A common mistake people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.
Douglas Adams (1952–2001) English author, humorist, screenwriter
Hitchhiker’s Guide No. 5, Mostly Harmless, ch. 12 (1992)
(Source)
Quotations about:
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Note not all quotations have been tagged, so Search may find additional quotes on this topic.
Logic is an organized way of going wrong with confidence.
Charles F. Kettering (1876–1958) American inventor, engineer, researcher, businessman
“Kettering’s Law,” from address before American Society of Mechanical Engineers (c. 1944)
Quoted in Heinlein, The Number of the Beast (1980).Alternately quoted:
- "Beware logic. Logic is an organized way to go wrong -- with confidence."
- Logic is an organized way to go wrong with confidence. We should all know by now that a logical course is not always the right one."
Sometimes referred to "Kettering's Observation."
Cited in Food Industries magazine, vol. 16 (1944), referring to the speech being "recent" (the magazine is also referred to as Food Engineering).
This site previously incorrectly attributed the quote to Iris Murdoch. That attribution seems to have been duplicated at some other sites, but was an error. I have also found citations to L. Walter Lundell and Karl Popper.
Another "Kettering's Law" that is referenced is: "Parts left out cost nothing, require no maintenance, and do not fail."
A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side.
Aristotle (384–322 BC) Greek philosopher
Politics [Πολιτικά], Book 5, ch. 11 / 1314b.39
Other translations:
- "Also he should appear to be particularly earnest in the service of the Gods; for if men think that a ruler is religious and has a reverence for the Gods, they are less afraid of suffering injustice at his hands, and they are less disposed to conspire against him, because they believe him to have the very Gods fighting on his side. At the same time his religion must not be thought foolish." [tr. Jowett (1885)]
- "And, moreover, always to seem particularly attentive to the worship of the gods; for from persons of such a character men entertain less fears of suffering anything illegal while they suppose that he who governs them is religious and reverences the gods; and they will be less inclined to raise insinuations against such a one, as being peculiarly under their protection: but this must be so done as to give no occasion for any suspicion of hypocrisy." [tr. Ellis (1912)]
- "And further he must be seen always to be exceptionally zealous as regards religious observances (for people are less afraid of suffering any illegal treatment from men of this sort, if they think that their ruler has religious scruples and pays regard to the gods, and also they plot against him less, thinking that he has even the gods as allies), though he should not display a foolish religiosity." [tr. Rackham (1932)]
- "Further, he must always show himself to be seriously attentive to the things pertaining to the gods. For men are less afraid fo being treated in some respect contrary to the law by such persons, if they consider the ruler a god-fearing sort who takes thought for the gods, and they are less ready to conspire against him as one who has the gods too as allies. In showing himself of this sort, however, he must avoid silliness." [tr. Lord (1984)]
A person is always startled when he hears himself seriously called an old man for the first time.
Everyone complains of his memory, but no one complains of his judgment.
[Tout le monde se plaint de sa mémoire, et personne ne se plaint de son jugement.]
François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶89 (1665-1678)
First appeared in the 2nd (1666) edition. The written manuscript adds "because everyone believes they have a lot of it."
See also Montaigne (1578), Franklin (1745).
(Source (French)). Other translations:Every body complains for want of Memory; but you never find any body complain of the Weakness of his Judgment.
[tr. Stanhope (1694), ¶90]Every one complains of the badness of his memory, but nobody of his judgment.
[pub. Donaldson (1783), ¶263; ed. Lepoittevin-Lacroix (1797), ¶86]Of the want of memory every one complains;, but nobody of the want of judgment.
[ed. Carvill (1835), ¶263]Every one complains of his memory, and no one complains of his judgment.
[ed. Gowens (1851), ¶92]Everyone blames his memory, no one blames his judgment.
[tr. Bund/Friswell (1871), ¶89]Everyone blames his memory, no one his judgment.
[tr. Heard (1917), ¶89]Everyone finds fault with his memory, but none with his judgement.
[tr. Stevens (1939), ¶89]Everyone complains of his memory, none of his judgment.
[tr. FitzGibbon (1957), ¶89]Everyone complains of his memory and no one complains of his judgment.
[tr. Kronenberger (1959), ¶89]Everybody complains of his memory, but nobody of his judgment.
[tr. Tancock (1959), ¶89]Everybody complains of his memory; but when did you ever hear anybody complain about his judgement?
[tr. Whichello (2016), ¶89]
To know all things is not permitted.
[Nec scire fas est omnia.]
Horace (65–8 BC) Roman poet, satirist, soldier, politician [Quintus Horatius Flaccus]
Odes [Carmina], Book 4, # 4, l. 22 (4.4.22) (23 BC)
(Source)
Common English translation, dating back to at least the late 19th Century.
In a number of translations, this phrase is elided or blurred into the surrounding text. Only distinct expressions of the sentiment are given below.
(Source (Latin)). Other translations:Not all of truth
We seekers find.
