"An optimist may see a light where there is none, but why must the pessimist always run to blow it out?" Michel de Saint-Pierre according to "Thought du jour" in Globe and Mail January 18, 2001
"It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage, and such only, as he believes to be acceptable to him. This duty is precedent both in order of time and degree of obligation, to the claims of Civil Society. Before any man can be considered as a member of Civil Society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe." James Madison, "A Memorial and Remonstrance, 1785" according to The Federalist Patriot Founders' Quote Daily November 22, 2005 (from Federalist.com)
"We have a very weak supply of words of praise as compared with our rich and varied output of terms of abuse." G.K. Chesterton, "Both sides of the Looking Glass" in The Spice of Life, quoted in Gilbert Magazine Vol. 8 #1 (September 2004)
"Until you make peace with who you are, you’ll never be content with what you have." Doris Mortman
"As long as history is regarded as ‘philosophy teaching by examples’ drawn from real life, this tendency to write up the virtues of past ages will persist. So long also will classical scholars be tempted to seek to enhance the value of their subject by dwelling with enthusiasm upon the moral worth of the Romans." F.R. Cowell, Cicero and the Roman Republic
"As someone once said, the price of sheltering people from their own folly is to fill the world with fools." Link Byfield in British Columbia Report June 10, 1996
"Knowledge of physical science will not console me for ignorance of morality..." Blaise Pascal, Pensées
"If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?" T.S. Eliot, quoted as "Thought du jour" in "Social Studies" in Globe and Mail January 31, 2012