A moderate addiction to money may not always be hurtful; but when taken in excess it is nearly always bad for the health.
—Clarence Day
The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments fall, nations perish, civilizations grow old and die out, and after an era of darkness new races build others. But in the world of books are volumes that have seen this happen again and again and yet live on, still young, still as fresh as the day they were written, still telling men’s hearts of the hearts of men centuries dead.
—Clarence Day
Topics: Books, Reading
Babies are unreasonable; they expect far too much of existence. Each new generation that comes takes one look at the world and thinks wildly, “Is this all they’ve done to it?” and bursts into tears.
—Clarence Day
Topics: Children
Elephants suffer from too much patience. Their exhibitions of it may seem superb-such power and such restraint, combined, are noble-but a quality carried to excess defeats itself.
—Clarence Day
Topics: Animals
Creatures whose mainspring is curiosity enjoy the accumulating of facts far more than the pausing at times to reflect on those facts.
—Clarence Day
Topics: Curiosity
You can’t sweep other people off their feet, if you can’t be swept off your own.
—Clarence Day
This is a hard and precarious world, where every mistake and infirmity must be paid in full.
—Clarence Day
Topics: Mistakes
Information’s pretty thin stuff unless mixed with experience.
—Clarence Day
Topics: Experience, Information
We talk of our mastery of nature, which sounds very grand; but the fact is we respectfully adapt ourselves, first, to her ways.
—Clarence Day
Topics: Nature
The real world is not easy to live in. It is rough; it is slippery. Without the most clear-eyed adjustments we fall and get crushed. A man must stay sober; not always, but most of the time.
—Clarence Day
Topics: Life, Acceptance
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- Elizabeth Gilbert American Novelist
- Anthony Powell English Novelist
- Mark Van Doren American Poet, Critic
- Langston Hughes American Poet, Writer
- Edgar Lee Masters American Poet, Novelist
- Robert Anton Wilson American Polymath
- Joyce Carol Oates American Novelist
- Ella Wheeler Wilcox American Poet, Journalist
- Rod McKuen American Poet
- Thomas Merton American Trappist Monk
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