WIST QuotationsJan 7

A quotation from Montaigne

The miser prays God for the vain and superfluous preservation of his hoard; the ambitious man, for success and the achievement of his desires; the thief uses God to help him overcome the dangers and difficulties which obstruct his nefarious designs or else thanks God when he finds it easy to slit the gizzard of some passer-by. At the foot of the mansion which they are about to climb into and blow up, men say their prayers, while their purposes and hopes are full of cruelty, lust, and greed.
 
[L’avaricieux le prie pour la conservation vaine & superflue de ses thresors : l’ambitieux pour ses victoires, & conduite de sa fortune : le voleur l’employe à son ayde, pour franchir le hazard & les difficultez, qui s’opposent à l’execution de ses meschantes entreprinses : ou le remercie de l’aisance qu’il a trouvé à desgosiller un passant. Au pied de la maison, qu’ils vont escheller ou petarder, ils font leurs prieres, l’intention & l’esperance pleine de cruauté, de luxure, & d’avarice.]

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
Essays, Book 1, ch. 56 (1.56), “Of Prayers [Des prieres]” (1572-1580) [tr. Screech (1987)]

More info about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/montaigne-michel-de/…

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Montaigne, Michel de - Essays, Book 1, ch. 56 (1.56), "Of Prayers [Des prieres]" (1572-1580) [tr. Screech (1987)] | WIST Quotations

The miser prays God for the vain and superfluous preservation of his hoard; the ambitious man, for success and the achievement of his desires; the thief uses God to help him overcome the dangers and difficulties which obstruct his nefarious designs or else thanks God when he finds it easy…

WIST Quotations
WIST QuotationsDec 27

A quotation from Adlai Stevenson

I’m not an old, experienced hand at politics. But I am now seasoned enough to have learned that the hardest thing about any political campaign is how to win without proving that you are unworthy of winning.

Adlai Stevenson (1900-1965) American diplomat, statesman
Speech (1956-06-02), Fresno, California

More about this quote: wist.info/stevenson-adlai-ewin…

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Stevenson, Adlai - Speech (1956-06-02), Fresno, California | WIST Quotations

I'm not an old, experienced hand at politics. But I am now seasoned enough to have learned that the hardest thing about any political campaign is how to win without proving that you are unworthy of winning. I cannot find a contemporary, primary report of this quotation. This the text…

WIST Quotations
WIST Quotations Has Moved!Dec 5

A quotation from Robert Louis Stevenson

You may safely go to school with hope; but ere you marry, should have learned the mingled lesson of the world: that dolls are stuffed with sawdust, and yet are excellent play-things; that hope and love address themselves to a perfection never realised, and yet, firmly held, become the salt and staff of life; that you yourself are compacted of infirmities, perfect, you might say, in imperfection, and yet you have a something in you lovable and worth preserving; and that, while the mass of mankind lies under this scurvy condemnation, you will scarce find one but, by some generous reading, will become to you a lesson, a model, and a noble spouse through life. So thinking, you will constantly support your own unworthiness, and easily forgive the failings of your friend.

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) Scottish essayist, novelist, poet
Essay (1881), “Virginibus Puerisque, Part 2”

More about this quote: wist.info/stevenson-robert-lou…

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Essay (1881), "Virginibus Puerisque, Part 2" - Stevenson, Robert Louis | WIST Quotations

You may safely go to school with hope; but ere you marry, should have learned the mingled lesson of the world: that dolls are stuffed with sawdust, and yet are excellent play-things; that hope and love address themselves to a perfection never realised, and yet, firmly held, become the salt…

WIST Quotations
WIST Quotations Has Moved!Jun 19, 2025

A quotation from Eric Hoffer

Fear comes from uncertainty. When we are absolutely certain, whether of our worth or worthlessness, we are almost impervious to fear. Thus a feeling of utter unworthiness can be a source of courage.

