WIST Quotations

Stevenson, Robert Louis -- Essay (1880-01/02?), “Reflections and Remarks on Human Life,” § 4.6 “Solitude and Society”

Dave — Fri, 15 May 2026 17:23:42 +0000

Solitude is the climax of the negative virtues. When we go to bed after a solitary day we can tell ourselves that we have not been unkind nor dishonest nor untruthful; and the negative virtues are agreeable to that dangerous faculty we call the conscience. That they should ever be admitted for a part of virtue is what I cannot explain. I do not care two straws for all the nots.

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894) Scottish essayist, novelist, poet
Essay (1880-01/02?), “Reflections and Remarks on Human Life,” § 4.6 “Solitude and Society”

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

Montaigne, Michel de -- Essays, Book 2, ch. 17 (2.17), “Of Presumption [De la Presomption]” (1578) [tr. Cotton/Hazlitt (1877)]

Dave — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 22:23:07 +0000

A man must not always tell all, for that were folly: but what a man says should be what he thinks, otherwise ’tis knavery.

[Il ne faut pas tousjours dire tout, car ce seroit sottise : Mais ce qu’on dit, il faut qu’il soit tel qu’on le pense : autrement, c’est meschanceté.]

Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592) French essayist
Essays, Book 2, ch. 17 (2.17), “Of Presumption [De la Presomption]” (1578) [tr. Cotton/Hazlitt (1877)]

Both this essay and this passage were in the 1st (1580) edition.

(Source (French)). Other translations:

A man must not alwayes say al he knows, for that were folie: But what a man speaks ought to be agreeing to his thoughts, otherwise it is impietie.
[tr. Florio (1603)]

A man must not always tell all, for that were folly; but what a man says should be what he thinks, otherwise it is knavery.
[tr. Cotton (1686)]

Every thing must not always be said, for that would be folly; but what one says should be what one thinks; otherwise it is knavery.
[tr. Ives (1925)]

A man must not always say everything, for that were folly; but what a man does say should be what he thinks; otherwise it is knavery.
[tr. Zeitlin (1934)]

We must not always say everything, for that would be folly; but what we say must be what we think; otherwise it is wickedness.
[tr. Frame (1943)]

It is not necessary always to say everything, for that would be foolish; but what we say should be what we think, the contrary is wicked.
[tr. Cohen (1958)]

We should not always say everything: that would be stupid; but what we do say must be what we think: to do otherwise is wicked.
[tr. Screech (1987)]

Nash, Ogden -- “Portrait of the Artist as a Prematurely Old Man” (1959)

Dave — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 17:30:16 +0000

The moral is that it is probably better not to sin at all, but if
some kind of sin you must be pursuing,

Well, remember to do it by doing rather than by not doing.

Ogden Nash (1902–1971) American poet
“Portrait of the Artist as a Prematurely Old Man” (1959)

Nash, Ogden -- “Portrait of the Artist as a Prematurely Old Man”

Dave — Sat, 15 Aug 2020 01:01:25 +0000

It is common knowledge to every schoolboy and even every Bachelor of Arts,

That all sin is divided into two parts.

One kind of sin is called a sin of commission, and that is very important

And it is what you are doing when you are doing something you ortant.

And the other kind of sin is just the opposite and is called a sin of omission and is equally bad in the eyes of all right-thinking people, from Billy Sunday to Buddha,

And it consists of not having done something you shudda.

Ogden Nash (1902–1971) American poet
“Portrait of the Artist as a Prematurely Old Man”

Marcus Aurelius -- Meditations [To Himself; Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν], Book 9, ch. 5 (9.5) (AD 161-180) [tr. Staniforth (1964)]

Dave — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 13:07:30 +0000

A man does not sin by commission only, but often by omission.

[Ἀδικεῖ πολλάκις ὁ μὴ ποιῶν τι, οὐ μόνον ὁ ποιῶν τι.]

