Inspirational Quotes by John Woolman

“I grew convinced that truth, sincerity and integrity in dealings between man and man were of the utmost importance to the felicity of life; and I formed written resolutions, which still remain in my journal book, to practice them ever while I lived. Revelation had indeed no weight with me, as such; but I entertained an opinion that, though certain actions might not be bad because they were forbidden by it, or good because it commanded them, yet probably these actions might be forbidden because they were bad for us, or commanded because they were beneficial to us, in their own natures, all the circumstances of things considered. And this persuasion, with the kind hand of Providence, or some guardian angel, or accidental favorable circumstances and situations, or all together, preserved me, through this dangerous time of youth, and the hazardous situations I was sometimes in among strangers, remote from the eye and advice of my father, without any willful gross immorality or injustice, that might have been expected from my want of religion. I say willful, because the instances I have mentioned had something of necessity in them, from my youth, inexperience, and the knavery of others. I had therefore a tolerable character to begin the world with; I valued it properly, and determined to preserve it.”

“one of the great autobiographies of the world.”

“to come on hereafter, was what”

“Seest thou a man diligent in his calling, he shall stand before kings, he shall not stand before mean men," I”

“A felicidade humana não é fruto de grandes e raras tiradas de sorte, mas, sim, das pequenas conquistas do dia a dia.”

“Locke On Human Understanding, and the Art of Thinking, by Messrs. du Port Royal.”

“persuaded, therefore, that ere long some ingenious”

“These names of virtues, with their precepts, were: 1.​TEMPERANCE.—Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation. 2.​SILENCE.—Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. 3.​ORDER.—Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. 4.​RESOLUTION.—Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. 5.​FRUGALITY.—Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing. 6.​INDUSTRY.—Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. 7.​SINCERITY.—Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly. 8.​JUSTICE.—Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. 9.​MODERATION.—Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. 10.​CLEANLINES.—Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloths, or habitation. 11.​TRANQUILLITY.—Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable. 12.​CHASTITY.—Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation. 13.​HUMILITY.—Imitate Jesus and Socrates.”

“country-seat of Bishop Shipley, the good bishop, as Dr. Franklin used to style him.--B. DEAR SON: I have ever had pleasure in obtaining any little anecdotes of my ancestors. You may remember the inquiries I made among the remains of my relations when you were with me in England, and the journey”

“pleases. And, lastly (I may as well confess it, since my denial of it will be believed by nobody), perhaps I shall a good deal gratify my own vanity. Indeed, I scarce ever heard or saw the introductory words, "Without vanity I may say," &c., but some vain thing immediately followed. Most people”

“He said I appeared a young man of promising parts, and therefore should be encouraged;”

“stationer, that Riddlesden, the attorney, was a very knave.”

“He was naturally more eloquent, had a ready plenty of words, and sometimes, as I thought, bore me down more by his fluency than by the strength of his reasons. As”

“While I was intent on improving my language, I met with an English grammar (I think it was Greenwood’s), at the end of which there were two little sketches of the arts of rhetoric and logic, the latter finishing with a specimen of a dispute in the Socratic method;”

“ELECTRICAL KITE To Peter Collinson [Philadelphia], Oct. 19, 1752. Sir, As frequent mention is made in public papers from Europe of the success of the Philadelphia experiment for drawing the electric fire from clouds by means of pointed rods of iron erected on high buildings, &c., it may be agreeable to the curious to be informed, that the same experiment has succeeded in Philadelphia, though made in a different and more easy manner, which is as follows:”

“While I was intent on improving my language, I met with an English grammar (I think it was Greenwood’s), at the end of which there were two little sketches of the arts of rhetoric and logic, the latter finishing with a specimen of a dispute in the Socratic method; and soon after I procured Xenophon’s Memorable Things of Socrates, wherein there are many instances of the same method. I was charmed with it, adopted it, dropped my abrupt contradiction and positive argumentation, and put on the humble inquirer and doubter.”

“And being then, from reading Shaftesbury and Collins, become a real doubter in many points of our religious doctrine, I found this method safest for myself and very embarrassing to those against whom I used it; therefore I took a delight in it, practiced it continually, and grew very artful and expert in drawing people, even of superior knowledge, into concessions, the consequences of which they did not foresee, entangling them in difficulties out of which they could not extricate themselves, and so obtaining victories that neither myself nor my cause always deserved.”

“THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN”

“We have an English proverb that says, "He that would thrive, must ask his wife.”

“There are croakers in every country, always boding its ruin.”