WIST Quotations

Adams, John -- Letter (1785-09-10) to John Jebb

Dave — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 23:44:44 +0000

The Man who offers a City or Burrough to serve them for nothing, offers a Bribe to every Elector, and the answer should be Sir you affront me. — I want a service which is worth something, I am able and willing to Pay for it. I will not lay myself under any obligation to you by accepting your Gift. I will owe you no gratitude any further than you serve me faithfully the obligation and Gratitude Shall be from you to me, and if you do not do your Duty to me I will be perfectly free to call you to an account and to punish you and if you will not accept of Pay for your service you shall not serve me —

John Adams (1735–1826) American lawyer, Founding Father, statesman, US President (1797–1801)
Letter (1785-09-10) to John Jebb
(Source)

Nash, Ogden -- Poem (1930-12-27), “More About People,” The New Yorker

Dave — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 18:43:19 +0000

If you don’t want to work, you have to work to earn enough money so that you won’t have to work.

Ogden Nash (1902-1971) American poet
Poem (1930-12-27), “More About People,” The New Yorker
(Source)

Collected in Many Long Years Ago (1945).

Richardson, James -- Vectors: Aphorisms and Ten-Second Essays (2001) #151

Dave — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 14:42:09 +0000

I sell my time to get enough money to buy it back.

James Richardson (b. 1950) American poet
Vectors: Aphorisms and Ten-Second Essays (2001) #151
(Source)