WIST Quotations

Hugo, Victor -- The Man Who Laughs [L’Homme qui rit; The Laughing Man; By Order of the King], Part 1, Book 3, ch. 1 (1.3.1) (1869) [tr. Unknown, Authorized (1871)]

Dave — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 20:28:22 +0000

He had slipped, climbed, rolled, searched, walked, persevered, that is all. Such is the secret of all triumphs.

[Il avait glissé, grimpé, roulé, cherché, marché, persévéré, voilà tout. Secret de tous les triomphes.]

Victor Hugo (1802–1885) French writer, journalist, human rights activist, politician
The Man Who Laughs [L’Homme qui rit; The Laughing Man; By Order of the King], Part 1, Book 3, ch. 1 (1.3.1) (1869) [tr. Unknown, Authorized (1871)]

(Source (French)). Other translations:

He had slipped, climbed, rolled, searched, walked, persevered, -- that is all; that is the secret of all triumphs.
[tr. Unknown (1869)]

He had slipped, climbed, rolled, sought, walked, persevered, that was all. The secret of all triumphs.
[tr. Hapgood (1888)]

He had slipped, climbed, rolled, searched, walked, persevered, that was all. The secret of all triumphs.
[tr. Phillips (1894)]

He had slid, climbed, rolled, sought, walked, persevered, that's all. Secret of all triumphs.
[tr. Lavelle (2003)]

Roosevelt, Franklin Delano -- Speech (1939-10-26), New York Herald Tribune Forum (radio broadcast)

Dave — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 14:13:35 +0000

A Conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned to walk forward.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882–1945) American lawyer, politician, statesman; US President (1933–45)
Speech (1939-10-26), New York Herald Tribune Forum (radio broadcast)

Snyder, Timothy -- The Red Prince, “Orange: European Revolutions” (2008)

Dave — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 13:48:45 +0000

The nation faces forward. It is made and remade every day. If we believe that the nation resides in the orderly recitations of history given to us by our leaders, then our story is over.

Timothy Snyder (b. 1969) American historian, author
The Red Prince, “Orange: European Revolutions” (2008)

Voltaire -- (Attributed)

Dave — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 21:20:15 +0000

Life is thick sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.

[La vie est hérissée d’épines, & je ne sçais d’autre remède, que de passer vite à travers ces broussailles. C’est donner de la consistance aux maux, que de trop s’y arrêter.]

Voltaire (1694–1778) French writer [pseud. of Francois-Marie Arouet]
(Attributed)

(Source (French)). Quoted in Louis Mayeul Chaudon, ed., Historical and Critical Memoirs of the Life and Writings of M. de Voltaire [Mémoires Pour Servir à L’Histoire de M. de Voltaire], Part 2, "Anecdotes Sur Voltaire (1785, tr. 1786). The English translation is also quoted in The Lady's Magazine, "Anecdotes of Voltaire" (Jul 1786). Voltaire used a similar metaphor in a 1769 letter ("La vie est hérissée de ces épines").

More discussion: Life Is Thick Sown with Thorns, and I Know No Other Remedy Than To Pass Quickly Through Them – Quote Investigator.

Shakur, Tupac -- (Attributed)

Dave — Wed, 31 May 2017 17:27:48 +0000

You can spend minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even months over-analyzing a situation; trying to put the pieces together, justifying what could’ve, would’ve happened. … Or you can just leave the pieces on the floor and move the fuck on.

Tupac Shakur (1971–1996) American rapper, record producer, actor [b. Lesane Parish Crooks]
(Attributed)

Widely quoted and included in memes, but without citation. Considered spurious by a number of fans.