Oliver Wendell Holmes
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Oliver Wendell Holmes was the name of two prominent men, father and son:...
achievement attempt bird eye hand hit humility infinitely living love neighbor thinking thy vain
With all humility, I think, ''Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.'' Infinitely more important than the vain attempt to love one's neighbor as one's self. If you want to hit a bird on the wing, you must have all your will in focus, you must not be thinking about yourself, and equally, you must not be thinking about your neighbor: you must be living in your eye on that bird. Every achievement is a bird on the wing.
selfish humility eye
I confess that altruistic and cynically selfish talk seem to me about equally unreal. With all humility, I think whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might, infinitely more important than the vain attempt to love one's neighbor as one's self. If you want to hit a bird on the wing you must have all your will in focus, you must not be thinking about yourself, and equally, you must not be thinking about your neighbor; you must be living with your eye on that bird. Every achievement is a bird on the wing.
religious attitude humility
Most of us retain enough of the theological attitude to think that we are little gods.
humility men doubt
To have doubted one's own first principles is the mark of a civilized man.
faith humility men
The greatest act of faith is when a man understands he is not God.
common draught fair flavor genius grand mediocrity neutrality spoils weak
Unpretending mediocrity is good, and genius is glorious; but a weak flavor of genius in an essentially common person is detestable. It spoils the grand neutrality of a commonplace character, as the rinsings of an unwashed wine-glass spoil a draught of fair water.
angel brains closes gives hands key life mind seventy winds year
Our brains our seventy year clocks, the angel of life winds them up once and for all, then closes the case, and gives the key into the hands of the angel of resurrection.
amuse battered boys conversation people puns railroad sake themselves train trick upset
People who make puns are like wanton boys that put coppers on the railroad tracks. They amuse themselves and other children, but their little trick may upset a freight train of conversation for the sake of a battered witticism.
enthusiasm faith life looking quote-of-the-day worth
It is faith in something and enthusiasm for something that makes a life worth looking at.
original stretched
Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.
fig life side simplicity
I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity.
based common evidence experience history less main parts rules
The rules of evidence in the main are based on experience, logic, and common sense, less hampered by history than some parts of the substantive law.
act decides faith great man
The great act of faith is when a man decides he is not God.
truth
A new untruth is better than an old truth.