Descending Quotes

• And where is the Prince who can afford to so cover his country with troops for its defense, as that ten thousand men descending from the clouds, might not in many places do an infinite deal of mischief, before a force could be brought together to repel them?

  Benjamin Franklin

  Country, Men, Clouds

  Benjamin Franklin (2014). “The Papers of Benjamin Franklin: Volume 41: September 16, 1783, through February 29, 1784”, p.478, Yale University Press

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• Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending.

  Saint Augustine

  Humility, Clouds, Wish

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• Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.

  Saint Augustine

  Inspirational Life, Philosophical, Humility

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• Through violence, you may murder the hater, but you do not murder the hate.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Kings, Revenge, Hate

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• Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Kings, Stars, Hate

  "Where do we go from here: Chaos or community?". Book by Martin Luther King, 1967.

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• The mob is man voluntarily descending to the nature of the beast.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Men, Beast

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1983). “Essays and Lectures”, p.299, Library of America

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• The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy... In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Stars, Kings, Hate

  "Where do we go from here: Chaos or community?". Book by Martin Luther King Jr., 1967.

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• Think that day lost whose descending sun, views from thy hand no noble action done.

  Joseph Joubert

  Thinking, Views, Hands

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• Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Kings, Hate, Light

  "A Gift of Love: Sermons from Strength to Love and Other Preachings".

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  Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Love, Inspirational, Life

  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2012). “A Gift of Love: Sermons from Strength to Love and Other Preachings”, p.67, Beacon Press

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• Let peace, descending from her native heaven, bid her olives spring amidst the joyful nations; and plenty, in league with commerce, scatter blessings from her copious hand!

  Daniel Boone

  Spring, Blessing, Hands

  Daniel Boone, Francis Lister Hawks (1996). “Daniel Boone: His Own Story”, p.25, Applewood Books

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• Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Hate, Violence, Destruction

  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2012). “A Gift of Love: Sermons from Strength to Love and Other Preachings”, p.67, Beacon Press

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• Rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life.

  John Updike

  Life, Rain, Sky

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• Hate is ravening vulture beaks descending on a place of skulls.

  Amy Lowell

  Hate, Skulls, Beaks

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• Angels descending bring from above Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

  Fanny Crosby

  Death, Angel, Grieving

  Fanny Crosby (2008). “Fanny J. Crosby: An Autobiography”, p.36, Hendrickson Publishers

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• The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate... Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Peace, Kings, Fear

  "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?". Book by Martin Luther King Jr., 1967.

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• The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Peace, Kings, Evil

  "Where do we go from here: Chaos or community?". Book by Martin Luther King, Jr., 1967.

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• The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Peace, Kings, Hatred

  "Where do we go from here: Chaos or community?". Book by Martin Luther King Jr., 1967.

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• For war is never some cosmic accident descending upon a people with all the chance and inevitability of asteroids falling like fire out of the heavens, but only the will and work of man.

  David Zindell

  War, Fall, Men

  "The Wild". Book by David Zindell, 1995.

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• For my own part I would as soon be descended from that heroic little monkey, who braved his dreaded enemy in order to save the life of his keeper; or from that old baboon, who, descending from the mountains, carried away in triumph his young comrade from a crowd of astonished dogs-as from a savage who delights to torture his enemies, offers up bloody sacrifices, practices infanticide without remorse, treats his wives like slaves, knows no decency, and is haunted by the grossest superstitions.

  Charles Darwin

  Dog, Sacrifice, Order

  The Descent of Man ch. 21 (1871)

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• NOTORIETY, n. The fame of one's competitor for public honors. The kind of renown most accessible and acceptable to mediocrity. A Jacob's-ladder leading to the vaudeville stage, with angels ascending and descending.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Leadership, Kindness, Angel

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.85, Courier Corporation

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• Most of these Mountains and Inland places whereon these kind of Petrify'd Bodies and Shells are found at present, or have been heretofore, were formerly under the Water, and that either by the descending of the Waters to another part of the Earth by the alteration of the Centre of Gravity of the whole bulk, or rather by the Eruption of some kind of Subterraneous Fires or Earthquakes, great quantities of Earth have been deserted by the Water and laid bare and dry.

  Robert Hooke

  Fire, Earthquakes, Water

  "The Posthumous Works of Robert Hooke". Book by Robert Hooke, 1705.

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• The mob is man voluntarily descending to the nature of the beast. Its fit hour of activity is night. Its actions are insane like its whole constitution. It persecutes a principle; it would whip a right; it would tar and feather justice, by inflicting fire and outrage upon the houses and persons of those who have these. It resembles the prank of boys, who run with fire-engines to put out the ruddy aurora streaming to the stars.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Running, Stars, Boys

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1983). “Essays and Lectures”, p.299, Library of America

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• What on earth can you do on this earth but catch at whatever comes near you, with both your fingers, until your fingers are broken?

  Tennessee Williams

  Broken, Earth, Fingers

  Tennessee Williams (2012). “Orpheus Descending and Suddenly Last Summer”, p.27, New Directions Publishing

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• Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a descending spiral, ultimately ending in destruction for all and everybody. Somebody must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. And you do that by love.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Hate, Cutting, Men

  "Loving Your Enemies". Speech delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery, Alabama, November 17, 1957.

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