Jean de la Bruyere, essayist and moralist (1645-1696)

Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think. -Jean de la Bruyere, essayist and moralist (1645-1696)

I believe this is true, but in our day, for the true sense of it to come through, a couple of words should be added: Life is a tragedy for those who only feel, and a comedy for those who truly think.

Anatole France, novelist, essayist, Nobel laureate (1844-1924)

It is the certainty that they possess the truth that makes men cruel. -Anatole France, novelist, essayist, Nobel laureate (1844-1924)

It is the certainty that they know the truth that leads men to believe they can pontificate about what makes men cruel.

Galileo Galilei

I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him. -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer (1564-1642)

This is a great attitude to have. I must try to cultivate it in myself.

A.J.P. Taylor, historian (1906-1990)

There is nothing more agreeable in life than to make peace with the Establishment - and nothing more corrupting. -A.J.P. Taylor, historian (1906-1990)

Reading "the Establishment" as what the Bible calls "the world," I would definitely agree.

Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989)

Belief in the supernatural reflects a failure of the imagination. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989)

On the contrary, I would say that disbelief in the supernatural reflects a failure of the imagination, an inability, or perhaps refusal, to imagine anything beyond sense data.