WIST Quotations

Billings, Josh -- Everybody’s Friend, Or; Josh Billing’s Encyclopedia and Proverbial Philosophy of Wit and Humor, ch. 281 “Variety: Bred and Butter” (1874)

Dave — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 20:59:25 +0000

Thare iz no man so necessary in this world, but that when he dies hiz plase iz quickly filled, and he iz soon forgotten.

[There is no man so necessary in this world, but that when he dies his place is quickly filled, and he is soon forgotten.]

Josh Billings (1818–1885) American humorist, aphorist [pseud. of Henry Wheeler Shaw]
Everybody’s Friend, Or; Josh Billing’s Encyclopedia and Proverbial Philosophy of Wit and Humor, ch. 281 “Variety: Bred and Butter” (1874)

See Hubbard (1907).

Gracián, Baltasar -- The Art of Worldly Wisdom [Oráculo Manual y Arte de Prudencia], § 5 (1647) [tr. Jacobs (1892)]

Dave — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 17:00:21 +0000

The wise man would rather see men needing him than thanking him.

[El sagaz más quiere necessitados de sí que agradecidos.]

Baltasar Gracián y Morales (1601–1658) Spanish Jesuit priest, writer, philosopher
The Art of Worldly Wisdom [Oráculo Manual y Arte de Prudencia], § 5 (1647) [tr. Jacobs (1892)]

(Source (Spanish)). Other translations:

A Man of Parts had rather meet with those who depend upon him, than that are thankfull to him.
[Flesher ed. (1685)]

He who knows, desires more that man shall need him than thank him.
[tr. Fischer (1937)]

He who is truly shrewd would rather have people need him than thank him.
[tr. Maurer (1992)]

Emerson, Ralph Waldo -- “Montaigne; or, The Skeptic,” Representative Men, Lecture 4 (1850)

Dave — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 23:34:15 +0000

Man helps himself by larger generalizations. The lesson of life is practically to generalize; to believe what the years and the centuries say, against the hours; to resist the usurpation of particulars; to penetrate to their catholic sense. Things seem to say one thing, and say the reverse. The appearance is immoral; the result is moral.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) American essayist, lecturer, poet
“Montaigne; or, The Skeptic,” Representative Men, Lecture 4 (1850)

Hubbard, Elbert -- “The Philistine” (May 1907)

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

The graveyards are full of people the world could not do without.

Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American writer, businessman, philosopher
“The Philistine” (May 1907)

Sometimes misquoted as:

"The graveyards are full of indispensable men"
"The cemeteries are full of indispensable men."
"The cemeteries are filled with people who thought the world could not get along without them."

Also attributed to Charles DeGaulle, Georges Clemenceau, and many others. More discussion: The Graveyards Are Full of Indispensable Men – Quote Investigator.

Santayana, George -- The Sense of Beauty, Part 1 “The Nature of Beauty,” sec. 4 “Work and Play” (1896)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 19:00:00 +0000

To condemn spontaneous and delightful occupations because they are useless for self-preservation shows an uncritical prizing of life regardless of its contents.

George Santayana (1863–1952) Spanish-American poet and philosopher [Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruíz de Santayana y Borrás]
The Sense of Beauty, Part 1 “The Nature of Beauty,” sec. 4 “Work and Play” (1896)