Some Quotes
A growing collection of different quotes I’ve heard banded about the place and rather like. Some may need citation, but I’m not going to bother. They seem believable enough as is. If you’re really that interested / bothered, go find the citations yourself and show me where they are, and I’ll include them for others. Super.
For reference, where possible I’ve tried to group them together by originator, in alphabetical order (surnames first, of course).
I’m not interested in politics. I lose interest the microsecond it ceases to be emotional, when something becomes a political movement. What I’m interested in is emotions.
More generally (and this applies to Christianity no less than to Islam), what is really pernicious is the practice of teaching children that faith itself is a virtue. Faith is an evil precisely because it requires no justification and brooks no argument. Teaching children that unquestioned faith is a virtue primes them – given certain other ingredients that are not hard to come by – to grow up into potentially lethal weapons for future Jihads or Crusades…
- Richard Dawkins, ‘The God Delusion’
It’s easy to see without looking too far that not much is really sacred.
- Bob Dylan, ‘It’s Alright, Ma’
Let me ask you one question: Is your money that good?
Will it buy you forgiveness? Do you think that it could?
I think you will find, when your death takes its toll,
All the money you made will never buy back your soul.
- Bob Dylan, ‘Masters of War’
The difference between what we do and what we could do would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.
- Mahatma Gandhi
No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.
- Nathaniel Hawthorne
“Deep in the human unconsciousness is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic.”
- from ‘The Sayings of Muad’Dib’ by the Princess Irulan (’Dune’, Frank Herbert)
I think it’s interesting how people act upon their beliefs. A lot of Christians, for instance, wear crosses around their necks. Nice sentiment, but do you think when Jesus comes back he’s really going to want to look at a cross? Ow! Maybe that’s why he hasn’t shown up yet…
- Bill Hicks
I don’t believe that religions are religions. No, I believe they are philosophies with some good ideas, and some fucking weird ones.
- Eddie Izzard
I quote others only the better to express myself.
- Montaigne
And you say, ‘Boy, do you really love me?’
Well, I ain’t got much words to say.
Let me write my answer, down in the sand by the waves.
Seasick Steve, ‘Walkin Man’
To be able to choose between proprietary software packages is to be able to choose your master. Freedom means not having a master. And in the area of computing, freedom means not using proprietary software.
- Richard M. Stallman
Software is like sex: it’s better when it’s free.
- Linus Torvalds
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities
- Voltaire
This page created 19 May 2009.