WIST Quotations

Russell, Bertrand -- Conquest of Happiness, Part 1, ch. 1 “What Makes People Unhappy?” (1930)

Dave — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 15:58:50 +0000

The megalomaniac differs from the narcissist by the fact that he wishes to be powerful rather than charming, and seeks to be feared rather than loved. To this type belong many lunatics and most of the great men of history.

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) English mathematician and philosopher
Conquest of Happiness, Part 1, ch. 1 “What Makes People Unhappy?” (1930)
(Source)

Le Guin, Ursula K. -- The Lathe of Heaven, ch. 9 (1971)

Dave — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:03:09 +0000

The quality of the will to power is, precisely, growth. Achievement is its cancellation. To be, the will to power must increase with each fulfillment, making the fulfillment only a step to a further one. The vaster the power gained, the vaster the appetite for more.

Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018) American writer
The Lathe of Heaven, ch. 9 (1971)
(Source)

Hoffer, Eric -- Passionate State of Mind, Aphorism 104 (1955)

Dave — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:09:41 +0000

The sick in soul insist that it is humanity that is sick, and they are the surgeons to operate on it. They want to turn the world into a sickroom. And once they get humanity strapped to the operating table, they operate on it with an ax.

Eric Hoffer (1902-1983) American writer, philosopher, longshoreman
Passionate State of Mind, Aphorism 104 (1955)
(Source)