WIST Quotations

Carlin, George -- Book (1997), Brain Droppings, “Short Takes [Part 2]”

Dave — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 16:04:54 +0000

Some people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not? Some people have to go to work and don’t have time for all that shit.

George Carlin (1937–2008) American comedian
Book (1997), Brain Droppings, “Short Takes [Part 2]”

See Shaw (1921).

Benn, Tony -- Interview in Raoul Martinez, Creating Freedom: The Lottery of Birth (2013)

Dave — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 18:43:15 +0000

The key to any progress is to ask the question Why? All the time. Why is that child poor? Why was there a war? Why was he killed? Why is he in power? And of course questions can get you into a lot of trouble, because society is trained by those who run it to accept what goes on. Without questions we won’t make any progress at all.

Tony Benn (1925–2014) British politician, writer, diarist
Interview in Raoul Martinez, Creating Freedom: The Lottery of Birth (2013)

Shaw, George Bernard -- Back to Methuselah: A Metabiological Pentateuch, Part 1 “In the Beginning,” Act 1, sec. 1 (1921)

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

THE SERPENT: When you and Adam talk, I hear you say “Why?” Always “Why?” You see things; and you say, “Why?” But I dream things that never were; and I say, “Why not?”

George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish playwright and critic
Back to Methuselah: A Metabiological Pentateuch, Part 1 “In the Beginning,” Act 1, sec. 1 (1921)

The Serpent speaking to Eve.

US President John Kennedy quoted this addressing the Irish Parliament, Dublin (1963-06-28). US Senator Robert Kennedy modified it for his campaign, as quoted by his brother, Senator Edward Kennedy in his eulogy for Robert (1968-06-08): "Some men see things as they are and say, why; I dream things that never were and say, why not?”