WIST Quotations

Pratchett, Terry -- Discworld No. 2, The Light Fantastic (1986)

Dave — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 04:25:42 +0000

Not for the first time she reflected that there were many drawbacks to being a swordswoman, not least of which was that men didn’t take you seriously until you’d actually killed them, by which time it didn’t really matter anyway.

Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) English author
Discworld No. 2, The Light Fantastic (1986)
(Source)

De Mello, Anthony -- One Minute Nonsense, Introduction [The Master] (1992)

Dave — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 15:14:17 +0000

No one is exempt from talking nonsense. The great misfortune is to do it solemnly.

Anthony de Mello (1931–1987) Indian psychotherapist, writer, Jesuit priest
One Minute Nonsense, Introduction [The Master] (1992)
(Source)

Hesse, Herman -- Steppenwolf (1927) [tr. Creighton, rev. Milleck (1963)]

Dave — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 18:17:47 +0000

Learn what is to be taken seriously and laugh at the rest.

Herman Hesse (1877–1962) German-born Swiss poet, novelist, painter
Steppenwolf (1927) [tr. Creighton, rev. Milleck (1963)]
(Source)

Wilde, Oscar -- Vera; or, The Nihilists, Act 2 [Prince Paul] (1881)

Dave — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 13:05:27 +0000

Life is much too important a thing ever to talk seriously about it.

Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish poet, wit, dramatist
Vera; or, The Nihilists, Act 2 [Prince Paul] (1881)
(Source)

Almost always paraphrased, "Life is too important to be taken seriously."

In Lady Windermere's Fan, Act 2 (1892), he recycled the line as "Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about it."

Also (mis)attributed to G.K. Chesterton. More discussion of this quotation: Life Is Too Important To Be Taken Seriously – Quote Investigator.

Heinlein, Robert A. -- Time Enough For Love [Lazarus Long] (1973)

Dave — Tue, 26 May 2015 12:53:09 +0000

I’m not running down sex; sex is swell, sex is wonderful. But if you put a holy aura around it — and that is what you are doing — sex stops being fun and starts being neurotic.

Robert A. Heinlein (1907–1988) American writer
Time Enough For Love [Lazarus Long] (1973)
(Source)

Eisenhower, Dwight David -- Speech, New England “Forward to ’54” Dinner, Boston (21 Sep 1953)

Dave — Thu, 14 May 2015 12:35:07 +0000

Thank goodness, many years ago, I had a preceptor, for whom my admiration has never died, and he had a favorite saying, one that I trust I try to live by. It was: always take your job seriously, never yourself.

Dwight David Eisenhower (1890–1969) American general, US President (1953–61)
Speech, New England “Forward to ’54” Dinner, Boston (21 Sep 1953)

Havel, Vaclav -- Disturbing the Peace, ch. 2 “Writing for the Stage” (1986) [tr. Wilson (1990)]

Dave — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:50:29 +0000

Anyone who takes himself too seriously always runs the risk of looking ridiculous; anyone who can consistently laugh at himself does not.

Václav Havel (1936–2011) Czech playwright, essayist, dissident, politician
Disturbing the Peace, ch. 2 “Writing for the Stage” (1986) [tr. Wilson (1990)]
(Source)