Mr. Citizen, Harry Truman (1960)
Context: Student: Some people suggest that you are getting mellowed and less militant. Is that so?
Truman: Not in the slightest degree. They are trying to make an elder statesmen of me, but they will never succeed.
“Never try to discourage thinking, for you are sure to succeed.”
On art versus life in “Berkeley world premiere for Naomi Iizuka play” https://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/Berkeley-world-premiere-for-Naomi-Iizuka-play-3271229.php in SF Gate (2010 Mar 4)
“Either don't try at all or make damned sure you succeed.”
Aut non rem temptes aut perfice.
Book I, line 389 (tr. James Michie)
Ars Amatoria (The Art of Love)
“Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away.”
2009, A New Beginning (June 2009)
Context: Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. America respects the right of all peaceful and law-abiding voices to be heard around the world, even if we disagree with them. And we will welcome all elected, peaceful governments - provided they govern with respect for all their people.
This last point is important because there are some who advocate for democracy only when they are out of power; once in power, they are ruthless in suppressing the rights of others. No matter where it takes hold, government of the people and by the people sets a single standard for all who hold power: you must maintain your power through consent, not coercion; you must respect the rights of minorities, and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise; you must place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party. Without these ingredients, elections alone do not make true democracy.
The Magician's Nephew (1955), Ch. 10: The First Joke and Other Matters
The Chronicles of Narnia (1950–1956)
On the role of elders in certain societies in “The Goal Now Has to Be to Listen: An Interview with Barry Lopez” https://www.thegeorgiareview.com/posts/the-goal-now-has-to-be-to-listen-an-interview-with-barry-lopez/ in The Georgia Review (2019 Feb 15)
“That's why I love spiders. 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again.”
Source: Howl's Moving Castle
