Quotes, thoughts, and philosophy — a treasury of extraordinary ideas.

A collection for those who don’t just read words, but seek to truly understand them.

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Inspirational quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe about the power of commitment and boldnessCopyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would have never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings, and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Quote by Manly P. Hall about ignorance, superstition, and fear governing mankindCopyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"When the mob governs, man is ruled by ignorance; when the church governs, he is ruled by superstition; and when the state governs, he is ruled by fear. Before men can live together in harmony and understanding, ignorance must be transmuted into wisdom, superstition into an illuminated faith, and fear into love." Manly P. Hall
Inspirational time management quote by Horace Jackson Brown Jr.Copyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein." Horace Jackson Brown Jr.
Quote about the dangers of democracy's perceived infallibility by Egon FriedellCopyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"No State can commit so many follies and deeds of violence as the democratic State, for it alone has the organic consciousness of its infallibility, sanctity, and complete legitimacy. Even the most absolute monarchy has limitations of a hundred kinds, in the personal consciousness of responsibility of the ruler (which under democracy is always put on the intangible "will of the people"), in the court clique, in the Church, in the advisers and ministers and "government circles" that inevitably crystallize around every potentate. Moreover, the fear of dethronement, which is theoretically always possible, affects every sole-ruler. But a treacherous circular reasoning protects the rule of the "sovereign people" from any limitation — it is in the right because it is the collective will, and is the collective will because it is in the right." Egon Friedell
Quote by Kai Möller on bodily integrity and liberal state controlCopyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"And a liberal state respects bodily integrity absolutely, in the sense that medical treatments may not be carried out against the will of the person concerned. A state that sets out to control the bodies and minds of its citizens is overreaching and acts in a totalitarian manner." Kai Möller
Quote by Wolfgang Streeck about markets deciding economic order and political powerlessnessCopyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"We don't decide anything. It's decided for us: by the 'markets' and, following their lead, by governments. One has to be careful with language, not to talk oneself into a responsibility one doesn't actually have or that's being taken away from one. 'We' don't need to consider what we'd prefer, because it doesn't matter anyway. Questions of economic order and the distribution of economic benefits are currently decided by summits and central bankers under pressure from large corporations, especially the financial sector. 'We' will only have a say when we understand that, fundamentally, we have no say at all." Wolfgang Streeck
Quote by Lysander Spooner about freedom, government taxation and state coercionCopyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"It is true that the theory of our Constitution is, that all taxes are paid voluntarily; that our government is a mutual insurance company, voluntarily entered into by the people with each other; that each man makes a free and purely voluntary contract with all others who are parties to the Constitution, to pay so much money for so much protection, the same as he does with any other insurance company; and that he is just as free not to be protected, and not to pay any tax, as he is to pay a tax, and be protected. But this theory of our government is wholly different from the practical fact. The fact is that the government, like a highwayman, says to a man: Your money, or your life. And many, if not most, taxes are paid under the compulsion of that threat. The government does not, indeed, waylay a man in a lonely place, spring upon him from the road side, and, holding a pistol to his head, proceed to rifle his pockets. But the robbery is none the less a robbery on that account; and it is far more dastardly and shameful. The highwayman takes solely upon himself the responsibility, danger, and crime of his own act. He does not pretend that he has any rightful claim to your money, or that he intends to use it for your own benefit. He does not pretend to be anything but a robber. He has not acquired impudence enough to profess to be merely a “protector,” and that he takes men’s money against their will, merely to enable him to “protect” those infatuated travellers, who feel perfectly able to protect themselves, or do not appreciate his peculiar system of protection. He is too sensible a man to make such professions as these. Furthermore, having taken your money, he leaves you, as you wish him to do. He does not persist in following you on the road, against your will; assuming to be your rightful “sovereign,” on account of the “protection” he affords you. He does not keep “protecting” you, by commanding you to bow down and serve him; by requiring you to do this, and forbidding you to do that; by robbing you of more money as often as he finds it for his interest or pleasure to do so; and by branding you as a rebel, a traitor, and an enemy to your country, and shooting you down without mercy, if you dispute his authority, or resist his demands. He is too much of a gentleman to be guilty of such impostures, and insults, and villainies as these. In short, he does not, in addition to robbing you, attempt to make you either his dupe or his slave. The proceedings of those robbers and murderers, who call themselves “the government,” are directly the opposite of these of the single highwayman. In the first place, they do not, like him, make themselves individually known; or, consequently, take upon themselves personally the responsibility of their acts. On the contrary, they secretly (by secret ballot) designate some one of their number to commit the robbery in their behalf, while they keep themselves practically concealed." Lysander Spooner
Quote on mental control and perception by Dr. Tim O’SheaCopyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"The shackles of mental control, perceptual filtering and cultural conditioning are harder to throw off today than ever before. We are the most conditioned, programmed beings the world has ever seen. Not only are our thoughts and attitudes continually being shaped and molded; our entire consciousness seems to be subtly and relentlessly erased. The doors of our perception are carefully and precisely controlled. It is an exhaustive and endless task to constantly explain to people how most things of their everyday wisdom are scientifically planted in the public consciousness via a thousand media clips." Dr. Tim O’Shea
Quote by Larken Rose about the illusion of government and authorityCopyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"The religious belief in authority aims at the enslavement of the mind. It teaches people that it is moral and good to hand over their time, energy, property, freedom, and self-determination to a ruling class. The enslavement of the mind makes the enslavement of the body unnecessary. In truth, the belief in "government" is a religion, made up of a set of dogmatic teachings, irrational doctrines which fly in the face of both evidence and logic, and which are methodically memorized and repeated by the faithful. Like other religions, the gospel of "government" describes a superhuman, supernatural entity, above mere mortals, which issues commandments to the peasantry, for whom unquestioning obedience is a moral imperative." Larken Rose
Albert Schweitzer quote about freedom, self-determination, courage, and refusal to trade dignity for securityCopyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"Under no circumstances do I want to be merely a ′common′ man. I have the right to be exceptional – if I can. I want opportunities, not security. I do not want to be a citizen who is humiliated and dulled by government support. I want to encounter risk, have desires and fulfill them, suffer disaster and enjoy success. I refuse to sell my own determination for a pittance. I would prefer to face life’s difficulties rather than lead a secure existence. I prefer the exciting tension of my own success to the dull calm of Utopia. I want neither to sacrifice my freedom for benefits nor my human dignity for charity. I have learned to think and act for myself, to look the world squarely in the face and to recognize that this is my achievement. This is what is meant when we say: I am a free man!" Albert Schweitzer
Quote by Noam Chomsky about controlling opinion and obedienceCopyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow a very lively debate within that spectrum – even encourage the more critical and dissident views. That gives people a sense that there’s free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of debate." Noam Chomsky
Quote by Nina Proll about discrimination and excluding healthy people from social lifeCopyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"That healthy people, who would even be willing to 'prove' this, are to be excluded from social life in the future lacks not only any medical but also legal basis. This is discrimination at the highest level. If we accept this, we will indeed be surprised at what all is possible!" Nina Proll