If countries were named after the words you first hear when you go there, England would have to be called Damn It. Georg C. Lichtenberg More Quotes by Georg C. Lichtenberg More Quotes From Georg C. Lichtenberg To be content with life or to live merrily, rather all that is required is that we bestow on all things only a fleeting, superficial glance; the more thoughtful we become the more earnest we grow. Georg C. Lichtenberg superficial-things thoughtful fleeting Nothing is more conducive to peace of mind than not having any opinion at all. Georg C. Lichtenberg inspirational peace thinking Sickness is mankind's greatest defect. Georg C. Lichtenberg defects sickness mankind Much can be inferred about a man from his mistress: in her one beholds his weaknesses and his dreams. Georg C. Lichtenberg mistress dream men God created man in His own image, says the Bible; philosophers reverse the process: they create God in theirs. Georg C. Lichtenberg philosopher process men If you are going to build something in the air it is always better to build castles than houses of cards. Georg C. Lichtenberg castles house-of-cards air There are very many people who read simply to prevent themselves from thinking. Georg C. Lichtenberg people thinking I am confident of my ability to demonstrate that one can sometimes believe in something and yet not believe in it. Nothing is less fathomable than the systems that motivate our actions. Georg C. Lichtenberg our-actions sometimes believe With most men, unbelief in one thing springs from blind belief in another. Georg C. Lichtenberg blind-belief spring men It is almost impossible to carry the torch of truth through a crowd without singeing somebody's beard. Georg C. Lichtenberg beard torches crowds One might call habit a moral friction: something that prevents the mind from gliding over things but connects it with them and makes it hard for it to free itself from them. Georg C. Lichtenberg gliding mind might It is a question whether, when we break a murderer on the wheel, we do not fall into the error a child makes when it hits the chair it has bumped into. Georg C. Lichtenberg errors children fall The Greeks possessed a knowledge of human nature we seem hardly able to attain to without passing through the strengthening hibernation of a new barbarism. Georg C. Lichtenberg hibernation able greek We say that someone occupies an official position, whereas it is the official position that occupies him. Georg C. Lichtenberg public-office position sea The most perfect ape cannot draw an ape; only man can do that; but, likewise, only man regards the ability to do this as a sign of superiority. Georg C. Lichtenberg apes perfect men Nowadays three witty turns of phrase and a lie make a writer. Georg C. Lichtenberg writing witty lying Nothing can contribute more to peace of soul than the lack of any opinion whatever. Georg C. Lichtenberg opinion soul peace Never undertake anything for which you wouldn't have the courage to ask the blessings of heaven. Georg C. Lichtenberg blessing wise courage It is in the gift for employing all the vicissitudes of life to one's own advantage and to that of one's craft that a large part of genius consists. Georg C. Lichtenberg genius motivational inspirational I believe that man is in the last resort so free a being that his right to be what he believes himself to be cannot be contested. Georg C. Lichtenberg being-free men believe
