How happily some people would live if they troubled themselves as little about other people's business as about their own. Georg C. Lichtenberg More Quotes by Georg C. Lichtenberg More Quotes From Georg C. Lichtenberg The construction of the universe is certainly very much easier to explain than is that of the plant. Georg C. Lichtenberg construction plant science If we make a couple of discoveries here and there we need not believe things will go on like this for ever. Just as we hit water when we dig in the earth, so we discover the incomprehensible sooner or later. Georg C. Lichtenberg couple education believe If an angel were to tell us about his philosophy, I believe many of his statements might well sound like '2 x 2= 13'. Georg C. Lichtenberg angel philosophy believe We can see nothing whatever of the soul unless it is visible in the expression of the countenance; one might call the faces at a large assembly of people a history of the human soul written in a kind of Chinese ideograms. Georg C. Lichtenberg soul expression people Good taste is either that which agrees with my taste or that which subjects itself to the rule of reason. From this we can see how useful it is to employ reason in seeking out the laws of taste. Georg C. Lichtenberg taste law reason There are people who possess not so much genius as a certain talent for perceiving the desires of the century, or even of the decade, before it has done so itself. Georg C. Lichtenberg greatness desire people I have remarked very clearly that I am often of one opinion when I am lying down and of another when I am standing up. Georg C. Lichtenberg down-and opinion lying The man was such an intellectual he was of almost no use. Georg C. Lichtenberg intellectual use men Man…who lives in three places – in the past, in the present, and in the future – can be unhappy if one of these three is worthless. Religion has even added a fourth – eternity. Georg C. Lichtenberg unhappy men past The highest level than can be reached by a mediocre but experienced mind is a talent for uncovering the weaknesses of those greater than itself. Georg C. Lichtenberg weakness criticism mind A handful of soldiers is always better than a mouthful of arguments. Georg C. Lichtenberg argument oppression soldier Every man has his moral backside which he refrains from showing unless he has to and keeps covered as long as possible with the trousers of decorum. Georg C. Lichtenberg morality men long Be wary of passing the judgment: obscure. To find something obscure poses no difficult, elephants and poodles find many things obscure. Georg C. Lichtenberg poodles obscurity elephants The pleasures of the imagination are as it were only drawings and models which are played with by poor people who cannot afford the real thing. Georg C. Lichtenberg drawing real people A person reveals his character by nothing so clearly as the joke he resents. Georg C. Lichtenberg personality-flaws resent character Perhaps in time the so-called Dark Ages will be thought of as including our own. Georg C. Lichtenberg anger dark time Just as the performance of the vilest and most wicked deeds requires spirit and talent, so even the greatest demand a certain insensitivity which under other circumstances we would call stupidity. Georg C. Lichtenberg wicked demand stupidity If all else fails, the character of a man can be recognized by nothing so surely as by a jest which he takes badly. Georg C. Lichtenberg failing character men Prejudices are so to speak the mechanical instincts of men: through their prejudices they do without any effort many things they would find too difficult to think through to the point of resolving to do them. Georg C. Lichtenberg effort men thinking We have no words for speaking of wisdom to the stupid. He who understands the wise is wise already. Georg C. Lichtenberg wisdom stupid wise