[tr. Conington (1872)]Neither is it possible to discover everything.
[tr. Smart/Buckley (1853)]Nor everything to know, may any mortal dare.
[tr. Martin (1864)]Nor is the lore
Of all things lore allowed.
[tr. Bulwer-Lytton (1870)]Neither is it lawful to know all things.
[tr. Elgood (1893)]For us to know
All things is not heaven's will.
[tr. Garnsey (1907)]All things man may not learn.
[tr. Marshall (1908)]Nor is it vouchsafed to know all things.
[tr. Bennett (Loeb) (1912)]Not all things may one know.
[tr. Mills (1924)]Nor should men sound all knowledge.
[tr. Michie (1963)]It is not lawful to know all things.
[tr. Alexander (1999)]It’s not right to know everything.
[tr. Kline (2015)]
… [L]onging for certainty and for repose [is] in every human mind. But certainty generally is an illusion, and repose is not the destiny of man.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841–1935) American jurist, Supreme Court Justice
“The Path of the Law,” Harvard Law Review (Feb 1897)
(Source)
Citation 10 Harvard Law Review 457 (1897).
Treat your employees as if they were writing a book about you.
Judith Martin (b. 1938) American author, journalist, etiquette expert [a.k.a. Miss Manners]
“Miss Manners,” syndicated column (2003-08-17)
(Source)
Flattery is counterfeit money which, but for vanity, would have no circulation.
[La flatterie est une fausse monnaie qui n’a de cours que par notre vanité]
François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶158 (1665-1678) [tr. Kronenberger (1959)]
(Source)
First present in the 5th ed. (1678).
(Source (French)). Other translations:Flattery is like false Money, and if it were not for our own Vanity could never pass in Payment.
[tr. Stanhope (1694), Book 2, ¶104; Stanhope (1706 ed.), ¶517]Flattery is a sort of bad money, to which our vanity gives currency.
[pub. Donaldson (1783), ¶145; ed. Lepoittevin-Lacroix (1797), ¶152]Flattery may be considered as a sort of bad money, to which our vanity gives currency.
[ed. Carvill (1835), ¶128]Flattery is a false coin, which only derives its currency from our vanity.
[ed. Gowens (1851), ¶270]Flattery is base coin to which only our vanity gives currency.
[tr. Bund/Friswell (1871), ¶158]Flattery is a counterfeit coinage, current only because our vanity accepts it.
[tr. Heard (1917), ¶266]Flattery is a counterfeit coinage to which our vanity alone gives currency.
[tr. Stevens (1939), ¶158; tr. FitzGibbon (1957), ¶158]Flattery is a spurious coinage only made current by our vanity.
[tr. Tancock (1959), ¶158]Flattery is a kind of counterfeit currency, which is put in circulation only by our vanity.
[tr. Whichello (2016) ¶158]
Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.
Frank Zappa (1940–1993) American singer-songwriter
A Day with Frank Zappa, Part 5, documentary, dir. Roelof Kiers, VPRO-TV (1971-02-11)
Widely attributed to Zappa in various forms, but with very few actual citations.
The Kiers documentary gave the quotation twice. First (Source, Video):Well I think that progress is not possible without deviation. And I think that it's important that people be aware of some of the creative ways in which some of their fellow men are deviating from the norm, because in some instances they might find these deviations inspiring and might suggest further deviations which might cause progress, you never know.
Second (Source, Video):KIERS: What kind of influence did the Mothers [of Invention] have, you think?
ZAPPA: Well, we had some, but not very much, because of the size of our audience was so small.
KIERS: But, what kind of influence?
ZAPPA: Well, I think we perhaps inspired some of the people who liked what we do to get a little bit looser and a little bit more devious, and as I said before about progress not being possible without some sort of deviation. We need a few deviants.
A variant of this quote shows up in a photo essay titled "A Quarter Century of Gay Life in New York," New York Magazine (1994-06-20). It is attributed to Zappa (who had died the previous December), and is dated (without citation) to 1966:My attitude toward anybody's sexual persuasion is this: without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.
The quotation also shows up in Leigh Rutledge, The Gay Book of Lists (1987) and his Unnatural Quotations (1988).
Rosemary Silva's Lesbian Quotations (1993) mentions this latter Rudtledge book as a citation, but gives a date on the quote as 1980.
I have not been able to find an earlier source of this variant.
Another use by Zappa can be found in his autobiography, The Real Frank Zappa Book, ch. 8 "All About Music" [with Peter Occhiogrosso] (1989):One of the things I've said before in interviews is: "Without deviation (from the norm), 'progress' is not possible."
In order for one to deviate successfully, one has to have at least a passing acquaintance with whatever norm one expects to deviate from.
The section this text begins is titled "Deviation from the Norm" -- Zappa is speaking here about music, "radio music norms," and enjoying "nuking those norms" when prepping touring arrangements. (He also gives a lengthy critique of the classical / symphonic music realm and their rigid adherence to their norms).
See also Shaw (1903).
