July 16 Quotations

Quotes of the day from previous years:

2003

Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes. ~ Oscar Wilde

selected by Nanobug

2004

When we wish to correct with advantage and to show another that he errs, we must notice from what side he views the matter, for on that side it is usually true, and admit that truth to him, but reveal to him the side on which it is false. He is satisfied with that, for he sees that he was not mistaken and that he only failed to see all sides. ~ Blaise Pascal

selected by Kalki

2005

By the declining day, man is a state of loss, save those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance. ~ The Qur'an, Surah 103.

July 16 2005 is 1 Muharram 1426 in the Islamic calendar, the beginning of the Hijri year.
proposed by MosheZadka

2006

If you build it, he will come. ~ "The Voice" in Field of Dreams (Shoeless Joe Jackson born 16 July 1888)

selected by Kalki

2007

You'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You're by no means alone on that score, you'll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You'll learn from them — if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry. ~ J. D. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye

proposed by Kalki

2008

Ignorance perpetuates itself just as knowledge does. Men write false documents, they preach false doctrine, and those beliefs survive to inspire wickedness in later generations. ... Conversely, some men write and teach about the truth, only to be declared heretic by the wicked. In such cases evil has the advantage, for it will do anything to suppress truth, but the good man limits what he will do to suppress falsehood.
One might almost make a rule of it: "Whoever declares another heretic is himself a devil. Whoever places a relic or artifact above justice, kindness, mercy, or truth is himself a devil and the thing elevated is a work of evil magic." ~ Sheri S. Tepper

proposed by Kalki

2009

I have always lived in a world in which I'm just a spot in history. My life is not the important point. I'm just part of the continuum, and that continuum, to me, is a marvelous thing. The history of life, and the history of the planet, should go on and on and on and on. I cannot conceive of anything in the universe that has more meaning than that. ~ Sheri S. Tepper

proposed by Kalki

2010

Suggestions

It's true — a lot of people have gotten into comedy because of certain influences in their lives or events that were painful, and I really have wracked my brain to figure it out. I pretty much have had a normal childhood. Maybe it was too normal. ~ Will Ferrell (born 16 July 1967)

2 Kalki 04:23, 17 July 2006 (UTC)
2 InvisibleSun 22:01, 15 July 2007 (UTC)
1 Zarbon 06:22, 24 April 2008 (UTC)

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For the most part, I don't have too many fears. It's like: Why am I even doing it if I'm not going to enjoy it and just go for it? And that manifests itself in different ways. ~ Will Ferrell (born 16 July 1967)

3 Kalki 01:39, 11 July 2007 (UTC) * 2 Kalki 04:23, 17 July 2006 (UTC)
2 InvisibleSun 22:01, 15 July 2007 (UTC)
1 Zarbon 06:22, 24 April 2008 (UTC)

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A lot of people, especially this one psychoanalyst guy they have here, keeps asking me if I'm going apply myself when I go back to school next September. It's such a stupid question, in my opinion. I mean how do you know what you're going to do till you do it? The answer is, you don't. I think I am, but how do I know? I swear it's a stupid question. ~ J. D. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye (first published on this date in 1951)

3 Kalki 01:39, 11 July 2007 (UTC) with a lean towrd 4.
3 InvisibleSun 22:01, 15 July 2007 (UTC)
1 Zarbon 06:22, 24 April 2008 (UTC)

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What I mean is, lots of time you don't know what interests you most till you start talking about something that doesn't interest you most. I mean you can't help it sometimes. What I think is, you're supposed to leave somebody alone if he's at least being interesting and he's getting all excited about something. I like it when somebody gets excited about something. It's nice. ~ J. D. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye

3 Kalki 01:39, 11 July 2007 (UTC) with a strong lean toward 4.
3 InvisibleSun 22:01, 15 July 2007 (UTC)
1 Zarbon 06:22, 24 April 2008 (UTC)

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Nothing limits intelligence more than ignorance; nothing fosters ignorance more than one's own opinions; nothing strengthens opinions more than refusing to look at reality. ~ Sheri S. Tepper

3 Zarbon 11:52, 21 May 2008 (UTC)
3 Kalki 23:45, 15 July 2008 (UTC) with a lean toward 4.
3 InvisibleSun 23:58, 15 July 2008 (UTC)

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Mankind accepts good fortune as his due, but when bad occurs, he thinks it was aimed at him, done to him, a hex, a curse, a punishment by his deity for some transgression, as though his god were a petty storekeeper, counting up the day's receipts... ~ Sheri S. Tepper

2 Zarbon 11:52, 21 May 2008 (UTC)
3 Kalki 23:45, 15 July 2008 (UTC) with a lean toward 4.
3 InvisibleSun 23:58, 15 July 2008 (UTC)

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To my mind, the expression of divinity is in variety, and the more variable the creation, the more variable the creatures that surround us, botanical and zoological, the more chance we have to learn and to see into life itself, nature itself. ... we need variety. We came from that, we were born from that, it's our world, the world in which we became what we have become. ~ Sheri S. Tepper

3 Kalki 23:45, 15 July 2008 (UTC) with a very strong lean toward 4.
3 InvisibleSun 23:58, 15 July 2008 (UTC)
1 Zarbon 03:01, 16 July 2008 (UTC)

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Long ago, the people of the world cried out for help. In the reaches of heaven their cry was heard, and a Visitor came in answer to it. The Visitor began helping immediately, but secretly. Now the visitor intends to be known to the people of the world and the people of the world must deal with that knowledge. ~ Sheri S. Tepper

3 Kalki 19:34, 14 July 2009 (UTC) with a lean toward 4.
1 Zarbon 18:15, 21 August 2009 (UTC)

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I remember I asked old Childs if he thought Judas, the one that betrayed Jesus and all, went to Hell after he committed suicide. Childs said certainly. That's exactly where I disagreed with him. I said I'd bet a thousand bucks that Jesus never sent old Judas to Hell. I still would, too, if I had a thousand bucks. I think any one of the Disciples would've sent him to Hell and all — and fast, too — but I'll bet anything Jesus didn't do it. ~ J. D. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye

3 Kalki 23:47, 15 July 2009 (UTC) * 4 Kalki 19:34, 14 July 2009 (UTC) altered my strong desire to use this, for at least this year, towards another which has wider support than this relatively late entry.
2 Zarbon 18:15, 21 August 2009 (UTC)

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The song the carrousel was playing was "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." It was playing it very jazzy and funny. All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring, and so was old Phoebe, and I was sort of afraid she'd fall off the goddam horse, but I didn't say anything or do anything. The thing with kids is, if they want to grab the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off they fall off, but it's bad if you say anything to them. ~ J. D. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye

3 Kalki 19:34, 14 July 2009 (UTC)
1 Zarbon 18:15, 21 August 2009 (UTC)

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I'm not too sure old Phoebe knew what the hell I was talking about. I mean she's only a little child and all. But she was listening, at least. If somebody at least listens, it's not too bad. ~ J. D. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye

3 Kalki 19:34, 14 July 2009 (UTC)
1 Zarbon 18:15, 21 August 2009 (UTC)

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What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though. ~ J. D. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye

3 Kalki 19:34, 14 July 2009 (UTC)
1 Zarbon 18:15, 21 August 2009 (UTC)

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I'll be all right. I'm just going through a phase right now. Everybody goes through phases and all, don't they? ~ J. D. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye

3 Kalki 19:34, 14 July 2009 (UTC)
1 Zarbon 18:15, 21 August 2009 (UTC)

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Further ideas:
The Trinity explosion 1945
Apollo 11 launch 1969

Quoternity