Men must turn square corners when they deal with the Government. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. More Quotes by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. More Quotes From Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Science is the topography of ignorance. From a few elevated points we triangulate vast spaces, inclosing infinite unknown details. We cast the lead, and draw up a little sand from abysses we may never reach with our dredges. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. space ignorance science There are three natural anaesthetics: Sleep, fainting, and death. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. sleep funny death Men are tattooed with their special beliefs like so many South Sea Islanders; but a real human heart with divine love in it beats with the same glow under all the patterns of all earth's thousand tribes. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. real heart love Society is always trying in some way to grind us down to a single flat surface. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. always-trying grind society A good soldier, like a good horse, cannot be of a bad color. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. horse color soldier It is very grand to die in harness, but it is very pleasant to have the tight straps unbuckled and the heavy collar lifted from the neck and shoulders. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. necks virtue vices When a man holds his tongue it does not signify much. But when a woman dispenses with the office of the mighty member, when she sheathed her natural weapon at a trying moment, it means that she trusts to still more formidable enginery; to tears it may be, a solvent more powerful than that with which Hannibal softened the alpine rocks. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. women powerful mean Fame is the scentless sunflower, with gaudy crown of gold; But friendship is the rose, with sweets in every fold. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. rose sweet friendship The joy of life is to put out one's power in some natural and useful or harmless way. There is no other. And the real misery is not to do this. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. diversity real justice Fame usually comes to those who are thinking about something else. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. life-and-love reputation thinking Imitation is a necessity of human nature. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. imitation human-nature humans The wind blows out, the bubble dies; The spring entomb'd in autumn lies; The dew dries up; the star is shot; The flight is past, and man forgot. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. stars spring lying It's a good thing to be rich and a good thing to be strong, but it is a better thing to be beloved of many friends. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. beloved strong friendship To know is not less than to feel. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. knows feels The common law is not a brooding omnipresence in the sky, but the articulate voice of some sovereign or quasi sovereign that can be identified; although some decisions with which I have disagreed seem to me to have forgotten the fact. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. voice law sky The world has its fling at lawyers sometimes, but its very denial is an admission. It feels, what I believe to be the truth, that of all secular professions this has the highest standards. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. denial believe world The individual will always be a minority. If a man is in a minority of one, we lock him up. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. locks minorities men Deep-seated preferences cannot be argued about - you cannot argue a man into liking a glass of beer. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. glasses beer men Every now and then a man's mind is stretched by a new idea or sensation, and never shrinks back to its former dimensions. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. mind men ideas These are the hands whose sturdy labor brings The peasant's food, the golden pomp of kings; This is the page whose letters shall be seen, Changed by the sun to words of living green; This is the scholar whose immortal penSpells the first lesson hunger taught to men; These are the lines that heaven-commanded Toil Shows on his deed, - the charter of the soil! Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. kings men life
