Most profound quotation you have read or heard?

Sorry if this has already been posted.

"Why do they call it common sense when there's so little of it about!?"

I cant find who said it originally but I use it a lot.

Here are a few that have always stuck a cord:

“I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” Stephan Grellet

If God has brought you to it, then he will give the strength to bring you through it.

History is a signpost for the future.

When offended, always consider the source.

Be hard on yourself. Easy on others.

Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is like expecting a bull not to attack you because you're a vegetarian.

You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how how it will be too late.

The world is full of people looking for spectacular happiness while they snub contentment

Put Aside your pride. Set down your arrogance. And remember your grave.

conan! what is good in life? "To crush your ememies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamendations of their women."

and man created God in his own image!

sorry if these have been aready posted

reply to post by Grumble

2 quotes...

Dulce Whistleblower Phil Schnieder on what a "Tall White" (the tall non-robotic, Greys capable of emotion) had to say to him when he asked it something to the effect of "what are you here for?"

"To bring you a new world... If you can take it."

(new geography after pole shifts? plus new bodies to inhabit = heaven? .. must be a difficult paradigm shift to "take" for some, for me, I'm greatly anticipating it.).. my thoughts.

on another occasion one was reported as saying:
"We created you. YOU have to live it."

-


[edit on 15-5-2009 by prevenge]

This is from a short story I wrote:

I believe that before man, before the Earth, before the beginning of time, the truth existed, it’s the only thing that has never changed. It’s the only thing that has never needed to change.

I believe that unconditional love is the greatest gift you can give to this world, And to yourself.

I believe that the path someone walks does not make him or her holy. They must make the path holy regardless of the path they have chosen.

I believe that if you can’t see god in everything, than you can’t see god in anything.

I believe that there is only one race, the human race, and we’re all in it together, whether we like it or not.

I believe that forgiveness is not a gift to the person that wronged you; Forgiveness is a gift to yourself so that you may go on with your life in peace.

I believe that even though we express ourselves individually our spirits are all a part of the same being, the one who created all things. E Pluribus Unum, Out of many (people) One (spirit).

I believe that my true reflection will never be seen in a mirror before me, but in the eyes and hearts of the people I share my life with.

I believe that each of us has only one true gift we can give to this world, the gift of ourselves. Everything else will fall away

I believe that political power in the hands of religion has always, always, led to tyranny. I also believe that political power in the hands of religion will always lead to tyranny.

I believe that I have yet to meet a person who could not teach me something, if I will only pay attention.

I believe that every religion or designated path is in itself a cult, for no other reason than it narrows your mind from the broader realities.

I believe that your soul is as unique as the fingerprints on your hand. No one knows what you have learned and of the journey which brought you here. No one that is, except you. That’s why it’s important to share.

I believe that hugs make kids grow. (And they’re not bad for adults either)

I believe that though I am but a drop in the ocean, I am still the ocean. So are you.

I believe that if your heart is at peace with the life your living and your soul is at peace with your creator, who ever you consider that creator to be, than everything else is just icing on the cake.

I believe that hate is a poison to the soul of the person that is doing the hating.

I believe that all who teach us leave a part of their soul in ours.

I believe that in our darkest and most personally damned moments there is a light shining brightly to guide us, and we never realize that till long years have given us perspective.

I believe that your life is a reflection of your perspective on it. If you go around seeing things as being terrible then they inherently will be.

I believe that I have much to learn, and I know I will enjoy every moment of learning it.

Link to story.

[edit on 15-5-2009 by mrwupy]

This was not only one of the most philosophically influential books in history but this extract really does say a lot for those who can see the message.

Extract from Emile: Or, on Education
By Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Published 1764

”In my exposition you find nothing but natural religion; strange that we should need more! How shall I become aware of this need? What guilt can be mine so long as I serve God according to the knowledge he has given to my mind, and the feelings he has put into my heart? What purity of morals, what dogma useful to man and worthy of its author, can I derive from a positive doctrine which cannot be derived without the aid of this doctrine by the right use of my faculties? Show me what you can add to the duties of the natural law, for the glory of God, for the good of mankind, and for my own welfare; and what virtue you will get from the new form of religion which does not result from mine. The grandest ideas of the Divine nature come to us from reason only. Behold the spectacle of nature; listen to the inner voice. Has not God spoken it all to our eyes, to our conscience, to our reason? What more can man tell us? Their revelations do but degrade God, by investing him with passions like our own. Far from throwing light upon the ideas of the Supreme Being, special doctrines seem to me to confuse these ideas; far from ennobling them, they degrade them; to the inconceivable mysteries which surround the Almighty, they add absurd contradictions, they make man proud, intolerant, and cruel; instead of bringing peace upon earth, they bring fire and sword. I ask myself what is the use of it all, and I find no answer. I see nothing but the crimes of men and the misery of mankind.

Enjoy.

[edit on 15/5/2009 by serbsta]

"I have a new philosophy. I'm only going to dread one day at a time. "

- Charley Brown (by Charles Schulz)

"What if...?"

Not sure who exactly first came up with this small quote, but I'm sure it has resulted in many great things. I guess it's also responsible for some bad things happening as well, but mostly good.

Also, it's a quote that can be used in pretty much any context, referring to any actual or hypothetical situations and occurrences.

Since someone has started throwing in their own stuff, I thought I would add mine.

I have written this book, which I never thought I would write, but seemed to demand to be written, with has 27 aphorisms, which I call tenets. The first five are:

Living is defying inertia. (Essentially your ability to maintain a passion for life is the most important aspect of success.)

Truth is the only real currency. (The closer the relationship you are able to develop with the truth, developing knowledge, wisdom, and vision, the more valuable you become as a person.)

