WIST Quotations

Johnson, Samuel -- Essay (1754-01-19), The Adventurer, No. 126

Dave — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 23:37:45 +0000

Even the acquisition of knowledge is often much facilitated by the advantages of society: he that never compares his notions with those of others, readily acquiesces in his first thoughts, and very seldom discovers the objections which may be raised against his opinions; he, therefore, often thinks himself in possession of truth, when he is only fondling an errour long since exploded. He that has neither companions nor rivals in his studies, will always applaud his own progress, and think highly of his performances, because he knows not that others have equalled or excelled him. And I am afraid it may be added, that the student who withdraws himself from the world, will soon feel that ardour extinguished which praise or emulation had enkindled, and take the advantage of secrecy to sleep, rather than to labour.

Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) English writer, lexicographer, critic
Essay (1754-01-19), The Adventurer, No. 126
(Source)

Johnson, Samuel -- Essay (1754-01-19), The Adventurer, No. 126

Dave — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 22:48:02 +0000

But though learning may be conferred by solitude, its application must be attained by general converse. He has learned to no purpose, that is not able to teach; and he will always teach unsuccessfully, who cannot recommend his sentiments by his diction or address.

Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) English writer, lexicographer, critic
Essay (1754-01-19), The Adventurer, No. 126
(Source)

Martin, Judith -- Star-Spangled Manners, ch. 1 (2003)

Dave — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 18:03:20 +0000

Etiquette systems of one kind or another govern all social intercourse, formal and informal, which is why faulty ones are able to do so much damage. A system that denies the innate human need for dignity to specific categories of people, typically the poor and the enslaved, fosters incendiary resentment.

Judith Martin (b. 1938) American author, journalist, etiquette expert [a.k.a. Miss Manners]
Star-Spangled Manners, ch. 1 (2003)
(Source)

Taylor, Barbara Brown -- An Altar in the World, ch. 8 (2009)

Dave — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:38:44 +0000

Every human interaction offers you the chance to make things better or to make things worse.

Barbara Brown Taylor (b. 1951) American minister, academic, author
An Altar in the World, ch. 8 (2009)
(Source)

White, Ken -- Twitter (2022-09-13)

Dave — Thu, 30 May 2024 16:41:25 +0000

If you look at someone and see no reasonable probability you’ll ever have a positive or instructive interaction with them, block now and move on.

Ken White (b. c. 1969) American constitutional and criminal attorney, prosecutor, blogger
Twitter (2022-09-13)
(Source)

Commonly known as "The Popehat Rule" (after White's Twitter account handle). An earlier version reads:

Block early, block often, block whenever you feel "I think I would enjoy not knowing this person.
[Twitter (2022-06-23)]

This should not be confused with Popehat's Rule of Goats or Law of Goats, e.g.:

He who fucks goats, either as part of a performance or to troll those he deems has overly delicate sensibilities, is simply a goatfucker.
[Urban Dictionary, "Popehat's Law of Goats"]

If you fuck goats because it upsets people you hate, you're still a goatfucker. Nobody cares that you're an insincere goatfucker.
[Twitter (2017-02-19)]

The Rule of Goats: even if you say you're only fucking goats ironically, you're still a goatfucker.
[Twitter (2017-04-30)]

If you kiss a goat, even if you say you’re doing it ironically, you’re still a goat-kisser.
["Is Alex Jones an extreme conspiracy theorist or a giant troll?" Los Angeles Times (2017-04-11) (Paraphrased "for this family newspaper")]

Coffin, William Sloane -- “Spirituality,” sermon, Riverside Church, New York City (1986-10-26)

Dave — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 17:12:44 +0000

Most of the time we aren’t really present one to another, we just bump masks.

William Sloane Coffin, Jr. (1924-2006) American minister, social activist
“Spirituality,” sermon, Riverside Church, New York City (1986-10-26)
(Source)

Sermon on Psalm 46, Galatians 5:16-26.

Like most writers of sermons, Coffin used the phrase on multiple occasions, e.g., in A Passion for the Possible, ch. 6 "Sexism" (1993):

Vulnerability is a great virtue, as Paul realized when he said, "Whenever I am weak, then I am strong." Without it there can be neither honesty nor intimacy. Without vulnerability we don't really meet each other, we just bump masks.

(Referencing 2 Corinthians 12:10.)

Bierce, Ambrose -- “Conversation,” The Cynic’s Word Book (1906)

Dave — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 17:23:11 +0000

CONVERSATION, n. A fair for the display of the minor mental commodities, each exhibitor being too intent upon the arrangement of his own wares to observe those of his neighbor.

Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914?) American writer and journalist
“Conversation,” The Cynic’s Word Book (1906)
(Source)

Included in The Devil's Dictionary (1911). Originally published in the "Devil's Dictionary" column in the San Francisco Wasp (1881-08-26).

De Stael, Germaine -- Germany [L’Allemagne], Part 1, ch. 11 “Of the Spirit of Conversation” (1813)

Dave — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 14:52:23 +0000

There is no arena in which vanity displays itself under such a variety of forms as in conversation.

[Il n’est point d’arène où la vanité se montre sous des formes plus variées que dans la conversation.]

