WIST Quotations

Lear, Norman -- “What makes Norman Lear, at 98, still tick?”, interview by Jonathan LaPook, CBS News Sunday Morning (2021-01-10)

Dave — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 18:40:10 +0000

We are in this lifetime together. And maybe it’s possible to appreciate the other guy for the way his mind works, even when he’s not working your way.

Norman Lear (1922-2023) American television writer-producer
“What makes Norman Lear, at 98, still tick?”, interview by Jonathan LaPook, CBS News Sunday Morning (2021-01-10)
(Source)

(Source (Video))

On his "pen pal friendship" with Ronald Reagan, his political opposite.

Russell, Bertrand -- Essay (1932-11-16), “On Proverbs,” New York American

Dave — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:18:29 +0000

The supposed wisdom of proverbs is mainly imaginary. As a rule, proverbs go in pairs which say opposite things. The opposite of “More haste, less speed” is “A stitch in time saves nine.” The opposite of “Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves,” “Penny wise, pound foolish.” The opposite of “Two heads are better than one,” is “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” And so on. The great advantage of a proverb in argument is that it is supposed to be incontrovertible, as embodying the quintessential sagacity of our ancestors. But when once you have realised that proverbs go in pairs which say opposite things you can never again be downed by a proverb; you merely quote the opposite.

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) English mathematician and philosopher
Essay (1932-11-16), “On Proverbs,” New York American
(Source)

See Howell (1659).

Wiesel, Elie -- “One Must Not Forget,” interview by Alvin P. Sanoff, US News & World Report (27 Oct 1986)

Dave — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:46:17 +0000

Indifference, to me, is the epitome of evil.
The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, but indifference,
indifference between life and death.

Elie Wiesel (1928-2016) Romanian-American novelist, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate.
“One Must Not Forget,” interview by Alvin P. Sanoff, US News & World Report (27 Oct 1986)

See also Nietzsche.

May, Rollo -- (Attributed)

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

Hate is not the opposite of love; apathy is.

Rollo May (1909-1994) American psychotherapist
(Attributed)

See also Nietzsche.