
“Some of the best things I have ever thought of I have thought of during bad sermons.”
Source: Jayber Crow
Source: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
“Some of the best things I have ever thought of I have thought of during bad sermons.”
Source: Jayber Crow
“I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.”
Book 1, Ch. 3, sec. 3
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689)
Variant: The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts.
“My thoughts, I guess, are bitter; who but the bitter have thoughts?”
The Complete Neurotic's Notebook (1981), Unclassified
Letter written the night before his duel with Aaron Burr (10 July 1804)
“I will not waste time on second thoughts. My life will not be an apology. It will be a statement.”
Source: The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success
Torvalds to his mother, about his sister
2000s, (2001)
“First thought: It was a dream
Second thought: No it wasn't
Third thought: Crap”
Source: Twisted
A variant reading of White's notes exists: Then later I said to Bobby — what's the line between histrionics and drama. I should have kept the blood on. but in White's own published memoir In Search of History: A Personal Adventure (1978) this is rendered "what's the line between history and drama?"
The "Camelot" interview (29 November 1963)
Context: History!... Everybody kept saying to me to put a cold towel around my head and wipe the blood off... later, I saw myself in the mirror; my whole face spattered with blood and hair... I wiped it off with Kleenex... History! … I thought, no one really wants me there. Then one second later I thought, why did I wash the blood off? I should have left it there, let them see what they've done... If I'd just had the blood and caked hair when they took the picture … Then later I said to Bobby — what's the line between history and drama? I should have kept the blood on.