WIST Quotations

Armour, Richard -- Book (1960), The Classics Reclassified, Dedication

Dave — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:55:09 +0000

DEDICATED
to that amazing device, the Required Reading List,
better even than artificial respiration
for keeping dead authors alive.

Richard Armour (1906–1989) American poet and author
Book (1960), The Classics Reclassified, Dedication

McLaughlin, Mignon -- The Neurotic’s Notebook, ch. 5 (1963)

Dave — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 17:31:12 +0000

If an article is attractive, or useful, or inexpensive, they’ll stop making it tomorrow; if it’s all three, they stopped making it yesterday.

Mignon McLaughlin (1913–1983) American journalist and author
The Neurotic’s Notebook, ch. 5 (1963)

Ohmae, Kenichi -- The Mind of the Strategist (1982)

Dave — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 20:29:36 +0000

More strategies fail because they are overripe than because they are premature.

Kenichi Ohmae (b. 1943) Japanese management consultant, writer
The Mind of the Strategist (1982)

Ebner-Eschenbach, Marie von -- Aphorisms [Aphorismen], No. 280 (1880) [tr. Wister (1883)]

Dave — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:19:13 +0000

So soon as a fashion is universal, it is out of date.

[Sobald eine Mode allgemein geworden ist, hat sie sich überlebt.]

Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach (1830–1916) Austrian writer
Aphorisms [Aphorismen], No. 280 (1880) [tr. Wister (1883)]

(Source (German)). Other translation:

As soon as fashion has caught on, it has outlived itself.
[tr. Scrase/Mieder (1994)]

Thoreau, Henry David -- Walden; or, Life in the Woods, ch. 1 “Economy” (1854)

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

Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new.

Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) American philosopher and writer
Walden; or, Life in the Woods, ch. 1 “Economy” (1854)