WIST Quotations

Shakespeare, William -- Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1, sc. 1, ll. 238ff (1.1.238-245) (1605)

Dave — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 17:25:00 +0000

HELENA: Things base and vile, holding no quantity,
Love can transpose to form and dignity.
Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind;
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.
Nor hath Love’s mind of any judgment taste.
Wings, and no eyes, figure unheedy haste.
And therefore is Love said to be a child
Because in choice he is so oft beguiled.

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) English dramatist and poet
Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1, sc. 1, ll. 238ff (1.1.238-245) (1605)

Billings, Josh -- Josh Billings’ Farmer’s Allminax, 1975-02 “Heliotropes” (1875 ed.)

Dave — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 16:33:16 +0000

Intelekt without judgement iz what ails about one halff the smart people in this world.

[Intellect without judgment is what ails about one half the smart people in this world.]

Josh Billings (1818–1885) American humorist, aphorist [pseud. of Henry Wheeler Shaw]
Josh Billings’ Farmer’s Allminax, 1975-02 “Heliotropes” (1875 ed.)

La Bruyere, Jean de -- The Characters [Les Caractères], ch. 5 “Of Society and Conversation [De la Société et de la Conversation],” § 18 (5.18) (1688) [tr. Van Laun (1885)]

Dave — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 15:14:06 +0000

It is a sad thing when men have neither enough intelligence to speak well nor enough sense to hold their tongues.

[C’est une grande misère que de n’avoir pas assez d’esprit pour bien parler, ni assez de jugement pour se taire.]

Jean de La Bruyère (1645–1696) French essayist, moralist
The Characters [Les Caractères], ch. 5 “Of Society and Conversation [De la Société et de la Conversation],” § 18 (5.18) (1688) [tr. Van Laun (1885)]

(Source (French)). Other translations:

'Tis a sad thing when Men have neither Wit enough to speak well, nor Sense enough to hold their tongues.
[Bullord ed. (1696)]

'Tis a sad thing when Men have neither Wit enough to speak well, nor Judgment enough to hold their Tongues.
[Curll ed. (1713)]

It is a sad Thing when Men have neither Wit to speak well, nor Judgment to hold their Tongues.
[Browne ed. (1752)]

It is a great misfortune to have neither wit enough to talk well nor sense enough to keep silence.
[tr. Stewart (1970)]

Orwell, George -- Diary Entry (1941-05-18), “First War-Time Diary”

Dave — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:08:59 +0000

If there is a wrong thing to do, it will be done, infallibly. One has come to believe in that as if it were a law of nature.

George Orwell (1903–1950) English journalist, essayist, writer [pseud. of Eric Arthur Blair]
Diary Entry (1941-05-18), “First War-Time Diary”

In context, Orwell is complaining about what he considers squandered opportunities by Britain to occupy Vichy French territories, such as Syria, before Germany could make use of them.

See Murphy's Law.

Franklin, Benjamin -- Poor Richard Improved (1748 ed.)

Dave — Thu, 27 May 2010 12:16:20 +0000

Most Fools think they are only ignorant.

Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
Poor Richard Improved (1748 ed.)