The right to be let alone is indeed the beginning of all freedom.
William O. Douglas (1898-1980) US Supreme Court justice (1939-75)
Roth vs. United States, 354 U.S. 476, dissenting opinion (1957)
Justice is too good for some people and not good enough for the rest.
Norman Douglas (1868-1952) Austro-British writer
Good-bye to Western Culture (1930)
Living in Los Angeles is not blameworthy per se.
William O. Douglas (1898-1980) US Supreme Court justice (1939-75)
Lambert v. California (1958)
Government should be concerned with anti-social conduct, not with utterances.
William O. Douglas (1898-1980) US Supreme Court justice (1939-75)
Roth vs. United States, 354 U.S. 476, dissenting opinion (1957)
Marriage is a coming together for better or for worse, hopefully enduring, and intimate to the degree of being sacred.
William O. Douglas (1898-1980) US Supreme Court justice (1939-75)
Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 US 470 (1965) (7 Jun 1965)
As nightfall does not come all at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight. And it is in such twilight that we all must be aware of change in the air — however slight — lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness.
William O. Douglas (1898-1980) US Supreme Court justice (1939-75)
Speech to Young Lawyers Section of the Washington State Bar Association (10 Sep. 1976)
Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.
William O. Douglas (1898-1980) US Supreme Court justice (1939-75)
The Nieman Reports, vol. 7, no. 1, “The One Un-Amercan Act” (Jan. 1953)
No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck.
Frederick Douglass (1817-1895) American abolitionist, orator, writer
Speech, Civil Rights Mass Meeting, Washington, D.C. (1883)
The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims, have been born of earnest struggle. The conflict has been exciting, agitating, all-absorbing, and for the time being, putting all other tumults to silence. It must do this or it does nothing. If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.
Frederick Douglass (1817-1895) American abolitionist, orator, writer
Speech on West India Emancipation (4 Aug 1857)
Also cited (in part) as a letter to a colleague in 1849. More background here.
When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) British writer and physician
The Sign of Four, ch. 6, (Sherlock Holmes) (1889)
The dogge waggeth his tayle, not for you, but for your bread.
Thomas Draxe (d. 1618) English writer [also Thomas Drake]
Bibliotheca Scholastica Instructissima (1633)
earlier ed. 1616?
Do not believe that it is very much of an advance to do the unnecessary three times as fast.
Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005) Austrian-American business consultant
(1969)
On computers
Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.
Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005) Austrian-American business consultant
(Attributed)
The understanding that underlies the right decision grows out of the clash and conflict of opinions and out of the serious consideration of competing alternatives.
Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005) Austrian-American business consultant
Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices, ch. 29 (1974)
Wherever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.
Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005) Austrian-American business consultant
(Attributed)
The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.
Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005) Austrian-American business consultant
(Attributed)
Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.
Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005) Austrian-American business consultant
Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices, ch. 2 (1974)
Sometimes quoted as "Management" and "Leadership"; also attrib. Warren Bennis
There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.
Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005) Austrian-American business consultant
(Attributed)
So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work.
Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005) Austrian-American business consultant
(Attributed)
My greatest strength as a consultant is to be ignorant and ask a few questions.
Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005) Austrian-American business consultant
(Attributed)
He who will not reason is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool; and he who dares not is a slave.
Sir William Drummond (1770-1828) Scottish scholar and philosopher
Academical Questions, Preface (1805)
(sometimes attrib. Byron)
To get to heaven we must take it with us.
Henry Drummond (1851-1897) Scottish cleric, naturalist
(Attributed)
Beware the fury of a patient man.
John Dryden (1631-1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
Absalom and Achitophel, Part I, l. 1005 (1681)
How can finite grasp infinity?
John Dryden (1631-1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
(Attributed)
Errors like straws upon the surface flow:
Who would search for pearls must dive below.John Dryden (1631-1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
All for Love, Prologue (1677)
A capacity to change is indispensable. Equally indispensable is the capacity to hold fast to that which is good.
John Foster Dulles (1888-1959) American politician and diplomat
(Attributed)
The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.
W. E. B. Du Bois (1868-1963) American writer, historian, social reformer [William Edward Burghardt Du Bois]
John Brown (1909)
Efficiency is intelligent laziness.
David Dunham (contemp.) American computer programmer, game designer
(Attributed)
http://lists.trolltech.com/qt-interest/2002-01/thread00788-0.html
Don’t let them tame you!
Isadora Duncan (1877-1927) American dancer, choreographer
Curtain speech, Symphony Hall, Boston (1922)
If I could tell you what it meant, there would be no point in dancing it.
Isadora Duncan (1877-1927) American dancer, choreographer
(Attributed)
And that’s the world in a nutshell, an appropriate receptacle.
(Other Authors and Sources)
Stan Dunn
A fanatic is a man who does what he thinks th’ Lord wud do if He knew th’ facts iv the case.
[A fanatic is a man who does what he thinks the Lord would do if He knew the facts of the case.]
Finley Peter Dunne (1867-1936) American humorist and journalist
“Casual Observations,” Mr. Dooley’s Opinions (1901)
Trust everyone, but cut the cards.
