Georg C. Lichtenberg Quotes - Page 10

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The fly that doesn't want to be swatted is most secure when it lights on the fly-swatter.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Inspirational, Philosophy, Philosophical

"Aphorisms". Book by Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. Notebook J 70, 1799.

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Man is a masterpiece of creation, if only because no amount of determinism can prevent him from believing that he acts as a free being.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Believe, Men, Creation

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In each of us there is a little of all of us.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Littles

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So-called professional mathematicians have, in their reliance on the relative incapacity of the rest of mankind, acquired for themselves a reputation for profundity very similar to the reputation for sanctity possessed by theologians.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Math, Reputation, Sanctity

"Aphorisms". Book by Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. Notebook K 52, 1799.

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In mathematical analysis we call x the undetermined part of line a: the rest we don't call y, as we do in common life, but a-x. Hence mathematical language has great advantages over the common language.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Life, Math, Lines

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All mathematical laws which we find in Nature are always suspect to me, in spite of their beauty. They give me no pleasure. They are merely auxiliaries. At close range it is all not true.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Beauty, Nature, Math

"Lichtenberg: A Doctrine of Scattered Occasions". Book by Joseph Peter Stern, p. 84, 1959.

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He swallowed a lot of wisdom, but all of it seems to have gone down the wrong way.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Wisdom, Silly, Way

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People who have read a good deal rarely make great discoveries. I do not say this in excuse of laziness, but because invention presupposes an extensive independent contemplation of things.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Independent, Discovery, People

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First there is a time when we believe everything, then for a little while we believe with discrimination, then we believe nothing whatever, and then we believe everything again - and, moreover, give reasons why we believe.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Believe, Giving, Littles

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With prophecies the commentator is often a more important man than the prophet.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Men, Important, Prophet

"Aphorisms". Book by Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. Notebook H 23, 1799.

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There were honest people long before there were Christians and there are, God be praised, still honest people where there are no Christians. It could therefore easily be possible that people are Christians because true Christianity corresponds to what they would have been even if Christianity did not exist.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Christian, Long, People

"Aphorisms". Book by Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. Notebook L 16, 1799.

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The celebrated painter Gainsborough got as much pleasure from seeing violins as from hearing them.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Art, Violin, Hearing

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Many things about our bodies would not seem to us so filthy and obscene if we did not have the idea of nobility in our heads.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Ideas, Body, Nobility

"Aphorisms". Book by Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. Notebook D 6, 1799.

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There are people who believe everything is sane and sensible that is done with a solemn face.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Believe, People, Identity

"Aphorisms". Book by Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. Notebook E 59, 1799.

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It is in most cases more difficult to make intelligent people believe that you are what you are not, than really to become what you would appear to be.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Believe, Intelligent, People

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Superstition originates among ordinary people in the early and all too zealous instruction they receive in religion: they hear of mysteries, miracles, deeds of the Devil, and consider it very probable that things of this sort could occur in everything anywhere.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

People, Miracle, Devil

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Do not commence your exercises in philosophy in those regions where an error can deliver you over to the executioner.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Philosophy, Exercise, Errors

"Aphorisms". Book by Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. Notebook C 16, 1799.

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He who says he hates all kinds of flattery, and says so in earnest, has undoubtedly not as yet become acquainted with all kinds of it, whether in substance or in form.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Hate, Substance, Kind

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One use of dreams is that, unprejudiced by our often forced and artificial reflections, they represent the impartial outcome of our entire being.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Dream, Reflection, Use

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Never trust a man who lays his hand on his heart when he assures you of anything.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Heart, Men, Hands

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It is a dangerous thing for the perfecting of our minds to gain applause by works that do not call forth the whole of our energies; for in that case one generally comes to a standstill.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Mind, Gains, Energy

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Body and soul: a horse harnessed beside an ox.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Horse, Soul, Body

"Aphorisms". Book by Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. Notebook D 103, 1799.

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The greatest things in the world are brought about by other things which we count as nothing: little causes we overlook but which at length accumulate.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

World, Littles, Causes

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The fear of death which is imprinted in men is at the same time a great expedient Heaven employs to hinder them from many misdeeds: many things are left undone for fear of imperiling one's life or health.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Men, Heaven, Fear Of Death

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God creates the animals, man creates himself.

Georg C. Lichtenberg

Animal, Men

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Georg C. Lichtenberg

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Born: July 1, 1742
Died: February 24, 1799
Cite this Page: Citation

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