Quotations Weblog

I knew his name because it was the kind of tidbit of information that smart people knew. It was a lot like playing piano or understanding Calculus. Smart people mention Kierkegaard, Sartre and Voltaire. I wanted to be a smart person, so I learned how to pronounce his name correctly, connected it with the concept of existentialism, and went on my merry way, knowing nothing of the man.

Then something happened when I became obsessed with Ayn Rand. I decided that her philosophy of life was the only one that worked for me. All of a sudden, all other philosophies became a source of ridicule and disdain to me. I turned my nose up to Kierkegaard and Sartre (but not Voltaire, who could hate him?). Yet, I still knew less of the man than when I began the journey.

Now, my mind has opened a crack (not the skull, just the mind set). I am now able to learn about the man whose name I dropped like a handkerchief and dropped like a lead weight. Explore the following links and books and make your own decision.

Introduction and quote compilation by Laura S. Moncur, Staff Writer.

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”

• Fear and Trembling by Soren Kierkegaard Paperback
• Papers and Journals : A Selection by Soren Kierkegaard Paperback – Many great quotes came from his journals. This book provides a selection of some of his more interesting journal entries.
• Concept of Irony by Soren Kierkegaard Paperback
• Short Life of Kierkegaard Paperback by J.A. Lowrie, Walter Lowrie – A biography of Soren Kierkegaard. The original publication date of this book was 1942, and they are still printing it today.

• The Kierkegaarden – A site which includes a collection of quotations, links to other sites and a detailed biography.

April 5, 1908, Bette Davis was born. “Why in the world is she talking about Bette Davis?” I hear you asking yourself, but let me tell you this woman said at least a few interesting things that deserve merit. In addition to her fantastic career as an actress, she fought the contract system and was pivotal in its demise (along with many other actors like Humphrey Bogart, Jimmy Stewart, Henry Fonda and Ida Lupino).

My only problem with Bette Davis has to do with two movies: Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? and Jezebel. Both movies had been lauded to me as wonderful movies, but by the time I saw them, they were not nearly as good as my mind had made them. Jezebel seemed like a Gone With the Wind rip-off and Baby Jane was just disturbing. It wasn’t until I saw Of Human Bondage that I became acquainted with the ability of Bette Davis that compared with her legend. She was so naughty in that movie, that I hated her. Only a truly great actress can make me hate her.

See what Bette had to say to the world.

Introduction and quote compilation by Laura S. Moncur, Staff Writer.

“This became a credo of mine…attempt the impossible in order to improve your work.”

• Of Human Bondage VHS Tape starring Bette Davis – The movie that haunted me is just as good today as it was when it was filmed.
• Bette Davis Speaks Hardcover by Boze Hadleigh – An entire book of sarcastic remarks from Bette Davis. Read the online review from Amazon.com.
• All About Bette : Her Life from A-Z Hardcover by Randall Riese – 504 pages about Bette Davis and her life. An odd design for a biography (items listed alphabetically), but informative none the less.
• The Complete Films of Bette Davis Paperback by Gene Ringgold – A listing of all her films with critiques.

• Bette Davis Movies – A listing from Movies Unlimited of Bette Davis’ films available for purchase through them. Plot listings for all her films so you can choose your favorite at the video store.

Being a math major, I try to avoid waxing philosophical about important math people, so Rene Descartes should be off limits (I’m sure you are sighing with relief to know that I refrained from becoming poetic about Simon Laplace a few months ago). I could talk in reams about this mathematician, but few of you would enjoy a discourse about his work in solid analytic geometry or his solution of quartic equations. He is a person whose life appeals to the creative and the analytical alike. His legacy is claimed by both philosophers and mathematicians with fervor. Additionally, Descartes had the fortune of happy fame to utter one of the most quoted quotes, “Cogito, ergo sum.”

March 31, 1596, Rene Descartes was born near Tours, France. Because of ill health, he developed a habit of lying in bed until late in the morning when he was fairly young. This time spent meditating was considered by Descartes as his most productive time of the day. In 1612, he moved to Paris, where he studied mathematics, but his most prolific stay was the twenty-year sojourn in Holland, where he wrote many of his famous works. Here is a selection from the world’s mathematician and philosopher.

Introduction and quote compilation by Laura S. Moncur, Staff Writer.

“Good sense is of all things in the world the most equally distributed, for everybody thinks he is so well supplied with it, that even those most difficult to please in all other matters never desire more of it than they already possess.”

Le Discours de la Methode, 1637

• Descartes’ Error : Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain Paperback by Antonio R. Damasio – Turned on by philosophy? Check out this book that debates Descartes’ belief that the mind and body are separate entities. Read the reviews of this book on Amazon.com.
• The Mathematical Experience Hardcover by Philip J. Davis, Reuben Hersh – Turned on by mathematics? This book reviews the history and beauty of a mathematical world, including contributions of Descartes. It was the winner of the 1983 American Book Award.
• Discourse on Method and the Meditations Paperback by Rene Descartes – The two most quoted works by Descartes are available in this one book for a mere $5.56. Curl up by the fire, question your own existence, and read them for yourself.
• Descartes : An Intellectual Biography Hardcover by Stephen Gaukroger – If you can’t get enough of the mathematician, here is a biography that goes into Descartes’ life in detail. Learn about the development of the man who rocked the philosophical and mathematical world.