Germaine de Staël (1766-1817) Swiss-French writer, woman of letters, critic, salonist [Anne Louise Germaine de Staël-Holstein, Madame de Staël, Madame Necker]
Germany [L’Allemagne], Part 1, ch. 11 “Of the Spirit of Conversation” (1813)
(Source)

(Source (French)).

Sometimes misattributed to Marguerite Gardiner (Lady Blessington), due to this quote (there attributed to de Stael) being included in the Preface to R. R. Madden, The Literary Life and Correspondence of the Countess of Blessington, Vol. 1 (1855).

Martin, Judith -- “Polite Company,” interview by Hara Estroff Marano, Psychology Today (1998-03)

Dave — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 16:04:07 +0000

If you want to go off by yourself and be a hermit, you can do whatever you want. But if you want interaction with other people, then by definition you have to buy into the social contract and restrain some of your behavior some of the time.

Judith Martin (b. 1938) American author, journalist, etiquette expert [a.k.a. Miss Manners]
“Polite Company,” interview by Hara Estroff Marano, Psychology Today (1998-03)
(Source)

Martin, Judith -- “Polite Company,” interview by Hara Estroff Marano, Psychology Today (1998-03)

Dave — Tue, 30 May 2023 15:15:18 +0000

Teacup formality is a part of etiquette, but an infinitesimal part. How about fast-food informality? That is as much a part of etiquette as the teacup. It is all of our behavior and not simply the formal occasion behavior. And, in fact, the more informal the circumstances, usually the more you need etiquette.

Judith Martin (b. 1938) American author, journalist, etiquette expert [a.k.a. Miss Manners]
“Polite Company,” interview by Hara Estroff Marano, Psychology Today (1998-03)
(Source)

Gladwell, Malcolm -- Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know (2019)

Dave — Mon, 22 May 2023 22:12:29 +0000

You believe someone not because you have no doubts about them. Belief is not the absence of doubt. You believe someone because you don’t have enough doubts about them.

Malcolm Gladwell (b. 1963) Anglo-Canadian journalist, author, public speaker
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know (2019)
(Source)

Russell, Bertrand -- “On smiling,” New York American (1932-08-17)

Dave — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:17:19 +0000

One of the most disconcerting things about infants is that they only smile when they are pleased. They stare at visitors with round grave eyes, and when the visitors try to amuse them, they display astonishment at the foolish antics of adults. But as soon as possible, their parents teach them to seem pleased by the company of people to whom they are utterly indifferent.

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) English mathematician and philosopher
“On smiling,” New York American (1932-08-17)
(Source)

Helgoe, Laurie -- Introvert Power (2008)

Dave — Fri, 15 May 2020 19:16:03 +0000

I prefer to interact with people one-on-one. Any more than that, and the dynamic becomes competitive and then I get bored easily when I’m not directly participating in the exchange.

Laurie Helgoe (b. 1960) American psychologist and author
Introvert Power (2008)
(Source)

Quoting "Suzanne".

McGinley, Phyllis -- “A New Year and No Resolutions,” Woman’s Home Companion (Jan 1957)

Dave — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 20:37:03 +0000

Gossip isn’t scandal and it’s not merely malicious. It’s chatter about the human race by lovers of the same. Gossip is the tool of the poet, the shop-talk of the scientist, and the consolation of the housewife, wit, tycoon and intellectual. It begins in the nursery and ends when speech is past.

Phyllis McGinley (1905-1978) American author, poet
“A New Year and No Resolutions,” Woman’s Home Companion (Jan 1957)
(Source)

Bronte, Anne -- The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, ch. 7 “The Excursion” [Helen] (1848)

Dave — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 21:00:23 +0000

No one can be happy in eternal solitude.

Anne Brontë (1820-1849) British novelist, poet [pseud. Acton Bell]
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, ch. 7 “The Excursion” [Helen] (1848)
(Source)

Heinlein, Robert A. -- Time Enough for Love, “Notebooks of Lazarus Long” (1973)

Dave — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 21:26:05 +0000

Moving parts in rubbing contact require lubrication to avoid excessive wear. Honorifics and formal politeness provide lubrication where people rub together. Often the very young, the untraveled, the naive, the unsophisticated deplore these formalities as “empty,” “meaningless,” or “dishonest,” and scorn to use them. No matter how “pure” their motives, they thereby throw sand into machinery that does not work too well at best.

Robert A. Heinlein (1907-1988) American writer
Time Enough for Love, “Notebooks of Lazarus Long” (1973)

Hoffer, Eric -- Passionate State of Mind, Aphorism 141 (1955)

Dave — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:19:30 +0000

Good judgment in our dealings with others consists not in seeing through deceptions and evil intentions but in being able to waken the decency dormant in every person.

Eric Hoffer (1902-1983) American writer, philosopher, longshoreman
Passionate State of Mind, Aphorism 141 (1955)
(Source)

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth -- Kavanaugh: A Tale, ch. 13 (1849)

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

Men of genius are often dull and inert in society, as a blazing meteor, when it descends to earth, is only a stone.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) American poet
Kavanaugh: A Tale, ch. 13 (1849)
(Source)