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Ineffectiveness


Ineffectiveness

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Quotations

Francis BaconThe remedy is worse than the disease.

—  Francis Bacon, 1561-1626, English philosopher

6 likes
Lord ChesterfieldThe young leading the young, is like the blind leading the blind: they will both fall into the ditch.

—  Lord Chesterfield, 1694-1773, English statesman & writer

6 likes
Friedrich IIIf I had a province to punish, I would let it be governed by philosophers.

—  Friedrich II, 1712-1786, Emperor of Prussia [1740-1786]

6 likes
Golda MeirLet me tell you the one thing I have against Moses. He took us forty years into the desert in order to bring us to the one place in the Middle East that has no oil!

—  Golda Meir, 1898-1978, Israeli Prime Minister

5 likes
Benjamin DisraeliHe was one of those men who think that the world can be saved by writing a pamphlet.

—  Benjamin Disraeli, 1804-1881, British Prime Minister

4 likes
Winston ChurchillWe contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.

—  Winston Churchill, 1874-1965, British Prime Minister, Nobel 1953

4 likes
Lou HoltzWhen all is said and done, more is said than done.

—  Lou Holtz, 1937-, American football coach

4 likes
Gabriel Garcia MarquezIf God hadn't rested on Sunday, He would have had time to finish the world.

—  Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1927-2014, Colombian writer

4 likes
Peter DruckerThere is nothing quite so useless, as doing with great efficiency, something that should not be done at all.

—  Peter Drucker, 1909–2005, Austrian management guru

3 likes
William JamesIf any organism fails to fulfil its potentialities, it becomes sick.

—  William James, 1842-1910, American philosopher

3 likes
Stanislaw Jerzy LecSuppose you succeed in breaking the wall with your head. And what, then, will you do in the next cell?

—  Stanislaw Jerzy Lec, 1906-1966, Polish author of maxims

3 likes
Mignon McLaughlinAs we are human, we can't do what we can't do; as we're neurotic, we can't do what we can.

—  Mignon McLaughlin, 1913-1983, American magazine editor

3 likes
Ralph Waldo EmersonThings refuse to be mismanaged long.

—  Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1884, American philosopher

2 likes
To those who are overly cautious, everything is impossible.
2 likes
Bob RossIf you do too much, it’s going to lose its effectiveness.

—  Bob Ross, 1942-1995, American painter & TV personality

Thomas SowellMuch of the social history of the Western world, over the past three decades, has been a history of replacing what worked with what sounded good.

—  Thomas Sowell, 1930 -, American political thinker

Giorgos SeferisIn this country, where we are all so tragically self-taught…

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

Jean RostandSo much freedom, in Art, to do so little!

—  Jean Rostand, 1894-1977, French scientist & philosopher

Bernard BaruchWhatever failures I have known, whatever errors I have committed, whatever follies I have witnessed in private and public life have been the consequence of action without thought.

—  Bernard Baruch, 1870-1965, American businessman & statesman

Louis JouvetIf the military administration was well done, there would be no unknown soldier.

—  Louis Jouvet, 1887-1951, French actor

Marshall McLuhanOur Age of Anxiety is, in great part, the result of trying to do today’s jobs with yesterday’s tools!

—  Marshall McLuhan, 1911-1980, Canadian academic & media theorist

John Kenneth GalbraithWar remains the decisive human failure.

—  John Kenneth Galbraith, 1908-2006, American-Canadian economist

John Kenneth GalbraithIn recent times no problem has been more puzzling to thoughtful people than why, in a troubled world, we make such poor use of our affluence.

—  John Kenneth Galbraith, 1908-2006, American-Canadian economist

Henry KissingerIntellectuals are cynical and cynics have never built a cathedral.

—  Henry Kissinger, 1923-2023, American politician

José SaramagoThe worst wall of all is a door that you do not have the key to.

