Quotes by Historian | Beyond Motive 6/35

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Quotes by Historian

"It is impossible to underrate human intelligence - beginning with one's own."

"It is impossible to underrate human intelligence - beginning with one's own."

Henry B. Adams, American Historian

Intelligence, Beginning

45

"A shocking crime was committed on the unscrupulous initiative of few individuals, with the blessing of more, and amid the passive acquiescence of all."

"A shocking crime was committed on the unscrupulous initiative of few individuals, with the blessing of more, and amid the passive acquiescence of all."

Tacitus, Roman Historian

45

"To say nothing, especially when speaking, is half the art of diplomacy."

"To say nothing, especially when speaking, is half the art of diplomacy."

Will Durant, American Historian

Art, Diplomacy, Nothing

45

"Toil and pleasure, dissimilar in nature, are nevertheless united by a certain natural bond."

"Toil and pleasure, dissimilar in nature, are nevertheless united by a certain natural bond."

Titus Livius, Roman Historian

Nature, Pleasure, United

45

"Conservatives unwittingly side with the social forces that contribute to the destruction of traditional values."

"Conservatives unwittingly side with the social forces that contribute to the destruction of traditional values."

Christopher Lasch, American Historian

Values, Destruction

45

"Nations without a past are contradictions in terms. What makes a nation is the past, what justifies one nation against others is the past, and historians are the people who produce it."

"Nations without a past are contradictions in terms. What makes a nation is the past, what justifies one nation against others is the past, and historians are the people who produce it."

Eric Hobsbawm, British Historian

People, Historians, Nation, Nations

45

"Fort Leavenworth is in fact no fort, being without defensive works, except two block-houses."

"Fort Leavenworth is in fact no fort, being without defensive works, except two block-houses."

Francis Parkman, American Historian

45

"There is a spell in mediaeval Art which has had power to bewitch some people into trying, or wishing to try, or fancying that they wish to try or making believe to fancy that they wish to try, to bring back the Middle Ages."

"There is a spell in mediaeval Art which has had power to bewitch some people into trying, or wishing to try, or fancying that they wish to try or making believe to fancy that they wish to try, to bring back the Middle Ages."

Goldwin Smith, Canadian Historian

Art, Power, People, Fancy

45

"Knowledge is the eye of desire and can become the pilot of the soul."

"Knowledge is the eye of desire and can become the pilot of the soul."

Will Durant, American Historian

Soul, Knowledge, Desire, Eye

45

"Nearly everywhere monarchs raised themselves further above the level of the greatest nobles and buttressed their new pretensions to respect and authority with cannons and taxation."

"Nearly everywhere monarchs raised themselves further above the level of the greatest nobles and buttressed their new pretensions to respect and authority with cannons and taxation."

J. M. Roberts, British Historian

Authority, Respect, Taxation

45

"Human blunders usually do more to shape history than human wickedness."

"Human blunders usually do more to shape history than human wickedness."

A. J. P. Taylor, British Historian

History, Wickedness

44

"Overall, the anarchy was the most creative of all periods of Japanese culture for in it there appeared the greatest landscape painting, the culmination of the skill of landscape gardening and the arts of flower arrangement, and the No drama."

"Overall, the anarchy was the most creative of all periods of Japanese culture for in it there appeared the greatest landscape painting, the culmination of the skill of landscape gardening and the arts of flower arrangement, and the No drama."

J. M. Roberts, British Historian

Gardening, Anarchy, Culture, Drama

44

"Be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from the others; have no favourites."

"Be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from the others; have no favourites."

Lord Acton, British Historian

44

"Experience is the extract of suffering."

"Experience is the extract of suffering."

Arthur Helps, British Historian

Experience, Suffering

44

"The better one is morally the less aware they are of their virtue."

"The better one is morally the less aware they are of their virtue."

James Anthony Froude, English Historian

44

"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws."

"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws."

Tacitus, Roman Historian

Law, Laws, State

44

"Knowledge of human nature is the beginning and end of political education."

"Knowledge of human nature is the beginning and end of political education."

Henry B. Adams, American Historian

Education, Nature, Knowledge, Beginning

44

"America, when it became known to Europeans, was, as it had long been, a scene of wide-spread revolution."

"America, when it became known to Europeans, was, as it had long been, a scene of wide-spread revolution."

Francis Parkman, American Historian

Revolution, America

44

"Far from being the product of a democratic revolution and of an opposition to English institutions, the constitution of the United States was the result of a powerful reaction against democracy, and in favor of the traditions of the mother country."

"Far from being the product of a democratic revolution and of an opposition to English institutions, the constitution of the United States was the result of a powerful reaction against democracy, and in favor of the traditions of the mother country."

John Acton, English Historian

Family, Mother, Being, Constitution, Country

44

"American society is a sort of flat, fresh-water pond which absorbs silently, without reaction, anything which is thrown into it."

"American society is a sort of flat, fresh-water pond which absorbs silently, without reaction, anything which is thrown into it."

Henry B. Adams, American Historian

44

"In 1763 the English were the most powerful nation in the world."

"In 1763 the English were the most powerful nation in the world."

Albert Bushnell Hart, American Historian

History, English, Nation, World

44

"Chaos often breeds life when order breeds habit."

"Chaos often breeds life when order breeds habit."

Henry Adams, American Historian

Life, Habit, Chaos, Order

44

"A fraudulent intent, however carefully concealed at the outset, will generally, in the end, betray itself."

