WIST Quotations

Barrie, James -- Peter Pan, Act 1 (1904, pub. 1928)

Dave — Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:37:33 +0000

PETER: You just think lovely wonderful thoughts and they lift you up in the air.

J. M. Barrie (1860-1937) Scottish novelist and dramatist [James Matthew Barrie]
Peter Pan, Act 1 (1904, pub. 1928)
(Source)

In Barrie's novelization, Peter and Wendy, ch. 3 "Come Away, Come Away!" (1911), Peter uses the same words.

Mackay, Charles -- Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, “Popular Follies of Great Cities” (1841)

Dave — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 23:37:41 +0000

He who walks through a great city to find subjects for weeping, may find plenty at every corner to wring his heart; but let such a man walk on his course, and enjoy his grief alone—we are not of those who would accompany him. The miseries of us poor earth-dwellers gain no alleviation from the sympathy of those who merely hunt them out to be pathetic over them. The weeping philosopher too often impairs his eyesight by his woe, and becomes unable from his tears to see the remedies for the evils which he deplores. Thus it will often be found that the man of no tears is the truest philanthropist, as he is the best physician who wears a cheerful face, even in the worst of cases.

Charles Mackay (1814-1889) Scottish poet, journalist, song writer
Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, “Popular Follies of Great Cities” (1841)
(Source)

Child, Lydia Maria -- Looking Toward Sunset (1874, 10th ed.)

Dave — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 03:33:50 +0000

You find yourself refreshed by the presence of cheerful people. Why not make earnest efforts to confer that pleasure on others? You will find half the battle is gained, if you never allow yourself to say anything gloomy.

Lydia Maria Child (1802-1880) American abolitionist, activist, journalist, suffragist
Looking Toward Sunset (1874, 10th ed.)

Lehrer, Tom -- Introduction to “We Will All Go Together When We Go,” An Evening (Wasted) with Tom Lehrer (1959)

Dave — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 15:26:10 +0000

“Life is like a sewer — what you get out of it depends on what you put into it.” It’s always seemed to me that this is precisely the sort of dynamic, positive thinking that we so desperately need today in these trying times of crisis and universal brouhaha.

Tom Lehrer (b. 1928) American mathematician, satirist, songwriter
Introduction to “We Will All Go Together When We Go,” An Evening (Wasted) with Tom Lehrer (1959)

Kasdan, Lawrence -- The Empire Strikes Back (1980) [with George Lucas and Leigh Brackett]

Dave — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 16:49:27 +0000

YODA: No! Try not. Do — or do not. There is no try.

Lawrence Kasdan (b. 1949) American screenwriter, director, producer
The Empire Strikes Back (1980) [with George Lucas and Leigh Brackett]

Atkinson, Brooks -- Once Around the Sun, “January 1” (1951)

Dave — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 14:29:44 +0000

We [Americans] cheerfully assume that in some mystic way love conquers all, that good outweighs evil in the just balances of the universe and that at the eleventh hour something gloriously triumphant will prevent the worst before it happens.

Brooks Atkinson (1894-1984) American drama critic and journalist
Once Around the Sun, “January 1” (1951)
(Source)

Keller, Helen -- (Attributed)

Dave — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 17:02:24 +0000

When you face the sun, the shadows always fall behind you.

Helen Keller (1880-1968) American author and lecturer
(Attributed)

Variant: "Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow." Keller experts at the American Federation for the Blind have been unable to find a source for this quotation.