Eric Hoffer (1902-1983) American writer, philosopher, longshoreman
Passionate State of Mind, Aphorism 87 (1955)

Sourcing, notes: wist.info/hoffer-eric/69211/

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WIST Quotations Has Moved!Apr 17, 2025

A quotation from Teddy Roosevelt

Nevertheless, the fact remains that exactly as true patriots should be especially jealous of any appeal to what is base under the guise of patriotism, so men who strive for honesty, and for the cleansing of what is corrupt in the dark places of our politics, should emphatically disassociate themselves from the men whose antics throw discredit upon the reforms they profess to advocate.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) American politician, statesman, conservationist, writer, US President (1901-1909)
Essay (1900-06), “Latitude and Longitude Among Reformers,” The Century Magazine, Vol. 60, No. 2

Sourcing, notes: wist.info/roosevelt-theodore/1…

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WIST Quotations Has Moved!Apr 15, 2025

A quotation from Ambrose Bierce

PRAY, v. To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy.

Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914?) American writer and journalist
“Pray,” The Devil’s Dictionary (1911)

Sourcing, notes: wist.info/bierce-ambrose/1064/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #divineintervention #petition #pray #prayer #unworthiness

"Pray," The Devil's Dictionary (1911) - Bierce, Ambrose | WIST Quotations

PRAY, v. To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy. Originally published in the "Cynic's Word Book" column in the New York American (1906-04-06) and the "Cynic's Dictionary" column in the San Francisco Examiner (1906-04-11).

WIST Quotations
WIST Quotations Has Moved!Feb 20, 2025

A quotation from Ellis Peters

He was about to urge her to let well alone and trust heaven to do justice, but then he had a sudden vision of heaven’s justice as the Church sometimes applied it, in good but dreadful faith, with all the virtuous narrowness and pitilessness of minds blind and deaf to the infinite variety of humankind, its failings, and aspirations, and needs, and forgetful of all the Gospel reminders concerning publicans and sinners.

Ellis Peters (1913-1995) English writer, translator [pseud. of Edith Mary Pargeter, who also wrote under the names John Redfern, Jolyon Carr, Peter Benedict]
The Holy Thief, ch. 11 (1992)

Sourcing, notes: wist.info/peters-ellis/74946/

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The Holy Thief, ch. 11 (1992) - Peters, Ellis | WIST Quotations

He was about to urge her to let well alone and trust heaven to do justice, but then he had a sudden vision of heaven's justice as the Church sometimes applied it, in good but dreadful faith, with all the virtuous narrowness and pitilessness of minds blind and deaf to…

WIST Quotations
WIST Quotations moves again!May 7, 2024

A quotation from Hoffer, Eric:

«
Fear comes from uncertainty. When we are absolutely certain, whether of our worth or worthlessness, we are almost impervious to fear. Thus a feeling of utter unworthiness can be a source of courage.
»

Full quote, sourcing, notes:
https://wist.info/hoffer-eric/69211/

#quote #quotes #quotation #certainty #courage #fear #selfimage #selfworth #uncertainty #unworthiness #worthiness #worthlessness

The Passionate State of Mind, Aphorism 87 (1955) - Hoffer, Eric | WIST Quotations

Fear comes from uncertainty. When we are absolutely certain, whether of our worth or worthlessness, we are almost impervious to fear. Thus a feeling of utter unworthiness can be a source of courage.

WIST
WIST Quotations moves again!Apr 15, 2024

A quotation from Hugo, Victor:

«
The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves — say rather, loved in spite of ourselves.

[Le suprême bonheur de la vie, c’est la conviction qu’on est aimé; aimé pour soi-même, disons mieux, aimé malgré soi-même.]
»

Full quote, sourcing, notes:
https://wist.info/hugo-victor/1994/

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Les Misérables, Part 1 "Fantine," Book 5 "The Descent," ch. 4 (1.5.4) (1862) [tr. Wilbour (1862)] - Hugo, Victor | WIST Quotations

The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves -- say rather, loved in spite of ourselves. [Le suprême bonheur de la vie, c’est la conviction qu’on est aimé; aimé pour soi-même, disons mieux, aimé malgré soi-même.] (Source (French)). Alternate translations: The supreme happiness…

WIST
Monty WintersJan 25, 2024

Pay attention.
Listen.
Really listen.
She's telling her story.

This is what I do. This is my gift. I listen to stories. We find the pain. You feel the pain. You vaporize the pain. Then you are free.

Healing is so much more beautiful than you can imagine. Your body knows what it is doing. If it speaks, it is urging you to listen. It is begging you to see.

Your body knows.
You heal you.
Always and in all ways.
💗🔥💗
#mygift #yourbodyknows #unresolvedemotionalpain #unworthiness