Thus it often is, that the constant friction of illiberal minds wears out at last the best resolves of the more generous.
Herman Melville
Illiberal Minds, Generous Resolves, Mental Friction, Generosity, Minds, Resolve
Herman Melville’s Quotes On Topics
Greatness And Tragedy | Global Lands | Color | Hermitage | Strength And Beauty | Spring Renewal | Historical Grudge | Ancient Spirit | Kindness | Old Maid | World Connection | Depth | Schoolmaster Sailor | Goals | Serene Smile | Navy | Madness Of Man | Fire | Heartfelt Youth | Dinner | More
More Herman Melville Quotes
“The grand points in human nature are the same to-day they were a thousand years ago. The only variability in them is in expression, not in feature.” Herman Melville
Human Nature, Timeless Traits, Expression Variability, Humanity, Nature, Time
Herman Melville Human Nature, Timeless Traits, Expression Variability, Humanity, Nature, Time“And what is it, thought I, after all! It’s only his outside; a man can be honest in any sort of skin.” Herman Melville
Honest Skin, Inner Virtue, External Appearance, Honest, Skin, Virtue
Herman Melville Honest Skin, Inner Virtue, External Appearance, Honest, Skin, Virtue“In man, breathing is incessantly going on – one breath only serving for two or three pulsations; so that whatever other business he has to attend to, waking or sleeping, breathe he must, or die he will. But the Sperm Whale only breathes about one seventh or Sunday of his time.” Herman Melville
Breathing, Life, Survival, Sperm Whale, Nature, Contrast
Herman Melville Breathing, Life, Survival, Sperm Whale, Nature, Contrast“Those of us who always abhorred slavery as an atheistical iniquity, gladly we join in the exulting chorus of humanity over its downfall.” Herman Melville
Slavery, Abolition, Humanity, Freedom, Equality, Justice
Herman Melville Slavery, Abolition, Humanity, Freedom, Equality, Justice“Genius, all over the world, stands hand in hand, and one shock of recognition runs the whole circle round.” Herman Melville
Genius Recognition, World Genius, Recognition Shock, Genius, World, Shock
Herman Melville Genius Recognition, World Genius, Recognition Shock, Genius, World, Shock“The sweetest joys of life grow in the very jaws of its perils.” Herman Melville
Life’s Joys, Perils Faced, Sweetest Joys, Perilous Beauty, Joy In Danger, Life’s Sweetness
Herman Melville Life’s Joys, Perils Faced, Sweetest Joys, Perilous Beauty, Joy In Danger, Life’s Sweetness“Death is only a launching into the region of the strange Untried; it is but the first salutation to the possibilities of the immense Remote, the Wild, the Watery, the Unshored.” Herman Melville
Death Transition, Strange Possibilities, Immense Remote, Death, Possibilities, Remote
Herman Melville Death Transition, Strange Possibilities, Immense Remote, Death, Possibilities, Remote“Whatever my fate, I’ll go to it laughing.” Herman Melville
Laughing Fate, Fate’s Humor, Facing Fate, Cheerful Fate, Fate’s Path, Laughing Through
Herman Melville Laughing Fate, Fate’s Humor, Facing Fate, Cheerful Fate, Fate’s Path, Laughing Through“Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian.” Herman Melville
Sober Cannibal, Drunken Christian, Unlikely Preference, Cannibal, Christian, Preference
Herman Melville Sober Cannibal, Drunken Christian, Unlikely Preference, Cannibal, Christian, Preference“In a multitude of acquaintances is less security, than in one faithful friend.” Herman Melville
Faithful Friend, True Friendship, Security In Relationships, Friendship, Trust, Loyalty
Herman Melville Faithful Friend, True Friendship, Security In Relationships, Friendship, Trust, Loyalty“Be sure of this, O young ambition, all mortal greatness is but disease.” Herman Melville
Mortal Greatness, Young Ambition, Disease Of Greatness, Ambition, Greatness, Disease
Herman Melville Mortal Greatness, Young Ambition, Disease Of Greatness, Ambition, Greatness, Disease“Though neither knows where lie the nameless things of which the mystic sign gives forth such hints; yet with me, as with the colt, somewhere those things must exist. Though in many of its aspects this visible world seems formed in love, the invisible spheres were formed in fright.” Herman Melville
Mystic Signs, Visible Love, Invisible Fear, Signs, Love, Fear
Herman Melville Mystic Signs, Visible Love, Invisible Fear, Signs, Love, Fear“Are not half our lives spent in reproaches for foregone actions, of the true nature and consequences of which we were wholly ignorant at the time?” Herman Melville
Foregone Actions, Life Reproaches, Ignorant Consequences, Actions, Reproaches, Ignorant
Herman Melville Foregone Actions, Life Reproaches, Ignorant Consequences, Actions, Reproaches, Ignorant“Methinks that what they call my shadow here on earth is my true substance. Methinks that in looking at things spiritual, we are too much like oysters observing the sun through the water, and thinking that thick water the thinnest of air.” Herman Melville
Spiritual Substance, Earthly Shadow, Shadow, Substance, Spiritual, Perception
Herman Melville Spiritual Substance, Earthly Shadow, Shadow, Substance, Spiritual, Perception“The names of all fine authors are fictitious ones, far more so than that of Junius, – simply standing, as they do, for the mystical, ever-eluding Spirit of all Beauty, which ubiquitously possesses men of genius.” Herman Melville
Authors, Creativity, Inspiration, Genius, Mysticism, Art
Herman Melville Authors, Creativity, Inspiration, Genius, Mysticism, Art“Deep into distant woodlands winds a mazy way, reaching to overlapping spurs of mountains bathed in their hill-side blue. But though the picture lies thus tranced, and though this pine-tree shakes down its sighs like leaves upon this shepherd’s head, yet all were vain, unless the shepherd’s eye were fixed upon the magic stream before him.” Herman Melville
Woodland Magic, Mountain Spurs, Shepherd’s Vision, Deep, Woodland, Stream
Herman Melville Woodland Magic, Mountain Spurs, Shepherd’s Vision, Deep, Woodland, Stream“You cannot spill a drop of American blood without spilling the blood of the whole world… We are not a nation, so much as a world.” Herman Melville
American Blood, Global Unity, Interconnected World, Humanity, Unity, World
Herman Melville American Blood, Global Unity, Interconnected World, Humanity, Unity, World“Forty years after a battle it is easy for a non-combatant to reason about how it ought to have been fought. It is another thing personally and under fire to direct the fighting while involved in the obscuring smoke of it.” Herman Melville
Battle Wisdom, Leadership, Hindsight, War, Decision-making, Courage
Herman Melville Battle Wisdom, Leadership, Hindsight, War, Decision-making, Courage