“The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer.”

— Henry David Thoreau, book Life Without Principle

Life Without Principle (1863)
Context: The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer. I am surprised, as well as delighted, when this happens, it is such a rare use he would make of me, as if he were acquainted with the tool.

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Henry David Thoreau385

1817-1862 American poet, essayist, naturalist, and abolitio… 1817–1862

Patty Maloney (1936) American actress

Joan Quinn Profiles: Patty Maloney and Boze Hadleigh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lKrzpO9FqQ (March 24, 1994)

“I get paid to ask questions I don't know the answers to and to complain about the things that bother me.”

Jack Cafferty (1942) American journalist

[It's Getting Ugly Out There: The Frauds, Bunglers, Liars, and Losers Who Are Hurting America, Wiley, 9780470144794].
2008

“A story once went the rounds of Israel to the effect that Ben-Gurion described me as 'the only man' in his cabinet. What amused me about is that he (or whoever invented the story) thought that this was the greatest compliment that could be paid to a woman. I very much doubt that any man would have been flattered if I had said about him that he was the only woman in the government!”

Golda Meir (1898–1978) former prime minister of Israel

Israel’s Iron Lady unfiltered: 17 Golda Meir quotes on her 117th birthday, Yadid, Judd, 2015-05-03, English, Haaretz http://www.haaretz.com/news/features/.premium-1.654218,

“Friends are admiring my age and health, and asking me the secret to live to such an age in good health. I usually answer them frankly: I have never paid attention to my health and age.”

Peter Chung Hoan Ting (1928) Malaysian catholic priest

Archbishop Emeritus Peter Chung celebrates his 90th birthday http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/archbishop-emeritus-peter-chung-celebrates-his-90th-birthday/44331/1 (September 21, 2018)

“That's my answer to the question what is your strongest emotion, if you ever want to ask me: Curiosity, old bean. Curiosity every time.”

Elaine Dundy (1921–2008) American journalist, actress

Source: The Dud Avocado

“Whenever I was asked what I wanted my first impulse was to answer "Nothing." The thought went through my mind that it didn't make any difference, that nothing was going to make me happy.”

Osamu Dazai book No Longer Human

Third Notebook: Part One
Source: No Longer Human

“The most extraordinary dream I ever had was one in which I fancied that, as I was going into a theater, the cloak-room attendant stopped me in the lobby and insisted on my leaving my legs behind me.”

Jerome K. Jerome (1859–1927) English humorist

Dreams http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext97/jjdrm10.txt

“I like talking when people ask me sensible questions. Ask me senseless questions also, but in a context, and I can have fun, I can make you laugh at my answers.”

Shahrukh Khan (1965) Indian actor, producer and television personality

From interview with Anshul Chaturvedi

“One of my teachers told me I was a nihilist. He meant it as an insult but I took it as a compliment.”

Susanna Kaysen book Girl, Interrupted

Source: Girl, Interrupted (1994)

“My God, my God, who am I attending to? How many am I? Who is me? What is this interval between me and me?”

Fernando Pessoa book The Book of Disquiet

Ibid., p. 201
The Book of Disquiet
Original: Meu Deus, meu Deus, a quem assisto? Quantos sou? Quem é eu? O que é este intervalo que há entre mim e mim?

“The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer.”

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Henry David Thoreau385

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