WIST Quotations

Stevenson, Robert Louis -- Essay (1880-01/02?), “Reflections and Remarks on Human Life,” § 7.1 “Discipline of Conscience”

Dave — Fri, 22 May 2026 18:25:58 +0000

Never allow your mind to dwell on your own misconduct: that is ruin. The conscience has morbid sensibilities; it must be employed but not indulged, like the imagination or the stomach.

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894) Scottish essayist, novelist, poet
Essay (1880-01/02?), “Reflections and Remarks on Human Life,” § 7.1 “Discipline of Conscience”
(Source)

A collection of aphorisms and musings, first published in the Edinburgh Edition of his Works, vol. 28 (1898).

Stevenson, Robert Louis -- Essay (1880-01/02?), “Reflections and Remarks on Human Life,” § 1.1 “Justice and Justification”

Dave — Fri, 01 May 2026 18:06:33 +0000

It is the business of this life to make excuses for others, but none for ourselves. We should be clearly persuaded of our own misconduct, for that is the part of knowledge in which we are most apt to be defective.

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894) Scottish essayist, novelist, poet
Essay (1880-01/02?), “Reflections and Remarks on Human Life,” § 1.1 “Justice and Justification”
(Source)

A collection of aphorisms and musings, first published in the Edinburgh Edition of his Works, vol. 28 (1898).

Billings, Josh -- Josh Billings’ Farmer’s Allminax, 1875-11 (1875 ed.)

Dave — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 15:43:52 +0000

The quickest way to take the starch out ov a man who iz allwuss blameing himself, is to agree with him, this aint what he iz looking for.

[The quickest way to take the starch out of a man who is always blaming himself, is to agree with him; this ain’t what he is looking for.]

Josh Billings (1818-1885) American humorist, aphorist [pseud. of Henry Wheeler Shaw]
Josh Billings’ Farmer’s Allminax, 1875-11 (1875 ed.)
(Source)

La Rochefoucauld, Francois -- Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶554 (1665-1678) [tr. FitzGibbon (1957), ¶524]

Dave — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 22:50:27 +0000

We only criticize ourselves in order to win the praise of others.

[On ne se blâme que pour être loué.]

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶554 (1665-1678) [tr. FitzGibbon (1957), ¶524]
(Source)

This maxim came from the 6th ed. (1693), published by Barbin more than twelve years after La Rochefoucauld's death. It is not present in many collections.

Compare to ¶149 and ¶327.

(Source (French)). Alternate translations:

We blame ourselves only to extort praise.
[pub. Donaldson (1783), ¶363]

When we seem to blame ourselves; we mean only to extort praise.
[ed. Carvill (1835), ¶318]

Man only blames himself in order that he may be praised.
[tr. Bund/Friswell (1871), 1693 ed.]

We only blame ourselves in order to be praised.
[tr. Tancock (1959), ¶554]

Billings, Josh -- Josh Billings’ Trump Kards, ch. 7 “When I waz a Boy” (1874)

Dave — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 15:58:43 +0000

I notiss that when a man runs hiz hed aginst a post, he cusses the post fust, all kreashun next, and sumthing else last, and never thinks ov cussing himself.

[I notice that when a man runs his head against a post, he cusses the post first, all creation next, and something else last, and never thinks of cussing himself.]

Josh Billings (1818-1885) American humorist, aphorist [pseud. of Henry Wheeler Shaw]
Josh Billings’ Trump Kards, ch. 7 “When I waz a Boy” (1874)
(Source)

He returned to this theme a few years later in Josh Billings' Farmer's Allminax, 1876-03 (1876 ed.):

I notiss one thing, when a man stubs his toe he cussess all kreashun fust, then the toe, but never himself.

[I notice one thing, when a man stubs his toe he cusses all creation first, then the toe, but never himself.]

Hoffer, Eric -- True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements, Part 1, ch. 2, § 8 (1951)

Dave — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:43:18 +0000

Faith in a holy cause is to a considerable extent a substitute for the lost faith in ourselves.

Eric Hoffer (1902-1983) American writer, philosopher, longshoreman
True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements, Part 1, ch. 2, § 8 (1951)
(Source)

Milne, A. A. -- Winnie-the-Pooh, ch. 3 “Pooh and Piglet Go Hunting” (1926)

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

“I have been Foolish and Deluded,” said Pooh, “and I am a Bear of No Brain at All.”
“You’re the Best Bear in All the World,” said Christopher Robin soothingly.

A. A. Milne (1882-1956) English poet and playwright [Alan Alexander Milne]
Winnie-the-Pooh, ch. 3 “Pooh and Piglet Go Hunting” (1926)
(Source)