Robert Cecil, British prime minister (1830-1903)

By a free country, I mean a country where people are allowed, so long as they do not hurt their neighbours, to do as they like. I do not mean a country where six men may make five men do exactly as they like. -Robert Cecil, British prime minister (1830-1903)

The latter condition is "the tyranny of the majority," as bad as any other tyranny and a constant danger in a democracy.

Jean Cocteau, author and painter (1889-1963)

Take a commonplace, clean it and polish it, light it so that it produces the same effect of youth and freshness and originality and spontaneity as it did originally, and you have done a poet's job. The rest is literature. -Jean Cocteau, author and painter (1889-1963)

A very good, even inspiring, description of the poet's work.

Josh Billings, columnist and humorist (1818-1885)

Don't mistake pleasure for happiness. They're a different breed of dog. -Josh Billings, columnist and humorist (1818-1885)

Good one!

Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, scientist and philosopher (1742-1799)

The most dangerous of all falsehoods is a slightly distorted truth. -Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, scientist and philosopher (1742-1799)

Very true.

Bob Monkhouse, comedian (1928-2003)

They laughed when I said I was going to be a comedian. They're not laughing now. -Bob Monkhouse, comedian (1928-2003)

Very clever double meaning.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author and aviator (1900-1945)

If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author and aviator (1900-1945)

"Where there is no vision, the people perish."  Prov 29:18 (KJV)

Sydney J. Harris, journalist and author (1917-1986)

Most people are mirrors, reflecting the moods and emotions of the times; few are windows, bringing light to bear on the dark corners where troubles fester. The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows. -Sydney J. Harris, journalist and author (1917-1986)

And the purpose of Christian education, however it comes, is to let the light of Christ shine in those dark corners.

Kahlil Gibran, poet and artist (1883-1931)

He who listens to truth is not less than he who utters truth. -Kahlil Gibran, poet and artist (1883-1931)

Listen here means more than just hear, but includes openness and acceptance.

Jorge Luis Borges, writer (1899-1986)

A writer -- and, I believe, generally all persons -- must think that whatever happens to him or her is a resource. All things have been given to us for a purpose, and an artist must feel this more intensely. All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassments, all is given to us as raw material, as clay, so that we may shape our art. -Jorge Luis Borges, writer (1899-1986)

From a Christian perspective one would say that all these aspects of life are given to us by God so that by His grace we can shape our lives as works of art fit for eternal life.

Nelson Mandela

A man who takes away another man's freedom is a prisoner of hatred, he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. -Nelson Mandela, activist, South African president, Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1918)

I think we have to hedge this a bit. Sometimes we have to take away someone's freedom, or at least reduce it, in order to protect the innocent. After all, not everyone in South Africa's prisons was there unjustly.

Leonardo da Vinci

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. -Leonardo da Vinci, painter, engineer, musician, and scientist (1452-1519)

My first reaction to this quote was, "Yes, I agree." But after a moment I began to question myself. Isn't this a matter of style? Were all the clever people of the Baroque period, for example, unsophisticated?