WIST Quotations

Carlyle, Thomas -- Lecture (1840-05-22), “The Hero as King,” Home House, Portman Square, London

Dave — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:11:06 +0000

Dupes indeed are many: but, of all dupes, there is none so fatally situated as he who lives in undue terror of being duped.

Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) Scottish essayist and historian
Lecture (1840-05-22), “The Hero as King,” Home House, Portman Square, London
(Source)

The lecture notes were collected by Carlyle into On Heroes, Hero-Worship, & the Heroic in History, Lecture 6 (1841).

Lerner, Max -- Actions and Passions: Notes on the Multiple Revolution of Our Time (1949)

Dave — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 12:54:03 +0000

There is no crime in the cynical American calendar more humiliating than to be a sucker.

Maxwell "Max" Lerner (1902-1992) American journalist, columnist, educator
Actions and Passions: Notes on the Multiple Revolution of Our Time (1949)

Preston, Amarillo Slim -- (Attributed)

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

Look around the table. If you don’t see a sucker, get up, because you’re the sucker.

"Amarillo Slim" Preston (1928-2012) American gambler [Thomas Austin Preston, Jr.]
(Attributed)

Though he used the phrase, he did not take credit for it. More information here. Variants:

"If after ten minutes at the poker table you do not know who the patsy is -- you are the patsy."
"If you sit in on a poker game and don't see a sucker, get up. You're the sucker."
"If you enter a poker game and you don't see a sucker, get up and leave -- you’re it."