Pity Quotes - Page 35

• It is a great pity that every human being does not, at an early stage of his life, have to write a historical work. He would then realize that the human race is in quite a jam about truth.

  Rebecca West

  Writing, Race, History

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• ... we have been warned by the power of modern weapons, that peace may be the only climate possible for human life itself ... There must be law, steadily invoked and respected by all nations, for without law, the world promises only such meager justice as the pity of the strong upon the weak.

  Dwight D. Eisenhower

  Strong, Law, Justice

  Eisenhower, Dwight D. (1958). “Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1957”, p.62, Best Books on

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• We falsely attribute to men a determined character - putting together all their yesterdays - and averaging them - we presume we know them. Pity the man who has character to support - it is worse than a large family - he is the silent poor indeed.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Family, Character, Men

  Henry David Thoreau (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Henry David Thoreau (Illustrated)”, p.2077, Delphi Classics

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• I pity them greatly, but I must be mum, for how could we do without sugar and rum?

  William Cowper

  Slavery, Sugar, Rum

  William Cowper (1858). “Works of Cowper and Thomson”, p.122

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• Is there no pity sitting in the clouds, That sees into the bottom of my grief?

  William Shakespeare

  Grief, Grieving, Clouds

  'Romeo And Juliet' (1595) act 3, sc. 5, l. 198

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• I divide my time as follows: half the time I sleep, the other half I dream. I never dream when I sleep, for that would be a pity, for sleeping is the highest accomplishment of genius.

  Soren Kierkegaard

  Dream, Sleep, Insomnia

  Soren Kierkegaard (1959). “Either/ Or”

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• The response man has the greatest difficulty in tolerating is pity, especially when he warrants it. Hatred is a tonic, it makes one live, it inspires vengeance, but pity kills, it makes our weakness weaker.

  Honore de Balzac

  Hate, Men, Hatred

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• The Poor Man whom everyone speaks of, the Poor Man whom everyone pities, one of the repulsive Poor from whom charitable souls keep their distance, he has still said nothing. Or, rather, he has spoken through the voice of Victor Hugo, Zola, Richepin. At least, they said so. And these shameful impostures fed their authors. Cruel irony, the Poor Man tormented with hunger feeds those who plead his case.

  Albert Camus

  Distance, Men, Voice

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• As for the virtuous poor, one can pity them, of course, but one cannot possibly admire them. They have made private terms with the enemy, and sold their birthright for very bad pottage. They must also be extraordinarily stupid.

  Oscar Wilde

  Stupid, Enemy, Poverty

  Oscar Wilde, General Press (2016). “The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde: Novel, Short Stories, Poetry, Essays and Plays”, p.1035, GENERAL PRESS

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• As for the virtuous poor, one can pity them of course, but one cannot possibly admire them.

  Oscar Wilde

  Poverty, Virtue, Poor

  'The Soul of Man under Socialism'

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• I pity the Jews trying to get through life with only half a Bible. That's like trying to get from here to San Francisco with a road map that stops at Dubuque, Iowa.

  Kurt Vonnegut

  Religious, Iowa, San Francisco

  Kurt Vonnegut (1997). “Hocus Pocus”, p.71, Penguin

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• For one man who sincerely pities our misfortunes, there are a thousand who sincerely hate our success.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Success, Hate, Men

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.216

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• If I can send the flower of the German nation into the hell of war without the smallest pity for the shedding of precious German blood, then surely I have the right to remove millions of an inferior race that breeds like vermin.

  Adolf Hitler

  Death, Crazy, War

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• But buds will be roses, and kittens, cats - more's the pity.

  Louisa May Alcott

  Cat, Rose, Bud

  Louisa May Alcott (2015). “Little Women Collection: Little Women, Little Men, Eight Cousins and More”, p.204, Xist Publishing

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• Honor to those who in the life they lead
  define and guard a Thermopylae.
  Never betraying what is right,
  consistent and just in all they do
  but showing pity also, and compassion;
  generous when they are rich, and when they are poor,
  still generous in small ways,
  still helping as much as they can;
  always speaking the truth,
  yet without hating those who lie.
  And even more honor is due to them
  when they foresee (as many do foresee)
  that in the end Ephialtis will make his appearance,
  that the Medes will break through after all.

  C.P. Cavafy

  Badass, Lying, Hate

  Constantine P. Cavafy, “Thermopylae”

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• Neither love me for
  Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry,
  A creature might forget to weep, who bore
  Thy comfort long, and lose thy love, thereby!
  But love me for love's sake, that evermore
  Thou mayst love on, through love's eternity.

  Elizabeth Barrett Browning

  Famous Love, Long, Comfort

  Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1872). “Poetical Works”, p.144

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• Charity is in the heart of man, and righteousness in the path of men. Pity the man who has lost his path and does not follow it and who has lost his heart and does not know how to recover it. When people's dogs and chicks are lost they go out and look for them and yet the people who have lost their hearts do not go out and look for them. The principle of self-cultivation consists in nothing but trying to look for the lost heart.

  Mencius

  Dog, Inspiration, Heart

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• Have charity towards all beings. Pity those who are in distress. Love all creatures. Do not be jealous of anyone. Look not to the faults of others.

  Swami Vivekananda

  Jealous, Looks, Charity

  Swami Vivekananda (2015). “The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda”, p.2376, Manonmani Publishers

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• Charity isn't about pity, it is about love.

  Mother Teresa

  Helping Others, Charity, Giving Help

  Mother Teresa (1995). “A Simple Path-Open Market”

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• Spiritual Love is born of sorrow. . . . For men love one another with spiritual love only when they have suffered the same sorrow together, when through long days they have ploughed the stony ground buried beneath the common yoke of a common grief. It is then that they know one another and feel one another and feel with one another in their common anguish, and so they pity one another and love one another.

  Miguel de Unamuno

  Spiritual, Grief, Men

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• Holidays - Have no pity.

  Eugenio Montale

  Holiday

  Eugenio Montale (1966). “Selected Poems”, p.79, New Directions Publishing

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• Pity is often a reflection of our own evils in the ills of others. It is a delicate foresight of the troubles into which we may fall.

  Francois de La Rochefoucauld

  Fall, Reflection, Evil

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• He is not affected by the reality of distress touching his heart, but by the showy resemblance of it striking his imagination. He pities the plumage, but forgets the dying bird.

  Thomas Paine

  Heart, Reality, Imagination

  The Rights of Man pt. 1 (1791)

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• Adam knew Eve his wife and she conceived. It is a pity that this is still the only knowledge of their wives at which some men seem to arrive.

  F. H. Bradley

  Men, Wife, Adam

  "Aphorisms". Book by F. H. Bradley, no. 94, 1930.

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• To see a shadow and think it is a tree that is a pity; but to see a tree and to think it a shadow can be fatal.

  Phyllis Bottome

  Thinking, Tree, Shadow

  Phyllis Bottome (1954). “The Secret Stair”

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