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John Locke

John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

(1632 - 1704)

Philosophers
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

MEN being, as has been said, by nature, all free, equal, and independent, no one can be put out of this estate, and subjected to the political power of another, without his own consent.
Equality - Independence - Man - Politics
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

Till a man can judge whether they be truths or not, his understanding is but little improved, and thus men of much reading, though greatly learned, but may be little knowing.
Knowledge - Man
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

Good and evil, reward and punishment, are the only motives to a rational creature
Creativity - Motivation - Philosophy - Reward
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

In my opinion, understanding who your target audience is, and what they want, and writing to them (and only them!) is the most important component of being successful as an author.
Market - Success - Targeting - Wants
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.
Making - Mindset - Reading
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

The discipline of desire is the background of character.
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

Where there is no law there is no freedom.
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

Where there is no desire, there will be no industry.
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

Untruth being unacceptable to the mind of man, there is no other defence left for absurdity but obscurity.
Absurd - Man - Mindset
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

Every man has a property in his own person. This nobody has a right to, but himself.
Man - Philosophy
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

Action is the great business of mankind, and the whole matter about which all laws are conversant.
Actions - Whole
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

The Indians , whom we call barbarous, observe much more decency and civility in their discourses and conversation, giving one another a fair silent hearing till they have quite done; and then answering them calmly, and without noise or passion. And if it be not so in this civiliz'd part of the world, we must impute it to a neglect in education, which has not yet reform'd this antient piece of barbarity amongst us.
Silence
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

Whosoever is found variable, and changeth manifestly without manifest cause, giveth suspicion of corruption: therefore, always, when thou changest thine opinion or course, profess it plainly, and declare it, together with the reasons that move thee to change.
Finding - Manifestation - Movement
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

Don't tell me what I can't do!
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

Curiosity in children, is but an appetite for knowledge. The great reason why children abandon themselves wholly to silly pursuits and trifle away their time insipidly is, because they find their curiosity balked, and their inquiries neglected.
Abandonment - Neglect
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

This is that which I think great readers are apt to be mistaken in; those who have read of everything, are thought to understand everything too; but it is not always so. Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours. We are of the ruminating kind , and it is not enough to cram ourselves with a great load of collections:;; unless we chew them over again, they will not give us strength and nourishment.
Kindness - Mindset - Mistake - Reading
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

He that will make good use of any part of his life must allow a large part of it to recreation.
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

We are all a sort of chameleons, that still take a tincture from things near us: nor is it to be wondered at in children, who better understand what they see, than what they hear.
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

Affectation is an awkward and forced imitation of what should be genuine and easy, wanting the beauty that accompanies what is natural.
Awkwardness - Pretense
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

There are a thousand ways to Wealth, but only one way to Heaven.
Heavens
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

It is therefore worthwhile, to search out the bounds between opinion and knowledge; and examine by what measures, in things, whereof we have no certain knowledge, we ought to regulate our assent, and moderate our persuasions.
Boundaries - Certainty - Moderation
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

It is vain to find fault with those arts of deceiving wherein men find pleasure to be deceived.
Deceiving - Fault - Lie - Man - Vanity
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

It is hard to know what other way men can come to truth, to lay hold of it, if they do not dig and search for it as for gold and hid treasure; but he that does so, must have much earth and rubbish, before he gets the pure metal; sand, and pebbles, and dross usually lie blended with it, but the gold is nevertheless gold, and will enrich the man that employs his pains to seek and separate it.
Earth - Lie - Man
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

There is not so contemptible a plant or animal that does not confound the most enlarged understanding.
Animals
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

If we will disbelieve everything, because we cannot certainly know all things, we shall do much what as wisely as he who would not use his legs, but sit still and perish, because he had no wings to fly.
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

The thoughts that come often unsought, and, as it were, drop into the mind, are commonly the most valuable of any we have.
Mindset - Value
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

As usurpation is the exercise of power which another has a right to, so tyranny is the exercise of power beyond right, which nobody can have a right to.
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

Set the mind to work, and apply the thoughts vigorously to the business, for it holds in the struggles of the mind, as in those of war, that to think we shall conquer is to conquer.
Conquering - Mindset
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

Reason is natural revelation, whereby the eternal father of light, and fountain of all knowledge, communicates to mankind that portion of truth which he has laid within the reach of their natural faculties: revelation is natural reason enlarged by a new set of discoveries communicated by God. . . .
Eternity - Revelation
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

When we know our own strength, we shall the better know what to undertake with hopes of success.
Inspiration
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

If any one shall claim a power to lay and levy taxes on the people by his own authority and without such consent of the people, he thereby invades the fundamental law of property, and subverts the end of government.
End - Tax
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John Locke

Philosopher, Physician

As it is in the body, so it is in the mind; practice makes it what it is, and most even of those excellencies, what are looked on as natural endowments, will be found, when examined into more narrowly, to be the product of exercise, and to be raised to that pitch, only by repeated actions.
Actions - Finding - Mindset - Product
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