)
My theory on housework is, if the item doesn’t multiply, smell, catch on fire or block the refrigerator door, let it be. No one cares. Why should you?
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996) American humorist
(Attributed)
Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.
Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983) Dutch evangelist, concentration camp survivor
Clippings From My Notebook (1982)
It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis.
Margaret Wander Bonanno (1950-2021) American writer
(Attributed)
When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.
Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983) Dutch evangelist, concentration camp survivor
(Attributed)
Faith is like radar that sees through the fog — the reality of things at a distance that the human eye cannot see.
Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983) Dutch evangelist, concentration camp survivor
Tramp for the Lord (1974)
I have never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks.
Daniel Boone (c.1734-1820) American pioneer
(Attributed)
Variants:
- "I can't say as ever I was lost, but I was bewildered once for three days." (J. Faragher, Daniel Boone: The Life and Legend of an American Pioneer (1993))
- "I was never lost, but I was bewildered once for three days." (Missouri: A Guide to the "Show Me" State (The WPA Guide to Missouri) (1941)
Don’t fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.
Louis E. Boone (1941-2005) American business writer
(Attributed)
Who is blinder than he that will not see?
Andrew Boorde (c.1490-1549) English physician and writer
Breviary of Helthe (1547)
ARTHUR: Merlin, where are you going?
MERLIN: Where do you think? You have a kingdom to rule.
ARTHUR: But how? I don’t know how.
MERLIN: You knew how to draw the sword from the stone.
ARTHUR: That was easy.
MERLIN: Was it? I couldn’t have done it.John Boorman (b. 1933) English film director, writer
Excalibur (1981) [with Rospo Pallenburg]
MERLIN: When a man lies, he murders some part of the world.
John Boorman (b. 1933) English film director, writer
Excalibur (1981) [with Rospo Pallenburg]
Celebrity-worship and hero-worship should not be confused. Yet we confuse them every day, and by doing so we come dangerously close to depriving ourselves of all real models. We lose sight of the men and women who do not simply seem great because they are famous but are famous because they are great. We come closer and closer to degrading all fame into notoriety.
Daniel J. Boorstin (1914-2004) American historian, professor, attorney, writer
The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America, ch. 2, “From Hero to Celebrity: The Human Pseudo-event” (1961)
The hero is known for achievements; the celebrity for well-knownness. The hero reveals the possibilities of human nature. The celebrity reveals the possibilities of the press and media. Celebrities are people who make news, but heroes are people who make history. Time makes heroes but dissolves celebrities.
Daniel J. Boorstin (1914-2004) American historian, professor, attorney, writer
Parade Magazine, “Who Are Our Heroes?” (by Ponchitta Pierce) (6 Aug. 1995)
I write to discover what I think. After all, the bars aren’t open that early.
Daniel J. Boorstin (1914-2004) American historian, professor, attorney, writer
In Wall Street Journal (31 Dec 1985)
On why he usually wrote from 6:30 to 8:30 AM.
We easily forget that smog is the price of freedom of our streets from manure, and from the flies and diseases it brought.
Daniel J. Boorstin (1914-2004) American historian, professor, attorney, writer
(Attributed)
The celebrity is a person who is known for his well-knownness.
Daniel J. Boorstin (1914-2004) American historian, professor, attorney, writer
The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America, ch. 2 “From Hero to Celebrity: The Human Pseudo-event” (1961)
Truth is like a well-known whore. Everyone knows her, but it is embarrassing to encounter her on the street.
Wolfgang Borchert (1921-1947) German writer
(Attributed)
The most likely way for the world to be destroyed, most experts agree, is by accident. That’s where we come in; we’re computer professionals. We cause accidents.
Nathaniel Borenstein (b. 1957) American research scientist, programmer, writer
Programming As If People Mattered (1991)
Originally a classroom comment, c. 1985, while teaching at Carnegie-Mellon University.
“Boren’s Guidelines” for bureacrats: (1) When in charge, ponder. (2) When in trouble, delegate. (3) When in doubt, mumble.
James H. Boren (1925-2010) American bureaucrat, humorist, speaker
“Bureaucrats Give Agnew the Bird (It’s an Award),” New York Times (8 Nov. 1970)
While money cannot buy happiness, the advantages of poverty have been greatly exaggerated.
Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) Argentine writer
(Attributed)
Any life, however long and complicated it may be, actually consists of a single moment — the moment when a man knows forever more who he is.
Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) Argentine writer
“A Biography of Tadeo Isidoro Cruz”, The Aleph (1949) [tr. Hurley (1998)]
Alt. trans.: "Any life, no matter how long and complex it may be, is made up of a single moment -- the moment in which a man finds out, once and for all, who he is."