Struggle is inherent to our nature. (Struggle is the third most important aspect of our lives, as it gives us purpose.)

Morality exists to establish public trust. (What separates us from the animals more than anything is that we develop a moral code that allows us to function as a community far more successfully than we could without this public trust. It has nothing to do with going to heaven or hell. Someone who has committed murder or rape can no longer be trusted to live in the community, so we lock them in a cage or put them to death to prevent them from doing further harm to others.)

No one nor anything is perfect, except perhaps for God. (I don't believe in perfection, unless it exists in a being beyond my comprehension. We can always do better, and improve ourselves, we never reach a perfect state.)

Also, I think you could put the first three tenets together as an equation.

Truth = Passion X Struggle
Truth/Passion = Struggle
Truth/Struggle = Passion

I haven't fully thought the equation part through yet.

The mind is apart of the nature of things; the world is a divine dream.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out?

reply to post by Grumble


This one's rather long and it's part of my public profile. There are a couple of singular thoughts contained but it loses much when dissected. I hope you enjoy.

"Surely every human being ought to attain to the dignity of the unit. Surely it is worth while to be one, and to feel that the census of the universe would be incomplete without counting you. Surely there is grandeur in knowing that in the realm of thought you are without a chain; that you have the right to explore all heights and all depths; that there are no walls or fences, or prohibited places, or sacred corners in all the vast expanse of thought; that your intellect owes no allegiance to any being, human or divine; that you hold all in fee, and upon no condition, and by no tenure, whatsoever; that in the world of mind you are relieved from all personal dictation, and from the ignorant tyranny of majorities. Surely it is worth something to feel that there are no priests, no popes, no parties, no governments, no kings, no gods, to whom your intellect can be compelled to pay a reluctant homage. Surely it is a joy to know that all the cruel ingenuity of bigotry can devise no prison, no dungeon, no cell in which for one instant to confine a thought; that ideas cannot be dislocated by racks, nor crushed in iron boots, nor burned with fire. Surely it is sublime to think that the brain is a castle, and that within its curious bastions and winding halls the soul, in spite of all worlds and all beings, is the supreme sovereign of itself." - Robert G. Ingersoll

Ingersoll was an inspiring man who lived through and fought in the Civil War and led a fascinating life. He was one of, if not the most sought after orators of his time and his written works are voluminous to say the least. Despite this, I know that many have likely never heard of him. If you scan his Wiki page I'm rather certain you will think why has this man been largely ignored by our educational system? Why is he lost to history? His father was a minister and his life turned from organized religion and that is likely the reason. Have a look, I think you will find him fascinating. If you look up his quotes I think you might find many of them beautifully expressed and nearly poetic.

"Just look at us,everything is backwards;everything is upside down.Doctors destroy health,lawyers destroy justice,universities destroy knowledge,governments destroy freedom,the major media destroys information and religions destroy spirituality."
American Writer Michael Ellner

"Can I has cheeseburger?"
-The original lolcat

ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD

[edit on 16-5-2009 by Welfhard]

"Knowledge protects, ignorance endangers"

"Power is the result of manipulation of knowledge over others" (Me)

"All you need is knowledge" (Me)

- People of above average intellect talk about Concepts.
- People of average intellect talk about Things.
- People of below average intellect talk about People.

Don't know where it's from, but thought I'd finally make a post.

Something my father often said -

If life were logical, men would ride side-saddle.

No Country For Old Men

Anton Chigurh: What's the most you ever lost on a coin toss.
Gas Station Proprietor: Sir?
Anton: The most. You ever lost. On a coin toss.
Proprietor: I don't know. I couldn't say.
[Chigurh flips a quarter from the change on the counter and covers it with his hand]
Anton: Call it.
Proprietor: Call it?
Anton: Yes.
Proprietor: For what?
Anton: Just call it.
Proprietor: Well, we need to know what we're calling it for here.
Anton: You need to call it. I can't call it for you. It wouldn't be fair.
Proprietor: I didn't put nothin' up.
Anton: Yes, you did. You've been putting it up your whole life you just didn't know it. You know what date is on this coin?
Proprietor: No.
Anton: 1958. It's been traveling twenty-two years to get here. And now it's here. And it's either heads or tails. And you have to say. Call it.
Proprietor: Look, I need to know what I stand to win.
Anton: Everything.
Proprietor: How's that?
Anton:You stand to win everything. Call it.
Proprietor: Alright. Heads then.
[Chigurh removes his hand, revealing the coin is indeed heads]
Anton: Well done.
[the gas station proprietor nervously takes the quarter with the small pile of change he's apparently won while Chigurh starts out]
Anton: Don't put it in your pocket, sir. Don't put it in your pocket. It's your lucky quarter.
Proprietor: Where do you want me to put it?
Anton: Anywhere not in your pocket. Where it'll get mixed in with the others and become just a coin. Which it is.

[edit on 17/5/09 by pretty_vacant]

2 different ones from my favorite film TROY

Odysseus: [to Achilles] War is young men dying and old men talking. You know this. Ignore the politics.


Messenger Boy: Are the stories true? They say your mother was an immortal godess. They say you can't be killed.
Achilles: I wouldn't be bothering with the shield then, would I?
Messenger Boy: The Thesselonian you're fighting... he's the biggest man i've ever seen. I wouldn't want to fight him.
Achilles: Thats why no-one will remember your name.

Originally posted by Dramey
Messenger Boy: Are the stories true? They say your mother was an immortal godess. They say you can't be killed.
Achilles: I wouldn't be bothering with the shield then, would I?
Messenger Boy: The Thesselonian you're fighting... he's the biggest man i've ever seen. I wouldn't want to fight him.
Achilles: Thats why no-one will remember your name.

To which I would say:
"Why would I want people to remember my name? I'd settle with being alive."