miscellaneous quotes

The world is a looking-glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face.
– William Makepeace Thackeray

In science it often happens that scientists say, “You know, that’s a really good argument; my position is mistaken,” and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn’t happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.
– Carl Sagan [awesome toker]

What is an epigram? A dwarfish whole,
Its body brevity, and wit its soul.
– Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The penalty that good men pay for not being interested in politics is to be governed by men worse than themselves.
– Plato

At bottom, every man knows perfectly well that he is a unique being, only once on this earth; and by no extraordinary chance will such a marvelously picturesque piece of diversity in unity as he is, ever be put together for a second time.
– Friedrich Nietzsche