Finley Peter Dunne (1867-1936) American humorist and journalist
Mr. Dooley’s Opinions, “Casual Observations” (1901)
‘Twas founded be th’ Puritans to give thanks f’r bein’ presarved fr’m th’ Indyans, an’ … we keep it to give thanks we are presarved fr’m th’ Puritans.
[It was founded by the Puritans to give thanks for being preserved from the Indians, and … we keep it to give thanks we are preserved from the Puritans.]
Finley Peter Dunne (1867-1936) American humorist and journalist
Mr. Dooley’s Opinions, “Thanksgiving” (1900)
Th’ past always looks better thin it was. It’s only pleasant because it isn’t here.
[The past always looks better than it was. It’s only pleasant because it isn’t here.]
Finley Peter Dunne (1867-1936) American humorist and journalist
A Family Union, “Mr. Dooley”
Education is the transmission of civilization.
Ariel Durant (1898-1981) American writer
(Attributed)
The conservative who resists change is as valuable as the radical who proposes it.
William James (Will) Durant (1885-1981) American historian, teacher, philosopher
The Lessons of History, ch. 5, “Character & History” (1968)
Inquiry is fatal to certainty.
William James (Will) Durant (1885-1981) American historian, teacher, philosopher
The Age of Faith, ch. 38 “The Age of Romance” (1950)
(Source)
One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say.
William James (Will) Durant (1885-1981) American historian, teacher, philosopher
NY World-Telegram & Sun (6 Jun 1958)
The trouble with most people is that they think with their hopes or fears or wishes rather than with their minds.
William James (Will) Durant (1885-1981) American historian, teacher, philosopher
Recalled on his death (7 Nov. 1981)
http://www.bartleby.com/63/83/4983.html
Most of us spend too much time on the last twenty-four hours and too little on the last six thousand years.
William James (Will) Durant (1885-1981) American historian, teacher, philosopher
(Attributed)
A little rule, a little sway,
A sunbeam in a winter’s day,
Is all the proud and mighty have
Between the cradle and the grave.John Dyer (1699-1757) British poet
“Grongar Hill,” ll. 88-91
Just because you like my stuff doesn’t mean I owe you anything.
Bob Dylan (b. 1941) American singer, songwriter
(1965)
Enthusiasm for one’s goal lessens the disagreeableness of working toward it.
Thomas Eakins (1844-1916) American artist, educator
(Attributed)
Recognizing the need is the primary condition for design.
Charles Eames (1907-1978) American architect, industrial designer
(1969)
It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humor.
Max Eastman (1883-1969) American writer and editor
Enjoyment of Laughter (1936)
You can’t let one bad moment spoil a bunch of good ones.
Dale Earnhardt (1951-2001) American auto racer
(Attributed)
I’m interested in the fact that the less secure a man is, the more likely he is to have extreme prejudice.
Clint Eastwood (b. 1930) American actor, politician
(Attributed)
Men and nations behave wisely when they have exhausted all other resources.
Abba Eban (1915-2002) Israeli politician and diplomat [b. Aubrey Solomon Eban]
Speech, Japan (19 Mar 1967)
Regarding the problems between Israel and her neighbors Other references by Eban:Eban used the phrases in various ways, but generically for all nations, for many years. Variants referencing America are usually attributed starting in the early 1980s to Winston Churchill, but not found in his writings or attributions to him at the time:
- "Nations do behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives." (6 Jun 1967)
- "The question is whether there is any reason to believe that such a new era may yet come to pass. If I am sanguine on this point, it is because of a conviction that men and nations do behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives. Surely the other alternatives of war and belligerency have now been exhausted." (Speech, United Nations, 16 Jun 1967)
For more info, see here.
- "Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing, after they have exhausted all other possibilities."
- "The Americans can always be trusted to do the right thing, once all other possibilities have been exhausted."
- "You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing after they have tried everything else."
- "The Americans will always do the right thing, after they've exhausted all the alternatives."
A statesman who keeps his ear permanently glued to the ground will have neither elegance of posture nor flexibility of movement.
Abba Eban (1915-2002) Israeli politician and diplomat [b. Aubrey Solomon Eban]
(Attributed)
There is a little immaturity stuck away in the crannies of even the most judicious of us, and we should treasure it.
Roger Ebert (1942-2013) American film critic, journalist, screenwriter
Review of The Mummy (May 1999)
Some people want to see God with their eyes as they see a cow, and to love Him as they love their cow — for the milk and cheese and profit it brings them. This is how it is with people who love God for the sake of outward wealth or inward comfort. They do not rightly love God, when they love Him for their own advantage.
Meister Eckhart (c. 1260-1328?) German theologian, philosopher, mystic [a.k.a. Johannes Eckhart von Hochheim; Eckhart; Eckehart]
(Attributed)
We must not in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.
Marian Wright Edelman (b. 1939) American social reformer, lawyer, author
Families in Peril (1987)
The brain can be developed just the same as the muscles can be developed, if one will only take the pains to train the mind to think. Why do so many men never amount to anything? Because they don’t think.
Thomas Edison (1847-1931) American inventor and businessman
“They Won’t Think” (1921)
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
Thomas Edison (1847-1931) American inventor and businessman
(Spurious)
The quotation is first recorded anonymously in 1921, but is not attributed to Edison until 1962. More discussion here: Opportunity Is Missed Because It Is Dressed in Overalls and Looks Like Work – Quote Investigator.