“When lying to someone, look him straight in the eye.”
Mason Cooley (1927–2002) American academic
City Aphorisms, Ninth Selection (1992)
“When lying to someone, look him straight in the eye.”
Mason Cooley (1927–2002) American academic
City Aphorisms, Ninth Selection (1992)
“There is always someone above you: beyond God Himself rises Nothingness.”
Emil M. Cioran (1911–1995) Romanian philosopher and essayist
Anathemas and Admirations (1987)
Muhammad (570–632) Arabian religious leader and the founder of Islam
Sahih Bukhari Volume 001, Book 011, Hadith Number 617.
Sunni Hadith
Saul Bellow book The Dean's December
The Dean’s December (1982) [Penguin Classics, 1998, ISBN 0-140-18913-0], ch. 13, p. 140
General sources
Stephen Harper (1959) 22nd Prime Minister of Canada
Interview with Kevin Newman, Global National April 5th, 2006.
2006
Warren Bennis (1925–2014) American leadership expert
Warren G. Bennis (2009) On Becoming a Leader. p. 190
2000s
Friedrich Nietzsche book Human, All Too Human
Section IX, "Man Alone with Himself" / aphorism 624
Human, All Too Human (1878), Helen Zimmern translation
Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951) Austrian-British philosopher
Source: 1930s-1951, Philosophical Occasions 1912-1951 (1993), Ch. 7 : Remarks on Frazer's Golden Bough, p. 119
Nkosi Johnson (1989–2001) South African child AIDS activist
The Body: The Complete HIV/AIDS Resource http://www.thebody.com/content/news/art42594.html
“Our position in Christ Jesus is enhanced each time we help someone in trouble.”
T. B. Joshua (1963) Nigerian Christian leader
From his message titled "Your Life Is A Solution" http://thenationallife.com/2009/07/12/your-life-is-a-solution/, published in a weekly column for the Nigerian Tabloid, The National Life (July 12 2009)
Barack Obama (1961) 44th President of the United States of America
As quoted in "A Newcomer to the Business of Politics has Seen Enough to Reach Some Conclusions About Restoring Voters' Trust", by Joe Frolik, inThe Plain Dealer (3 August 1996)
1990s
“Dying, dying, someone told me just recently, dying is easy. Living is hard. for everyone.”
James Hetfield (1963) American musician, songwriter and record producer
MusiCares, May 14, 2006
Paul McCartney (1942) English singer-songwriter and composer
Sir Paul McCartney and PETA VP Dan Mathews Reflect on Two Decades of Activism http://www.peta.org/features/paul-mccartney-interview/ (April 2005)
Jordan Peterson (1962) Canadian clinical psychologist, cultural critic, and professor of psychology
2017 Maps of Meaning 4: Marionettes and Individuals (Part 3) [54:55-56:15]
Maps of Meaning
Malcolm X (1925–1965) American human rights activist
"Twenty million black people in prison," in Malcolm X: The Last Speeches, p. 51
Jordan Peterson (1962) Canadian clinical psychologist, cultural critic, and professor of psychology
Concepts
Edvard Munch (1863–1944) Norwegian painter and printmaker
It was not just I who was suffering; it was all my nearest and dearest as well.
Edvard Munch talks to Jens Tiis, c. 1933, Munch Museum; as quoted in Edvard Much – behind the scream, Sue Prideaux; Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2007, pp. 85-86
after 1930
Cyrano de Bergerac (1619–1655) French novelist, dramatist, scientist and duelist
The Other World (1657)
“What a delight it is to make friends with someone you have despised!”
Colette (1873–1954) 1873-1954 French novelist: wrote Gigi
“Sido and I”, Earthly Paradise (1966) ed. Robert Phelps
Françoise Sagan (1935–2004) French writer
Un peu de soleil dans l'eau froide (1969, Sunlight on Cold Water, translated 1971)
Warren Farrell (1943) author, spokesperson, expert witness, political candidate
Source: Father and Child Reunion (2001), p. 187.
“It was a great party until someone found the hammer.”
Vivian Stanshall (1943–1995) English musician, artist and author
Bonzo days
Others
Gordon Lightfoot (1938) Canadian singer-songwriter
Bitter Green, Track 4, UNITED ARTISTS
Back Here On Earth (1968)
Lucian Freud (1922–2011) British painter and engraver
Lucian Freud: Paintings (1987), p. 20
Lucian Freud : Paintings (1987)
“As someone who worships music, I believe it can never be ugly!”
