WIST Quotations

Russell, Bertrand -- Lecture (1949-01-09), “The Role of Individuality,” Reith Lecture, “Authority and the Individual” No. 3, BBC Radio

Dave — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:41:54 +0000

Too little liberty brings stagnation, and too much brings chaos.

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) English mathematician and philosopher
Lecture (1949-01-09), “The Role of Individuality,” Reith Lecture, “Authority and the Individual” No. 3, BBC Radio
(Source)

As collected, with edits, in Authority and the Individual (1949).

Feynman, Richard -- (Spurious)

Dave — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 21:49:25 +0000

You are under no obligation to remain the same person you were a year ago, a month ago, or even a day ago. You are here to create yourself, continuously.

Richard Feynman (1918-1988) American physicist
(Spurious)

Not found in his writings, lectures, or speeches. See Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Feynman – Terence Eden’s Blog for more discussion.

It is possibly a misattributed variant of something said by Alan Watts ...

You are under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago.

... which may or may not actually be authentic, either.

Leonardo da Vinci -- The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, Vol. 1, ch. 2 “Aphorisms” (1888) [ed/tr. McCurdy (1938 ed.)]

Dave — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 05:00:18 +0000

Iron rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen, even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) Italian artist, engineer, scientist, polymath
The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, Vol. 1, ch. 2 “Aphorisms” (1888) [ed/tr. McCurdy (1938 ed.)]
(Source)

Source noted as Codice Atlantico 289 v. c.

Jacobs, Jane -- The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Foreword (1993 ed.)

Dave — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 18:19:44 +0000

Whenever and wherever societies have flourished and prospered rather than stagnated and decayed, creative and workable cities have been at the core of the phenomenon. Decaying cities, declining economies, and mounting social troubles travel together. The combination is not coincidental.

Jane Jacobs (1916-2006) American-Canadian journalist, author, urban theorist, activist
The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Foreword (1993 ed.)
(Source)

King, Martin Luther -- “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution,” National Cathedral, Washington, DC (31 Mar 1968)

Dave — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 19:23:03 +0000

Somewhere we must come to see that human progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and the persistent work of dedicated individuals who are willing to be coworkers with God. And without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the primitive forces of social stagnation. So we must have time and realize that the time is always right to do right.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) American clergyman, civil rights leader, social activist, preacher
“Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution,” National Cathedral, Washington, DC (31 Mar 1968)
(Source)

Beecher, Henry Ward -- Life Thoughts (1858) [ed. Proctor]

Dave — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 16:38:14 +0000

A conservative young man has wound up his life before it was unreeled. We expect old men to be conservative, but when a nation’s young men are conservatives, its funeral bell is already rung.

Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887) American clergyman and orator
Life Thoughts (1858) [ed. Proctor]
(Source)

This was more succinctly summarized in Proverbs from Plymouth Pulpit, "Political" (1887) [ed. William Drysdale]:

When a nation’s young men are conservatives, its funeral bell is already rung.

Commager, Henry Steele -- Speech (1971-04-10), “The University and the Community of Learning,” Kent State University, Ohio

Dave — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 20:05:16 +0000

What threatens our security is not change but the inability to change; what threatens progress is not revolution but stagnation; what threatens our survival is not novel or dangerous ideas but the absence of ideas.

Henry Steele Commager (1902-1998) American historian, writer, activist
Speech (1971-04-10), “The University and the Community of Learning,” Kent State University, Ohio
(Source)

Addison, Joseph -- Cato, Act 1, sc. 4 (1713)

Dave — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 17:05:44 +0000

JUBA: Beauty soon grows familiar to the lover,
Fades in his eye, and palls upon the sense.

Joseph Addison (1672-1719) English essayist, poet, statesman
Cato, Act 1, sc. 4 (1713)
(Source)

Ciardi, John -- In Vince Clemente, “‘A Man Is What He Does With His Attention’: A Conversation with John Ciardi,” Poesis, Vol. 7 #2 (1986)

Dave — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 16:11:37 +0000

A human being is a deracinated caveman, as a caveman was a deracinated nephew of an ape. Everyone gets to be something by starting as something else — either that or he stays unevolved.

John Ciardi (1916-1986) American poet, writer, critic
In Vince Clemente, “‘A Man Is What He Does With His Attention’: A Conversation with John Ciardi,” Poesis, Vol. 7 #2 (1986)
(Source)

Peacock, Thomas Love -- Melincourt, ch. 7 (1817)

Dave — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 00:33:43 +0000

Better vexation than stagnation: marriage may often be a stormy lake, but celibacy is almost always a muddy horse pond.

Thomas Love Peacock (1785-1866) English novelist, satirist, poet, merchant
Melincourt, ch. 7 (1817)
(Source)

Milton, John -- Areopagitica (1644)

Dave — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 01:46:41 +0000

Truth is compar’d in Scripture to a streaming fountain; if her waters flow not in a perpetuall progression, they sick’n into a muddy pool of conformity and tradition.

[Truth is compared in Scripture to a streaming fountain; if her waters flow not in a perpetual progression, they sicken into a muddy pool of conformity and tradition.]

John Milton (1608-1674) English poet
Areopagitica (1644)
(Source)

Adams, Abigail -- Letter to Mary Smith Cranch (1784)

Dave — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 15:41:25 +0000

I begin to think that a calm is not desirable in any situation in life. Every object is beautiful in motion; a ship under sail, trees gently agitated with the wind, and a fine woman dancing, are three instances in point. Man was made for action and for bustle too, I believe.

Abigail Adams (1744-1818) American correspondent, First Lady (1797-1801)
Letter to Mary Smith Cranch (1784)

Tuchman, Barbara -- The Guns of August, ch. 2 (1962)

Dave — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 15:28:46 +0000

Dead battles, like dead generals, hold the military mind in their dead grip.

Barbara W. Tuchman (1912-1989) American historian and author
The Guns of August, ch. 2 (1962)

Gulliver, Julia -- (Attributed)

Dave — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 13:48:49 +0000

Let us never be betrayed into saying we have finished our education; because that would mean we had stopped growing.

Julia H. Gulliver (1856-1940) American philosopher, educator, academician
(Attributed)

Hand, Learned -- “A Fanfare for Prometheus,” speech, American Jewish Committee (1955-01-29)

Dave — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 03:57:24 +0000

Heretics have been hateful from the beginning of recorded time; they have been ostracized, exiled, tortured, maimed, and butchered; but it has generally proved impossible to smother them; and when it has not, the society that has succeeded has always declined.

Learned Hand (1872-1961) American jurist
“A Fanfare for Prometheus,” speech, American Jewish Committee (1955-01-29)
(Source)

Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Sr. -- Article (1858-02), “The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table,” Atlantic Monthly

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

I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving: To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it, — but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809-1894) American poet, essayist, scholar
Article (1858-02), “The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table,” Atlantic Monthly
(Source)

Collected in The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table, ch. 4 (1858).

Debs, Eugene V. -- Speech (1908-05-23), “The Issue,” Girard, Kansas

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

Intelligent discontent is the mainspring of civilization. Progress is born of agitation. It is agitation or stagnation.

Eugene V. Debs (1855-1926) American union leader, activist, socialist, politician
Speech (1908-05-23), “The Issue,” Girard, Kansas
(Source)

Impromptu speech in the town Debs was living in after his third nomination for President on the Socialist Democratic ticket.