Aphorism of the Day

Self-respect permeates every aspect of your life.

Joe Clark, in Success and Failure

If we are the only intelligent life in the universe, at least there's a finite number of idiots.

Steven Coallier, in Wisdom and Ignorance

If there is a gun hanging on the wall in the first act, it must fire in the last.

Anton Chekhov, (advice to a novice playwright), in Art and Literature

An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought.

Simon Cameron, in Altruism and Cynicism and Law and Politics

We trained hard, but it seemed that everytime we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralization.

Unknown, (sometimes incorrectly attributed to Petronius Arbiter), in Work and Recreation

A life spent making mistakes is not only most honorable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.

Unknown, in Work and Recreation

Art is either plagiarism or revolution.

Paul Gauguin, in Success and Failure

Do not believe in miracles -- rely on them.

Unknown, in Success and Failure

A narcissist is someone better looking than you are.

Gore Vidal, in Altruism and Cynicism

Man is only happy as he finds a work worth doing, and does it well.

E. Merrill Root, in Happiness and Misery and Work and Recreation