Shreya Ghoshal (1984) Indian playback singer
Discussing about vulgar lyrics http://www.timesofindia.com/entertainment/hindi/music/news/The-use-of-vulgar-lyrics-in-songs-is-a-disturbing-trend-Shreya-Ghoshal/articleshow/29714772.cms
“I am not confident unless I am playing someone else.”
Shahrukh Khan (1965) Indian actor, producer and television personality
From interview with Malavika Sangghvi
José Saramago (1922–2010) Portuguese writer and recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature
Eu, no fundo, não invento nada. Sou apenas alguém que se limita a levantar uma pedra e a pôr à vista o que está por baixo. Não é minha culpa se de vez em quando me saem monstros.
Quoted in the article Literatura: Saramago doutor honoris causa da Universidade Autónoma Madrid. Published by Rádio Mirasado. (March 15th, 2007)
Klaus Kinski (1926–1991) German actor
Source: Kinski Uncut : The Autobiography of Klaus Kinski (1996), p. 59
Barack Obama (1961) 44th President of the United States of America
It undermines the dignity of the people you represent.
2015, Remarks to the People of Africa (July 2015)
“We always want someone we've treated badly to be gay. It's less upsetting.”
Françoise Sagan book A Certain Smile
Un certain sourire (1955, A Certain Smile, translated 1956)
Lewis Grizzard (1946–1994) American journalist
William Shatner (1931) Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, author, and film director
From a Just for Laughs appearance in a parody of the popular Molson "I Am Canadian" commercials (21 July 2007) http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1648058156561008324&q=i+am+canadian.
Robert M. Pirsig book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Source: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974), Ch. 8
“I am not someone who believes to doing a film just because it is off beat.”
Shahrukh Khan (1965) Indian actor, producer and television personality
From interview with Amrita Mulchandani
Antonin Scalia (1936–2016) former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin, 532 U.S. 661 http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=000&invol=00-24 (2001) (dissenting). <br class="br">2000s
Ozzy Osbourne (1948) English heavy metal vocalist and songwriter
Launch.com, October 10, 1998<!-- site no longer exists -->
Pablo Neruda (1904–1973) Chilean poet
Y algo golpeaba en mi alma,
fiebre o alas perdidas,
y me fui haciendo solo,
descifrando
aquella quemadura
y escribí la primera línea vaga,
vaga, sin cuerpo, pura,
tontería
pura sabiduría
del que no sabe nada,
y vi de pronto
el cielo
desgranado
y abierto.
Poesía (Poetry) from Memorial de Isla Negra (Memorial of Isla Negra) (1964), Selected Poems by Pablo Neruda [Houghton Mifflin, 1990, ISBN 0-395-54418-1] (p. 457).
Ibn Khaldun book Muqaddimah
Muqaddimah, Translated by Franz Rosenthal, pp.183-184, Princeton University Press, 1981.
Muqaddimah (1377)
“If someone is merely ahead of his time, it will catch up to him one day.”
Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951) Austrian-British philosopher
Source: Culture and Value (1980), p. 8e
Jordan Peterson (1962) Canadian clinical psychologist, cultural critic, and professor of psychology
Other
Jimmy Carr (1972) British comedian and humourist
Paddy Hoey (July 15, 2005) "Carr's a comic with universal appeal", Daily Post.
James Richardson (1950) American poet
#127
Vectors: Aphorisms and Ten Second Essays (2001)
David Attenborough (1926) British broadcaster and naturalist
How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth? (BBC Horizon, 2009)
Friedrich Nietzsche book Human, All Too Human
Section IX, "Man Alone with Himself" / aphorism 509
Human, All Too Human (1878), Helen Zimmern translation
Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951) Austrian-British philosopher
Source: Culture and Value (1980), p. 41e
Malala Yousafzai (1997) Pakistani children's education activist
Nobel Peace Prize Winner Speech (October 10, 2014)
Jean De La Fontaine (1621–1695) French poet, fabulist and writer.
Il faut, autant qu'on peut, obliger tout le monde:
On a souvent besoin d'un plus petit que soi.
Book II (1668), fable 11.
Fables (1668–1679)
Variant: One often has need of one inferior to himself.
Agnetha Fältskog (1950) Swedish recording artist and entertainer
On her off-stage role in ABBA
BBC interview (May 2013)
Sukirti Kandpal (1987) Indian actress
On the need of good looks for success in industry https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/My-boyfriend-doesnt-enjoy-watching-my-romantic-scenes-Sukirti-Kandpal/articleshow/20330247.cms/
Nicolas Sarkozy (1955) 23rd President of the French Republic
Interview with Charlie Rose, televised 31 January 2007
Novalis (1772–1801) German poet and writer
Novalis here alludes to Plutarch's account of the shrine of the goddess Minerva, identified with Isis, at Sais, which he reports had the inscription "I am all that hath been, and is, and shall be; and my veil no mortal has hitherto raised."