"A fraudulent intent, however carefully concealed at the outset, will generally, in the end, betray itself."

Titus Livius, Roman Historian

Society, End, Will

44

"Expenditures rise to meet income."

"Expenditures rise to meet income."

C. Northcote Parkinson, British Historian

44

"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Lord Acton, British Historian

44

"Rome has grown since its humble beginnings that it is now overwhelmed by its own greatness."

"Rome has grown since its humble beginnings that it is now overwhelmed by its own greatness."

Titus Livius, Roman Historian

History, Greatness, Beginnings, Now, Rome

44

"The great armies, accumulated to provide security and preserve the peace, carried the nations to war by their own weight."

"The great armies, accumulated to provide security and preserve the peace, carried the nations to war by their own weight."

A. J. P. Taylor, British Historian

War, Peace, Nations, Security

44

"This world's anguish is no different from the love we insist on holding back."

"This world's anguish is no different from the love we insist on holding back."

Aberjhani, American Historian

Emotion, Love, Pain, Humanity

44

"The higher your station, the less your liberty."

"The higher your station, the less your liberty."

Sallust, Roman Historian

44

"The laws of probability, so true in general, so fallacious in particular."

"The laws of probability, so true in general, so fallacious in particular."

Edward Gibbon, English Historian

44

"Expansion means complexity and complexity decay."

"Expansion means complexity and complexity decay."

C. Northcote Parkinson, British Historian

44

"Heroes are created by popular demand, sometimes out of the scantiest materials, or none at all."

"Heroes are created by popular demand, sometimes out of the scantiest materials, or none at all."

Gerald W. Johnson, American Historian

Heroes, Popular

44

"Men's fortunes are on a wheel, which in its turning suffers not the same man to prosper for ever."

"Men's fortunes are on a wheel, which in its turning suffers not the same man to prosper for ever."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

44

"Man became free when he recognized that he was subject to law."

"Man became free when he recognized that he was subject to law."

Will Durant, American Historian

44

"From abundance springs satiety."

"From abundance springs satiety."

Titus Livius, Roman Historian

Society, Abundance

44

"The man who has planned badly, if fortune is on his side, may have had a stroke of luck; but his plan was a bad one nonetheless."

"The man who has planned badly, if fortune is on his side, may have had a stroke of luck; but his plan was a bad one nonetheless."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Fortune, Luck, Man, May

44

"To be able to look back upon one's past life with satisfaction is to live twice."

"To be able to look back upon one's past life with satisfaction is to live twice."

Lord Acton, British Historian

Life, Past, Satisfaction

44

"No art form points like poetry to this originality of language as to its essential and abiding concern."

"No art form points like poetry to this originality of language as to its essential and abiding concern."

Thomas Harrison, American Historian

Art, Poetry, Concern, Language

44

"In a state where corruption abounds, laws must be very numerous."

"In a state where corruption abounds, laws must be very numerous."

Tacitus, Roman Historian

Corruption, Laws, State

44

"By common consent gray hairs are a crown of glory; the only object of respect that can never excite envy."

"By common consent gray hairs are a crown of glory; the only object of respect that can never excite envy."

George Bancroft, American Historian

Envy, Glory, Respect

43

"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one."

"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one."

James Anthony Froude, English Historian

Dream, Character

43

"This above all makes history useful and desirable; it unfolds before our eyes a glorious record of exemplary actions."

"This above all makes history useful and desirable; it unfolds before our eyes a glorious record of exemplary actions."

Titus Livius, Roman Historian

History, Actions, Eyes

43

"It has always appeared to me, that there is so much to be done in this world, that all self-inflicted suffering which cannot be turned to good account for others, is a loss - a loss, if you may so express it, to the spiritual world."

"It has always appeared to me, that there is so much to be done in this world, that all self-inflicted suffering which cannot be turned to good account for others, is a loss - a loss, if you may so express it, to the spiritual world."

Arthur Helps, British Historian

Loss, May, Self, Spiritual

43

"We combat obstacles in order to get repose, and when got, the repose is insupportable."

"We combat obstacles in order to get repose, and when got, the repose is insupportable."

Henry B. Adams, American Historian

Rest, Obstacles, Order

43

"America is a large friendly dog in a small room. Every time it wags its tail it knocks over a chair."

"America is a large friendly dog in a small room. Every time it wags its tail it knocks over a chair."

Arnold J. Toynbee, British Historian

43

"Everything that rises sets, and everything that grows, grows old."

"Everything that rises sets, and everything that grows, grows old."

Sallust, Roman Historian

43

"The prophets and the writers of the Psalms were clear that God was continuing to work in the universe and in all history. They declared that He had created the universe."

"The prophets and the writers of the Psalms were clear that God was continuing to work in the universe and in all history. They declared that He had created the universe."

Kenneth Scott Latourette, American Historian

Work, History, God, Universe

43

"Imperialism was genuinely popular among Athenians who would expect to share in its profits, even if only indirectly and collectively, and not to have to bear its burdens."

"Imperialism was genuinely popular among Athenians who would expect to share in its profits, even if only indirectly and collectively, and not to have to bear its burdens."

J. M. Roberts, British Historian

43

"Do as much as possible, and talk of yourself as little as possible."

"Do as much as possible, and talk of yourself as little as possible."

Sallust, Roman Historian

43

"A wise person does at once, what a fool does at last. Both do the same thing; only at different times."

"A wise person does at once, what a fool does at last. Both do the same thing; only at different times."

Lord Acton, British Historian

43

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