• Furman University Mathematical Quotations – There are tons of quotes from Rene Descartes and other mathematicians here. Organized alphabetically by author’s last name.

I recognized Andre’s name immediately when I perused the list of births and deaths. I knew him because I had so many quotes by him in my collection. Every quote I’ve seen from him has ended up with my motivational quotes. There are few people who are in touch with truth so clearly; here is a glimpse into his world.

Introduction and quote compilation by Laura S. Moncur, Staff Writer.

“Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.”

• The Immoralist Paperback by Andre Gide, Richard Howard (Translator)- A psychological novel.
• Madeleine Paperback by Andre Gide, Justin O’Brien (Translator) – A novel describing his marriage to his cousin Madeleine.
• Andre Gide Hardcover by Thomas Cordle – A biography on the life of this author. This book is part of the Twayne’s World Author Series.

• Andre Gide – This site recommends biographies to read and provides rememberance of Gide’s contemporaries. Excerpts from Gide’s work are available.

I know it’s not fair to think of her this way, but I feel really betrayed by Ayn Rand. It started when I was in junior high, actually. My eighth grade teacher had assigned Anthem. I read it and it was great science fiction. This was from the point of view of a child who had not yet read George Orwell’s 1984 or had even seen the many doomsday future movies (Bladerunner, Mad Max, etc.). I sincerely enjoyed the book and was eagerly talking to my father about it. He was ecstatic. He loved Ayn Rand and told me to read Atlas Shrugged and then we would talk. You can imagine that I didn’t read that book in the eighth grade, although I did try to read it. It wasn’t until high school that I was actually able to read a book that long (remember when difficulty of reading material used to be judged solely on how many pages it contained?).

After reading Atlas Shrugged, I went insane. Not the kind of insanity that drives people to murder or nudity in public, nor even the sort of madness that sends a person into a shell of isolation. I systematically analyzed everything that surrounded me and reformatted it to selfishness. I truly believed everything she said. Doing anything for anyone else is wrong unless you get compensation. Self-sacrifice is not a virtue. Love is conditional (I still believe that). Any form of communism is evil, that includes the welfare department at the State of Utah, the welfare that the local churches provide and giving clothes to the Salvation Army after you’ve outgrown them. This sort of thinking makes for a very lonely and bitter teen.

Then, in college, I was doing research about McCarthyism. The era in which senator Joseph McCarthy accused countless people of committing “Un-American Activities” happened to coincide with the time during which Ayn Rand wrote her novels. After further research, I was shocked to find that she testified at the trials decrying communism. I came to the realization that her novels were propaganda. For years I had laughed at the wartime posters telling people to buy bonds and plant “Victory” gardens, but, now, I was face to face with the fact that the novels and philosophies I had based my life on were merely propaganda plays for the Cold War. More importantly, a dark chapter in our history was helped a little by Ms. Rand. She didn’t invent the black lists, but she did testify in their favor.

Now, after recovering from the philosophy (I’m much happier now) and partially recovering from the betrayal (or at least my perception of it), I feel that I can finally review her work with a clear mind. Some of her thoughts still live with me today, while others have been buried away with Santa Claus and Trickle-Down Economics. Ironically, my father and I never did talk about Ayn Rand. Here are some quotes that I agree with and some I don’t. See which ones strike a chord in your heart.

Introduction and quote compilation by Laura S. Moncur, Staff Writer.

“Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage’s whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of his tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men.”

The Fountainhead, 1943

• Anthem 50th Anniversary Edition Hardcover by Ayn Rand – Still my favorite of all her books. The science fiction feel of the novel allows me to step out of our own society and explore the dangers of “we.”
• The Fountainhead Hardcover by Ayn Rand – This beautiful book is perfect for the library of any full blown capitalist (I must admit that I have the paperback). The novel follows Howard Roark, an architect with a style all his own. See how he refuses to allow “The Man” to crush his will and determination.
• The Fountainhead VHS Tape starring Gary Cooper – This movie was so enjoyable for me to watch. Gary Cooper, everyone’s favorite actor of the day, played the architect, Howard Roark. Great viewing!
• Atlas Shrugged Hardcover by Ayn Rand – The book that sent my psyche over the edge may be less damaging for you (especially if you’re not 15 years old). Follow the adventures of Hank Rearden, Dagny Taggart, and the elusive John Galt. Don’t forget your dollar sign cigarettes.

• Ayn Rand Says… – Need even more quotes from Ayn Rand? This site generates them randomly.