Pupils at Sais (1799)
Jordan Peterson (1962) Canadian clinical psychologist, cultural critic, and professor of psychology
Other
Barack Obama (1961) 44th President of the United States of America
"President Obama calls Charleston shooting 'senseless,' criticizes gun laws" http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/06/18/president-obama-calls-charleston-shooting-senseless-criticizes-gun-laws/ by Jose A. DelReal and Juliet Eilperin, The Washington Post (18 June 2015) <br class="br">2015
“If someone is a lesbian, it's man's fault.”
Alexander Lukashenko (1954) President of Belarus since 20 July 1994
Comment about lesbians (2011), as seen on National Television of Belarus: Lukashenko about gays and lesbians http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HACHqxzi6M
“Solitude is fine, but you need someone to tell you that solitude is fine.”
Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850) French writer
La solitude est certainement une belle chose, mais il y a plaisir d'avoir quelqu'un qui sache répondre, à qui on puisse dire de temps en temps, que c'est un belle chose. (Solitude is certainly a fine thing; but there is pleasure in having someone who can answer, from time to time, that it is a fine thing.) —Jean-Louis Guez de Balzac, Dissertations chrétiennes et morales (1665), XVIII: "Les plaisirs de la vie retirée".
Misattributed
Jordan Peterson (1962) Canadian clinical psychologist, cultural critic, and professor of psychology
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdrLQ7DpiWs "Biblical Series II: Genesis 1: Chaos & Order"
“It is easier to live through someone else than to become complete yourself.”
Betty Friedan book The Feminine Mystique
Source: The Feminine Mystique (1963), Ch. 14 "A New Life Plan for Women".
“Life is a thread that someone entangled.”
Fernando Pessoa book The Book of Disquiet
Ibid.
The Book of Disquiet
Original: A vida é um novelo que alguém emaranhou.
“I have to take it out on someone for getting results.”
Pietro Mennea (1952–2013) Italian sprinter and politician
Io devo prendermela con qualcuno per ottenere risultati.
From Marco Pastonesi e Giorgio Terruzzi, Palla lunga e pedalare, Dalai Editore, 1992, p. 46, ISBN 88-8598-826-2.
Neve Campbell (1973) Canadian actress
http://www.joonbug.com/Images/press/articles/newsday-12-29-03.htm
Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951) Austrian-British philosopher
Source: Culture and Value (1980), p. 98e
Tom Ford (1961) American fashion designer
Vogue Voices: Tom Ford, Vogue, January 10, 2014, April 18, 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpTvfYC71d8,
David C. McClelland (1917–1998) American psychological theorist
David C. McClelland (1998) in: Katherine Adams, "Interview by David C. McClelland , in Competency, vol. 4 no.3, Spring 1997, pp.18–23; Republished in orientamento.it http://www.orientamento.it/indice/interview-with-mcclelland/, 19/11/2015
John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) 35th president of the United States of America
Acceptance of the New York Liberal Party nomination (14 September 1960) · Address of John F. Kennedy upon Accepting the Liberal Party Nomination for President https://www.jfklibrary.org/Research/Research-Aids/JFK-Speeches/Liberal-Party-Nomination-NYC_19600914.aspx <br class="br">1960
“A professor is one who talks in someone else's sleep.”
W. H. Auden (1907–1973) Anglo-American poet
Often attributed to Auden, but he was repeating an anonymous joke; he did not claim to have originated it. See "Who Wrote Auden's Definition of a Professor?" http://www.audensociety.org/definition.html <br class="br">Misattributed
Tom Kenny (1962) American actor
Tom Kenny Interview: The Voice of SpongeBob SquarePants http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/spongebob-squarepants/248119/tom-kenny-interview-the-voice-of-spongebob-squarepants (August 3, 2015)
Jack Osbourne (1985) Son of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne
MTV.com Jack Talks About His Addiction and Recovery
“No story lives unless someone wants to listen.”
Joanne K. Rowling (1965) British novelist, author of the Harry Potter series
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 London Premiere (July 2011)
2010s
Nastassja Kinski (1961) German actress
On her relationship with Quincy Jones, as quoted in Cameron Docherty, Interview: Nastassja Kinski - Still a daddy's girl, The Independent, September 26, 1997