Marcus Aurelius (AD 121–180) Roman emperor (161–180), Stoic philosopher
Meditations [To Himself; Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν], Book 9, ch. 5 (9.5) (AD 161-180) [tr. Staniforth (1964)]

(Source (Greek)). Other translations:

Not he only that committeth, but he also that omitteth something, is oftentimes unjust.
[tr. Casaubon (1634), 9.4]

Omissions no less than Commissions, are oftentimes Branches of Injustice.
[tr. Collier (1701)]

Men are often unjust by omissions, as well as by actions.
[tr. Hutcheson/Moor (1742)]

A man is as often guilty of injustice by omitting to do what he ought, as by doing what he ought not to do.
[tr. Graves (1792), 9.4]

He often acts unjustly who does not do a certain thing; not only he who does a certain thing.
[tr. Long (1862)]

Omissions no less than commission are oftentimes part of injustice.
[tr. Collier/Zimmern (1887)]

Wrong comes often of not doing as well as doing.
[tr. Rendall (1898)]

Men are often unjust by omissions as well as by actions.
[tr. Hutcheson/Chrystal (1902)]

There is often an injustice of omission as well as of commission.
[tr. Haines (Loeb) (1916)]

Often he who omits an act does injustice, not only he who commits an act.
[tr. Farquharson (1944)]

A person often acts unjustly by what he fails to do, and not only by what he does.
[tr. Hard (1997 ed., 2011 ed.)]

And you can also commit injustice by doing nothing.
[tr. Hays (2003)]

There can often be wrongs of omission as well as commission.
[tr. Hammond (2006)]

Very often an unjust act is done by not doing something, not only by doing something.
[tr. Needleman/Piazza (2008)]

One may often injure by omission, not only by action.
[ed. Taplin (2016)]

Bible, Vol. 2. New Testament -- Book 20. Letter of James 4:17ff (Jas 4:17) [NRSV (2021 ed.)]

Dave — Fri, 30 May 2014 12:58:43 +0000

Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin.

[εἰδότι οὖν καλὸν ποιεῖν καὶ μὴ ποιοῦντι ἁμαρτία αὐτῷ ἐστιν.]

The Bible (The New Testament) (AD 1st - 2nd C) Christian sacred scripture
Book 20. Letter of James 4:17ff (Jas 4:17) [NRSV (2021 ed.)]

(Source (Greek)). Other translations:

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
[KJV (1611)]

Everyone who knows what is the right thing to do and doesn't do it commits a sin.
[JB (1966)]

So then, if we do not do the good we know we should do, we are guilty of sin.
[GNT (1976)]

Everyone who knows what is the right thing to do and does not do it commits a sin.
[NJB (1985)]

It is a sin when someone knows the right thing to do and doesn’t do it.
[CEB (2011)]

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.
[NIV (2011 ed.)]

Stevenson, Robert Louis -- Essay (1879-05), “The Truth of Intercourse,” Cornhill Magazine, Vol. 39

Dave — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:27:36 +0000

The cruelest lies are often told in silence. A man may have sat in a room for hours and not opened his teeth, and yet come out of that room a disloyal friend or a vile calumniator.

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894) Scottish essayist, novelist, poet
Essay (1879-05), “The Truth of Intercourse,” Cornhill Magazine, Vol. 39

Collected as "Virginibus Puerisque, Part 4" in Virginibus Puerisque and Other Papers, ch. 1 (1881).

Wilcox, Ella Wheeler -- Poem (1914), “Protest,” ll. 1-2, Poems of Problems

Dave — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 15:51:13 +0000

To sin by silence, when we should protest,
Makes cowards out of men.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850–1919) American author, poet, temperance advocate, spiritualist
Poem (1914), “Protest,” ll. 1-2, Poems of Problems

Often misattributed to Abraham Lincoln, after Douglas MacArthur did so in a 1950 speech.

See Confucius.