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Benjamin Disraeli

Former Prime Minister of the U.K.

Accent and emphasis are the pith of reading; punctuation is but secondary.

Reading

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Carl Sagan

Astronomer, Cosmologist, Astrophysicist, Astrobiologist

In Italy, the Inquisition was condemning people to death until the end of the eighteenth century, and inquisitional torture was not abolished in the Catholic Church until 1816. The last bastion of support for the reality of witchcraft and the necessity of punishment has been the Christian churches.

Atheism - Christianity - End - Italy - People - Punishment - Reality - Religion - Support - Witchcraft

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Ayn Rand

Writer, Philosopher

When you force a man to act against his own choice and judgment, it's his thinking that you want him to suspend.

Actions - Choice - Force - Judging - Man - Novel - People - Philosophy - Thinking - Wants

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James Joyce

Writer, Poet, Teacher

We are an unfortunate priest-ridden race and always were and always will be tell the end of the chapter.... A priest-ridden Godforsaken race.

End - Misfortune - Priest

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Samuel Johnson

Writer, Poet, Lexicographer

In most ages many countries have had part of their inhabitants in a state of slavery; yet it may be doubted whether slavery can ever be supposed the natural condition of man. It is impossible not to conceive that men in their original state were equal; and very difficult to imagine how one would be subjected to another but by violent compulsion. An individual may, indeed, forfeit his liberty by a crime; but he cannot by that crime forfeit the liberty of his children.

Age - Children - Conditioning - Countries - Crime - Difficulty - Doubt - Equality - Imagination - Impossible - Individual - Liberty - Man - Original - Slavery - State - Violence

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Gautama Buddha

Monk, Sage, Philosopher, Teacher, Religious Leader

A tree is a wonderful living organism which gives shelter, food, warmth and protection to all living things. It even gives shade to those who wield an axe to cut it down

Giving - Shelter - Warmth

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Gautama Buddha

Monk, Sage, Philosopher, Teacher, Religious Leader

Pain in life is inevitable but suffering is not. Pain is what the world does to you, suffering is what you do to yourself [by the way you think about the 'pain' you receive]. Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. [You can always be grateful that the pain is not worse in quality, quantity, frequency, duration, etc]

Gratefulness - Pain - Quality - Suffering - Thinking - World

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Gustave Flaubert

Novelist

It seems to me... that I have always lived! I possess memories that go back to the Pharoahs. I see myself very clearly at different ages of history, practicing different professions... My present personality is the result of my lost [past] personalities.

Age - Loss - Memory - Past - Personality - Profession

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Salman Rushdie

Politician, Novelist, Novelist

If you give in to the threat of violence, if you give in to bullying, what you know is that there will be more bullying. There will not be less bullying. If you appease the bully, you make sure that he will bully you some more. Not less. It doesn't solve the problem. It makes the problem worse.

Giving - Problem - Solution - Threat - Violence

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Ronald Reagan

Former President of the United States

I can't claim to know the words of all the national anthems in the world, but I don't know of any other that ends with a question and a challenge as ours does: Does that flag still wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? That is what we must all ask.

Bravery - Challenge - End

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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Spiritual leader

The knowledge that unites love and wisdom, that uplifts the spirit is spirituality. The knowledge which gives you a broad vision and a big heart is spirituality.

Giving - Spirits - Spiritual - Vision

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Mark Twain

Writer, Humorist, Entrepreneur, Publisher, Lecturer

History teaches us that whenever a weak and ignorant people possess a thing which a strong and enlightened people want, it must be yielded up peaceably.

Enlightenment - Ignorance - Strength - Teaching - Wants - Weakness

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Neil deGrasse Tyson

Novelist, Scientist, Astrophysicist

I don't ever tell people what to do! Even if it seems and feels that way sometimes, I don't think I should tell a person how to spend their money. I try not to tell people what to read.

Feelings - People - Sometimes - Thinking - Trial

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Ludwig von Mises

Composer, Economist, Philosopher

Violent resistance against the power of the state is the last resort of the minority in its effort to break loose from the oppression of the majority. ... The citizen must not be so narrowly circumscribed in his activities that, if he thinks differently from those in power, his only choice is either to perish or to destroy the machinery of state.

Activity - Choice - Citizenry - Democracy - Economy - Effort - Machine - Majority - Oppression - Resistance - State - Thinking - Violence

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Ovid

Psychologist, Poet, Poet

Giving requires good sense. [Lat., Rest est ingeniosa dare.]

Giving

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Napoleon Hill

Leader, Writer, Author

Think and grow rich.

Growing - Rich - Thinking

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Harbhajan Singh Yogi

Political leader

If you give your word, let the entire Universe fall before you, but let your word stand.

Communicate - Consciousness - Fall - Giving - Universe

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C. S. Lewis

Novelist, Scholar, Broadcaster

Imagine a set of people all living in the same building. Half of them think it is a hotel, the other half think it is a prison. Those who think it a hotel might regard it as quite intolerable, and those who thought it was a prison might decide that it was really surprisingly comfortable. So that what seems the ugly doctrine is one that comforts and strengthens you in the end. The people who try to hold an optimistic view of this world would become pessimists: the people who hold a pretty stern view of it become optimistic.

End - Imagination - Optimism - Pessimism - Trial

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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Spiritual leader

Much energy is wasted in trying to charm others. And in wanting to charm - I tell you, the opposite happens

Charm - Energy - Trial

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