“Nothing is more certain than death and nothing uncertain but its hour.”
Barbara W. Tuchman book A Distant Mirror
Enguerrand VII de Coucy, quoted on p. 570
A Distant Mirror (1978)
“Nothing, they say is more certain than death, and nothing more uncertain than the time of dying”
Last update Oct. 1, 2023. History
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Thomas Paine262
English and American political activist 1737–1809Related quotes
“Nothing is more appealing than a handsome man who is also uncertain of himself.”
Laurell K. Hamilton book Guilty Pleasures
Source: Guilty Pleasures
“Nothing is more sad than the death of an illusion.”
Arthur Koestler (1905–1983) Hungarian-British author and journalist
“4934. There is nothing more precious than Time, and nothing more prodigally wasted.”
Thomas Fuller (writer) (1654–1734) British physician, preacher, and intellectual
Introductio ad prudentiam: Part II (1727), Gnomologia (1732)
“Nothing can happen more beautiful than death.”
Walt Whitman Starting from Paumanok
Starting from Paumanok. 12
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)
“Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth – more than ruin, more even than death.”
Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) logician, one of the first analytic philosophers and political activist
Source: 1910s, Why Men Fight https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Why_Men_Fight (1917), pp. 178-179 <br class="br">Context: Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth – more than ruin, more even than death. Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible; thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habits; thought is anarchic and lawless, indifferent to authority, careless of the well-tried wisdom of the ages. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. It sees man, a feeble speck, surrounded by unfathomable depths of silence; yet it bears itself proudly, as unmoved as if it were lord of the universe. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man.
Niccolo Machiavelli book The Prince
Variant: It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things.
Source: The Prince (1513), Ch. 6
Context: It ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new. This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents, who have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them.
Thomas Fuller (writer) (1654–1734) British physician, preacher, and intellectual
Introductio ad prudentiam: Part II (1727), Gnomologia (1732)
“Nothing's worse than saying goodbye. It's a little like dying.”
Marjane Satrapi (1969) Artist
Variant: Saying goodbye is a little like dying.
Source: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
Gilbert O'Sullivan (1946) Irish singer-songwriter
"Nothing Rhymed" (song) <br class="br">Gilbert O'Sullivan. A live performance. On YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtoefxZGR6U <br class="br">Gilbert O'Sullivan. A performance with orchestra, c.2017. On YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-SWTPDPriA <br class="br">Gilbert O'Sullivan. Observations about "Nothing Rhymed", fifty years on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2BlxtcH39Q (On YouTube) <br class="br"> (+ A cover version by Franklin Brown on YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6kuZyk5WJ8 <br class="br"> (+ A cover version by Colleen Coughlan on YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcqndbjOPTs <br class="br"> (+ A cover version by Conor McCauley on YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nAb0-7J9d4 <br class="br"> (+ A cover version by The Ocelots on YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRCDFiRaRA0 <br class="br"> (+ Guitar instrumental by Phil McGarrick) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmzFaUC1rDI <br class="br">Song lyrics <br class="br">Source: Gilbert O'Sullivan, "Nothing Rhymed" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGE6gzkMAfw (song on YouTube)