“Except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power.”
René Descartes (1596–1650) French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist
Reported in Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895) edited by Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, p. 225
1880s
“Except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power.”
René Descartes (1596–1650) French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist
Patti Smith (1946) American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist
People Have the Power, from Dream of Life (1988)
Lyrics
Henri-Frédéric Amiel (1821–1881) Swiss philosopher and poet
16 July 1848
Only one thing is necessary: to possess God — All the senses, all the forces of the soul and of the spirit, all the exterior resources are so many open outlets to the Divinity; so many ways of tasting and of adoring God. We should be able to detach ourselves from all that is perishable and cling absolutely to the eternal and the absolute and enjoy the all else as a loan, as a usufruct…. To worship, to comprehend, to receive, to feel, to give, to act: this our law, our duty, our happiness, our heaven.
As translated in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)
Journal Intime (1882), Journal entries
François de La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680) French author of maxims and memoirs
Reflections on Various Subjects (1665–1678), I. On Confidence
Vernon Howard (1918–1992) American writer
Inspire Yourself
David Bowie (1947–2016) British musician, actor, record producer and arranger
Absolute Beginners (1986)
Song lyrics
“The four absolutes we all have in our minds: love, justice, evil, and forgiveness.”
Ravi Zacharias (1946) Indian philosopher
Shane Warne (1969–2022) Australian former international cricketer
Talking about his foundation, TSWF, being closed down due to allegations about its financial and reporting practices, Z News (January 24, 2016), h"Shane Warne: Nothing to hide, says Aussie legend after foundation comes under scanner" http://zeenews.india.com/sports/cricket/shane-warne-nothing-to-hide-says-aussie-legend-after-foundation-comes-under-scanner_1848626.html
“We should let love be uppermost in our hearts because all our doings without love are nothing.”
T. B. Joshua (1963) Nigerian Christian leader
In a special 'Seasons Greetings' message - "Choose The Path Of A Champion" http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/religion/Choose-The-Path-Of-A-Champion-T-B-Joshua-s-Seasons-Greetings-200153 Ghana Web (December 25 2010)
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–1799) German scientist, satirist
K 42
Aphorisms (1765-1799), Notebook K (1789-1793)