WIST Quotations

Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Sr. -- Article (1860-08), “The Professor’s Story [Elsie Venner],” ch. 16, Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 6, No. 34

Dave — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 15:52:03 +0000

Leverage is everything, — was what I used to say; — don’t begin to pry till you have got the long arm on your side.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–1894) American poet, essayist, scholar
Article (1860-08), “The Professor’s Story [Elsie Venner],” ch. 16, Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 6, No. 34

Originally serialized as “The Professor’s Story,” but collected as the novel Elsie Venner, ch. 16 (1861).

Watts, Alan -- The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are, ch. 3 “How to be a Genuine Fake” (1966)

Dave — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 01:19:08 +0000

Problems that remain persistently insoluble should always be suspected as questions asked in the wrong way.

Alan Watts (1915–1973) Anglo-American philosopher, writer
The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are, ch. 3 “How to be a Genuine Fake” (1966)

See Peres.

McLaughlin, Mignon -- The Neurotic’s Notebook, ch. 9 (1963)

Dave — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 15:46:21 +0000

No problem of any consequence can be tackled head on.

Mignon McLaughlin (1913–1983) American journalist and author
The Neurotic’s Notebook, ch. 9 (1963)

Gracián, Baltasar -- The Art of Worldly Wisdom [Oráculo Manual y Arte de Prudencia], § 31 (1647) [tr. Jacobs (1892)]

Dave — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 20:28:53 +0000

The greatest skill in cards is to know when to discard; the smallest of current trumps is worth more than the ace of trumps of the last game.

[La mejor treta del juego es saberse descartar: más importa la menor carta del triunfo que corre que la mayor del que pasó.]

Baltasar Gracián y Morales (1601–1658) Spanish Jesuit priest, writer, philosopher
The Art of Worldly Wisdom [Oráculo Manual y Arte de Prudencia], § 31 (1647) [tr. Jacobs (1892)]

(Source (Spanish)). Other translations:

The true skill at play, is to know how to discard. The lowest Card that turns up, is better than the highest of the former dealing.
[Flesher ed. (1685)]

The great trick in cards lies in knowing what to discard: and the deuce of a suit that is trump, is more valuable than the ace of a suit that was.
[tr. Fischer (1937)]

The trick is to know what cards to get rid of. The least card in the winning hand in front of you is more important than the best card in the losing hand you just laid down.
[tr. Maurer (1992)]

Jay, Antony -- Management and Machiavelli: An Inquiry into the Politics of Corporate Life (1967)

Dave — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 16:22:07 +0000

The uncreative mind can spot wrong answers, but it takes a very creative mind to spot wrong questions.

Antony Jay (1930–2016) English writer, broadcaster, director
Management and Machiavelli: An Inquiry into the Politics of Corporate Life (1967)

Gide, André -- Journal (26 Oct 1924) [tr. O’Brien (1951)]

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

It is not always by plugging away at a difficulty and sticking at it that one overcomes it; but, rather, often by working on the one next to it. Certain people and certain things require to be approached on an angle.

André Gide (1869–1951) French author, Nobel laureate
Journal (26 Oct 1924) [tr. O’Brien (1951)]