People nowadays have such high hopes of America and the political conditions obtaining there that one might say the desires, at least the secret desires, of all enlightened Europeans are deflected to the west, like our magnetic needles. Georg C. Lichtenberg More Quotes by Georg C. Lichtenberg More Quotes From Georg C. Lichtenberg It thunders, howls, roars, hisses, whistles, blusters, hums, growls, rumbles, squeaks, groans, sings, crackles, cracks, rattles, flickers, clicks, snarls, tumbles, whimpers, whines, rustles, murmurs, crashes, clucks, to gurgle, tinkles, blows, snores, claps, to lisp, to cough, it boils, to scream, to weep, to sob, to croak, to stutter, to lisp, to coo, to breathe, to clash, to bleat, to neigh, to grumble, to scrape, to bubble. These words, and others like them, which express sounds are more than mere symbols: they are a kind of hieroglyphics for the ear. Georg C. Lichtenberg cracks blow sound There is no greater impediment to progress in the sciences than the desire to see it take place too quickly. Georg C. Lichtenberg progress desire science An hour-glass is a reminder not only of time's quick flight, but also of the dust to which we must at last return Georg C. Lichtenberg glasses lasts dust The journalists have constructed for themselves a little wooden chapel, which they also call the Temple of Fame, in which they put up and take down portraits all day long and make such a hammering you can't hear yourself speak. Georg C. Lichtenberg portraits littles long Marriage, in contrast to the flu, starts with a fever and ends with the chills. Georg C. Lichtenberg fever chill flu If it were true what in the end would be gained? Nothing but another truth. Is this such a mighty advantage? We have enough old truths still to digest, and even these we would be quite unable to endure if we did not sometimes flavor them with lies. Georg C. Lichtenberg deceit would-be lying So-called professional mathematicians have, in their reliance on the relative incapacity of the rest of mankind, acquired for themselves a reputation for profundity very similar to the reputation for sanctity possessed by theologians. Georg C. Lichtenberg sanctity reputation math The human tendency to regard little things as important has produced very many great things. Georg C. Lichtenberg gardening important religion I am always grieved when a man of real talent dies. The world needs such men more than Heaven does. Georg C. Lichtenberg real men heaven How did mankind ever come by the idea of liberty? What a grand thought it was! Georg C. Lichtenberg mankind liberty ideas It is with epigrams as with other inventions; the best ones annoy us because we didn't think of them ourselves. Georg C. Lichtenberg invention annoying thinking Do not take too artificial a view of mankind but judge them from a natural standpoint, deeming them neither over good nor over bad. Georg C. Lichtenberg judging views natural It is in most cases more difficult to make intelligent people believe that you are what you are not, than really to become what you would appear to be. Georg C. Lichtenberg intelligent believe people One of the greatest and also the commonest of faults is for men to believe that, because they never hear their shortcomings spoken of, or read about them in cold print, others can have no knowledge of them. Georg C. Lichtenberg faults men believe Human pride is a strange thing; it cannot easily be suppressed, and if you stop up hole A will peep forth again in a twinkling from another hole B, and if this is closed it is ready to come out at hole C, and so on. Georg C. Lichtenberg twinkling strange pride I look upon book reviews as an infantile disease which new-born books are subject to. Georg C. Lichtenberg disease book looks One can live in this world on soothsaying but not on truth saying. Georg C. Lichtenberg this-world truth world Universal morality is to be found in little everyday penny-events just as much as in great ones. Georg C. Lichtenberg everyday pennies littles Do not commence your exercises in philosophy in those regions where an error can deliver you over to the executioner. Georg C. Lichtenberg errors exercise philosophy We judge nothing so hastily as character, and yet there is nothing over which we should be more cautious.... I have always found that the so-called bad people improve on closer acquaintance, while the good fall off. Georg C. Lichtenberg judging character fall