—  José Saramago, 1922-2010, Portuguese writer [Nobel 1998]

P.J. O’ RourkeWherever there's injustice, oppression, and suffering, America will show up six months late and bomb the country next to where it's happening.

—  P.J. O’ Rourke, 1947-2022, American columnist & writer

H.L. MenckenAfter all is said and done, a hell lot of a lot more is said than done.

—  H.L. Mencken, 1880-1956, American columnist & cultural critic

George HerbertTo a crazy ship, all winds are contrary.

—  George Herbert, 1593-1633, Welsh poet

Ludwig WittgensteinReading the Socratic dialogues one has the feeling: what a frightful waste of time! What's the point of these arguments that prove nothing and clarify nothing?

—  Ludwig Wittgenstein, 1889-1951, Austrian philosopher

Quotes in Verse

Constantine KavafyYet we’re sure to fail. Up there,
high on the walls, the dirge has already begun.

—  Constantine Kavafy, 1868-1933, Greek poet ‐ Trojans

3 likes
Constantine Kavafy[He] tried to start an intrigue,
do something, come up with a plan;
but he failed pitifully and was reduced to nothing.

—  Constantine Kavafy, 1868-1933, Greek poet ‐ Orophernis

3 likes
Antonio MachadoWhat have you done with the garden that was entrusted to you?

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

Funny Quotes

Steven WrightI couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder.

—  Steven Wright, 1955-, American comedian

7 likes
Fred AllenA committee is a group of people who individually can do nothing, but who, as a group, can meet and decide that nothing can be done.

—  Fred Allen, 1894-1956, American comedian

6 likes
George BurnsSex at age 90 is like trying to shoot pool with a rope.

—  George Burns, 1896-1996, American comedian

5 likes
Laurence J PeterEgypt: Where the Israelites would still be if Moses had been a bureaucrat.

—  Laurence J Peter, 1919-1990, Canadian writer & educator

3 likes
Bill WattersonGod put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now I am so far behind that I will never die.

—  Bill Watterson, 1958-, American cartoonist

2 likes

Ancient Greek

HerodotusOf all men’s miseries the bitterest is this: to know so much and to have no power.

Εχθίστη δε οδύνη εστί των εν ανθρώποισι αύτη, πολλά φρονέοντα μηδενός κρατέειν.

—  Herodotus, 480-420 BC, Ancient Greek historian, the “ father of History”

5 likes
AesopThe grapes are sour.

Όμφακες εισίν.

—  Aesop, 620-560 BC, Ancient Greek fabulist

     (The Fox and the Grapes)

4 likes
AeschylusFor things with no benefit do not try in vain.

Τα μηδέν ωφελούντα μη πόνει μάτην.

—  Aeschylus, 525-456 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Prometheus Bound

3 likes
SophoclesFalse words do not bear fruit.

Ουκ εξάγουσιν καρπόν οι ψευδείς λόγοι.

—  Sophocles, 496-406 BC, Ancient tragic poet

3 likes
Ancient Greek proverbIt is acceptable to fail, it is not acceptable to be negligent.

Ατυχείν έξεστιν, αμελείν ουκ έξεστιν.

—  Ancient Greek proverb

3 likes
IsokratesSpending efforts for things you shouldn't, you will be inadequate for things you should.

Δαπανώμενος εφ’ α μη δει, ολίγος έση εφ’ α δει.

—  Isokrates, 436-338 BC, Ancient Greek rhetorician

3 likes
EuripidesTo dare the impossible is no mark of a wise man.

Το τολμάν δ' αδύνατ' ανδρός ου σοφού.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Helen

2 likes

Proverbs

International proverbOne swallow does not make a summer.

—  International proverb

3 likes
Turkish proverbThe hole is big but the patch is small.

—  Turkish proverb

3 likes



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Incompetence

Stupidity

Cause & Effect

Mistakes

Strength & Weakness

Procrastination

Adversity

Mediocrity

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Ability

Skills

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