Unwise Quotes - Page 4

Human nature is pretty well balanced; for every lacking virtue there is a rough substitute that will serve at a pinch--as cunning is the wisdom of the unwise, and ferocity the courage of the coward.

Ambrose Bierce

Coward, Human Nature, Virtue

Ambrose Bierce, S. T. Joshi, David E. Schultz (1998). “A Sole Survivor: Bits of Autobiography”, p.238, Univ. of Tennessee Press

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Partial legalization, as some are suggesting, is a dangerous path, and we need only look at France and Germany to see how unwise it is to create a permanent underclass.

Zoe Lofgren

Immigration, Germany, Needs

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A desire for truth is by no means a need for certitude and it would be unwise to confuse one with the other.

Andre Gide

Honesty, Mean, Desire

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Within a single scene, it seems to be unwise to have access to the inner reflections of more than one character. The reader generally needs a single character as the means of perception, as the character to whom the events are happening, as the character with whom he is to empathize in order to have the events of the writing happen to him.

John Ciardi

Writing, Character, Mean

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It would be unwise to say the least, irresponsible of us at the TSA, at the Homeland Security Department not to evolve our technology to match the changing threat environment that we inhabit.

Janet Napolitano

Technology, Tsa, Would Be

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History shows that great economic and social forces flow like a tide over communities only half conscious of that which is befalling them. Wise statesmen foresee what time is thus bringing, and try to shape institutions and mold men's thoughts and purposes in accordance with the change that is silently coming on. The unwise are those who bring nothing constructive to the process, and who greatly imperil the future of mankind by leaving great questions to be fought out between ignorant change on one hand and ignorant opposition to change on the other.

John Stuart Mill

Wise, Men, Hands

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Nothing did more to spur the boom in stocks than the decision made by the New York Federal Reserve bank, in the spring of 1927, to cut the rediscount rate. Benjamin Strong, Governor of the bank, was chief advocate of this unwise measure, which was taken largely at the behest of Montagu Norman of the Bank of England....At the time of the Banks action I warned of its consequences....I felt that sooner or later the market had to break.

Bernard Baruch

Strong, Money, New York

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Our own worst enemy cannot harm us as much as our unwise thoughts. No one can help us as much as our own compassionate thoughts.

Gautama Buddha

Life, Worst Enemy, Mindfulness

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How little can we foresee the consequences either of wise or unwise action, of virtue or of malice. Without this measureless and perpetual uncertainty, the drama of human life would be destroyed.

Winston Churchill

Life, Wise, Drama

Winston Churchill (1986). “The Gathering Storm”, p.181, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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It is a poor, unwise and very imbecile people who cannot take care of themselves.

Brigham Young

People, Care, Imbeciles

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He picked some unwise words. Saying, “I’ll enjoy killing you for my lord”, is just not the way to make my acquaintance.

Charlaine Harris

Way, Killing, Lord

Charlaine Harris (2009). “Dead and Gone: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel”, p.91, Penguin

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It's unwise to presume on the future... It makes good sense to plan for tomorrow today, but there's a problem with thinking we can always do later the good we can do now.

Mark Beeson

Thinking, Today, Tomorrow

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When confronted by a hungry wolf, it is unwise to goad the beast, as Cato would have us do. But it is equally unwise to imagine the snarling animal a friend and offer your hand, as Pompey does." "Perhaps you would have us climb a tree!

Marcus Tullius Cicero

Animal, Hands, History

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It's so easy to persecute an older, overweight, unwise, crude, ignorant woman who may very well be a good person at heart who has achieved a great deal in her life. So easy to vilify her and hate her and try to destroy her life. Woe to anyone today who is not slender, young, clever and politically correct.

Anne Rice

Clever, Hate, Heart

"Anne Rice defends Paula Deen" by Erin Strecker, www.cnn.com. June 25, 2013.

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As adults, if our top priorities are constantly directed toward the acquisition of more and better worldly goods, it will not take long to increase our love in those directions. The purchase of a larger house or a nicer car or a more expensive boat may cause us to sacrifice our resources and develop an unwise love for these symbols of success and pleasure. We learn to love that which we serve, and we serve that which we love.

Marvin J. Ashton

Sacrifice, Car, Long

Marvin J. Ashton (1982). “Ye Are My Friends”, Shadow Mountain

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I can scarcely contemplate a greater calamity that could befall this country, than be loaded with a debt exceeding their ability ever to discharge. If this be a just remark, it is unwise and improvident to vest in the general government a power to borrow at discretion, without any limitation or restriction.

Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger

Country, Government, Debt

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If everything is going well in my life then I start to read the papers more and I start to worry about everything I can't deal with. They say wisdom is knowing what you can fix and what you can't change. I'm very unwise.

Josh Hartnett

Knowing, Worry, Paper

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The number one piece of advice I would share is to recruit a mentor. Find someone you admire who is at least one generation older, and has no direct authority over you. Lack of context and perspective can cost you months and years--with a bad career choice, an unwise relocation, short-term negotiating posture, and, generally speaking, sophomoric thinking.

Bing Gordon

Thinking, Years, Careers

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The usual terminology of political language is stupid. What is 'left' and what is 'right'? Why should Hitler be 'right' and Stalin, his temporary friend, be 'left'? Who is 'reactionary' and who is 'progressive'? Reaction against an unwise policy is not to be condemned. And progress towards chaos is not to be commended.

Ludwig von Mises

Stupid, Political Language, Progress

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Should I become President...I will not risk American lives...by permitting any other nation to drag us into the wrong war at the wrong place at the wrong time through an unwise commitment that is unwise militarily, unnecessary to our security and unsupported by our allies.

John F. Kennedy

War, Commitment, Risk

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The new Republican Congress should move full speed ahead to repeal and replace Obamacare. It would be unwise to wait for the Supreme Court to perform this service for the American people.

Deroy Murdock

Moving, Obamacare, People

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The whole world is starting to realize that it was the most unwise thing for our society to have ignored women power, to run the society with male priorities.

Yoko Ono

Running, Priorities, Males

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Alice thought, No. It wasn't the War and the disgruntled veterans; it wasn't the droves and droves of colored people flocking to paychecks and streets full of themselves. It was the music. The dirty, get-on-down music the women sang and the men played and both danced to, close and shamelesss or apart and wild...It made you do unwise disorderly things. Just hearing it was like violating the law.

Toni Morrison

War, Dirty, Men

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Expect nothing, live frugally on surprise. Become a stranger to need of pity. Or if compassion be freely given out, take only enough. Stop short of the urge to plead, then purge away the need. Wish for nothing larger than your own small heart or greater than a star. Tame wild disappointment with caress, unmoved and cold. Make of it a parka for your soul. Discover the reason why so tiny human midget exists at all, so scared and so unwise. But expect nothing, live frugally on surprise.

Alice Walker

Stars, Disappointment, Heart

"Anything We Love Can Be Saved". Book by Alice Walker, June, 1997.

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Breathe in, breath out. Oxygen is carcinogenic and likely puts a limit on our life span. It would be unwise though, to try to extend life by not breathing at all. Which of us doesn't do it? Either we loll in anaerobic stupor, too afraid to fill our lungs with risky beauty, or we roll out fire like dragons, destroying the world we love. I try not to burn up my world with rage. It is so hard.

Jeanette Winterson

Fire, Dragons, Oxygen

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