WIST Quotations

Keynes, John Maynard -- Essays in Persuasion, Part 4 “Politics,” ch. 1, sec. 2 (1931)

Dave — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 17:09:36 +0000

At any rate to me it seems clearer every day that the moral problem of our age is concerned with the love of money, with the habitual appeal to the money motive in nine-tenths of the activities of life, with the universal striving after individual economic security as the prime object of endeavour, with the social approbation of money as the measure of constructive success, and with the social appeal to the hoarding instinct as the foundation of the necessary provision for the family and for the future.

John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) English economist
Essays in Persuasion, Part 4 “Politics,” ch. 1, sec. 2 (1931)
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Corless, Roger -- The Vision of Buddhism: the Space under the Tree, Part 2 “The Space” (1989)

Dave — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 16:24:32 +0000

We make ourselves miserable by first closing ourselves off from reality and then collecting this and that in an attempt to make ourselves happy by possessing happiness. But happiness is not something I have, it is something I myself want to be. Trying to be happy by accumulating possessions is like trying to satisfy hunger by taping sandwiches all over my body.

Roger J. Corless (1938–2007) Anglo-American religious academic, Buddhist scholar, ecumenicist
The Vision of Buddhism: the Space under the Tree, Part 2 “The Space” (1989)
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Frequently misattributed to George Carlin (with "all over your body").

Aesop -- Fables [Aesopica], “The Dog in the Manger” (6th C BC)

Dave — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:03:39 +0000

People often grudge others when they cannot enjoy themselves.

Aesop (620?-560? BC) Legendary Greek storyteller
Fables [Aesopica], “The Dog in the Manger” (6th C BC)
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Alternate translation: "See, what a miserable cur! who neither can eat corn himself, nor will allow those to eat in who can." [tr. James (1848)]

Alternate translation: "What a selfish Dog! He cannot eat the hay himself, and yet refuses to allow those to eat who can." [tr. Townsend (1887)]

Bacon, Francis -- “Of Seditions and Troubles,” Essays, No. 15 (1625)

Dave — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:46:21 +0000

Money is like muck, not good except it be spread.

Francis Bacon (1561-1626) English philosopher, scientist, author, statesman
“Of Seditions and Troubles,” Essays, No. 15 (1625)
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