Benign Quotes

• The nature of peoples is first crude, then severe, then benign, then delicate, finally dissolute.

  Giambattista Vico

  Nature, Firsts, Fierce

  Giambattista Vico (2015). “The New Science of Giambattista Vico”, p.153, Cornell University Press

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• The universe seems neither benign nor hostile, merely indifferent.

  Carl Sagan

  Cosmos, Existentialism, Astronomy And Universe

  "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage". Book by Carl Sagan, p. 250, 1980.

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• Sometimes it's better to have a benign dictator than a dumb democracy, to be honest.

  Serj Tankian

  Dumb, Democracy, Honest

  "Biography/ Personal Quotes". www.imdb.com.

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• Some find that very optimistic people have benign illusions about themselves. These people may think they have more control, or more skill, than they actually do. Others have found that optimistic people have a good handle on reality. The jury is still out.

  Martin Seligman

  Optimistic, Thinking, Reality

  "Martin Seligman : Pursuing Happiness With a Positive Outlook, not a Pill". Interview with Steve Proffitt, articles.latimes.com. January 24, 1999.

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• I lingered round them, under that benign sky; watched the moths fluttering among the heath and hare-bells; listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass; and wondered how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth.

  Emily Bronte

  Wind, Sky, Breathing

  Wuthering Heights ch. 34 (1847)

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• The Primrose for a veil had spread The largest of her upright leaves; And thus for purposes benign, A simple flower deceives.

  William Wordsworth

  Flower, Simple, Purpose

  William Wordsworth (1837). “The Complete Poetical Works of William Wordsworth: Together with a Description of the Country of the Lakes in the North of England, Now First Published with His Works ...”, p.123

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• Those in the west who dismiss the repressiveness of laws against women in countries like Iran, no matter how benign their intentions, present a condescending view not just of the religion but also of women living in Muslim majority countries, as if the desire for choice and happiness is the monopoly of women in the west.

  Azar Nafisi

  Country, Views, Iran

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• And I too, felt ready to start life all over again. It was as if that great rush of anger had washed me clean, emptied me of hope, and, gazing up at the dark sky spangled with its signs and stars, for the first time, the first, I laid my heart open to the benign indifference of the universe.

  Albert Camus

  Stars, Heart, Dark

  Albert Camus (2016). “The Stranger”, p.54, Hamilton Books

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• [Tar water] is of a nature so mild and benign and proportioned to the human constitution, as to warm without heating, to cheer but not inebriate.

  George Berkeley

  Nature, Cheer, Water

  'Siris' (1744) para. 217.

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• I find it personally distracting when kids are constantly texting, but they can be texting something that is just benign and just fine.

  Mike DeWine

  Kids, Texting, Fine

  "CNN Newsroom", www.cnn.com. March 19, 2013.

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• Even when there are banalities, they're usually kind of benign banalities.

  Michael McKean

  Kind, Banality

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• The most important words in the English language are not 'I love you' but 'it's benign.'

  Woody Allen

  Love You, Important, Language

  Deconstructing Harry, www.imdb.com. 1997.

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• wondered how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers, for the sleepers in that quiet earth.

  Emily Bronte

  Slumber, Earth, Quiet

  Wuthering Heights ch. 34 (1847)

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• No pleasure is simpler, no luxury cheaper, no consciousness-altering substance more benign.

  James Norwood Pratt

  Luxury, Substance, Consciousness

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• When from our better selves we have too long been parted by the hurrying world, and droop. Sick of its business, of its pleasures tired, how gracious, how benign is solitude.

  William Wordsworth

  Business, Tired, Self

  William Wordsworth (1970). “The Prelude: Or, Growth of a Poet's Mind (text of 1805)”, p.24, Oxford University Press on Demand

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• The plausible outcomes range from the gradual and benign to the more precipitous and damaging.

  Timothy Geithner

  Outcomes, Range, Plausible

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• I had been feeling a little rum. I didn't think it was anything serious because years ago I felt a lump and it was benign. I assumed this would be too. It kind of takes the wind out of your sails, and I don't know what the future holds, if anything.

  Maggie Smith

  Thinking, Years, Wind

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• If we allow public funds to be used to support our relatively benign, morally grounded schools, we will have to allow those public funds to be used for any type of private school.

  Jonathan Kozol

  School, Support, Type

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• I've got two young kids. I don't know what the future holds.

  Robbie Coltraine

  Kids, Two, Young

  Biography/Personal Quotes, www.imdb.com.

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• The president feels not only do we need to change these rogue regimes, but even our friendly allies, who really basically have, sort of, benign dictatorships, need to get with the program if they want to have long-term security and prosperity from terrorism.

  Mitch McConnell

  Change, Long, Friendly

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• A certain slightly cruel disregard for the feelings of living people is simply part of the package. I think a writer, if hes any good, is not an entirely benign entity in the world.

  Michael Cunningham

  Thinking, People, Feelings

  "Michael Cunningham: A life in writing" by Emma Brockes, www.theguardian.com. February 7, 2011.

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• Fame is indeed beautiful and benign and gentle and satisfying, but happiness is something at once tender and brilliant beyond all things.

  Mary MacLane

  Beautiful, Brilliant, Fame

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• Acid wasn't getting a whole lot of bad press at the time, and as I saw the whole bad-press thing happen, I became aware that the government had done a whole lie on all the other benign drugs as well. It became clear to me that the government wanted no real drug education.

  Tommy Rettig

  Real, Lying, Government

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• I'd like to do more Shakespeare. I'd like to do Iago in Othello. I look so benign. It would be interesting to see that black evil come out of my soul

  Kyle MacLachlan

  Evil, Interesting, Soul

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• The Spy Act strikes a right balance between preserving legitimate and benign uses of this technology, while still, at the same time, protecting unwitting consumers from the harm caused when it is misused and, of course, designed for nefarious purposes.

  Cliff Stearns

  Technology, Balance, Spy

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