actions

Supposing the Press in order, the people in their right wits, and news or no news to be the question, a Public Mercury should not have my Vote, because I think it makes the Multitude too familiar with the actions and counsels of their superiors, too pragmatical and censorious, and gives them not onlyan itch but a kind of colourable right to be meddling with the government.

—L'Estrange, Sir Roger

Sometimes†we have to do a thing in order to find out the reason for it. Sometimes our actions are questions, not answers.

—Le Carre¤  ,John pseudonym of  David John Moore Cornwell

The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals, Utility, or the Greatest Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to producethe reverse of happiness.

—Mill,John Stuart

Actioni contrarium semper et aequalem esse reactionem: sive corporum duorum actiones in se mutuosemper esse aequales et inpartes contrarias dirigi. To everyaction there is always opposed an equal reaction: or, themutual actions oftwo bodiesuponeach other are always equal, and directed to contrary parts.

—Newton, Sir Isaac

Actions receive their tincture from the times, And as they change are virtues made or crimes.

—Defoe, Daniel

The advantage of time and place in practical actions is half the victory; which being lost is irrecoverable.

—Drake, Sir Francis

Nempe falluntur homines, quod se liberos esse putant; quae opinioinhoc soloconsistit, quodsuarum actionum sint conscii, et ignari causarum, a quibus determinantur. Haec ergo est eorum libertatis idea, quod suarum actionum nullam cognoscant causam. Men are mistaken in thinking themselves free; and this opinion consists of this alone, that theyare conscious of their actions and ignorant of the causes by which they are determined. This, therefore, is their idea of liberty, that they should know no cause of their actions.

—Spinoza, Baruch also known as Benedict de Spinoza

It isnot oftenthat nationslearnfromthepastöevenrarer that they draw the correct conclusions from it. For the lessons of historical experience, as of personal experience, are contingent. They teach the consequences ofcertain actions, but theycannot forcea recognition of comparable situations.

—Kissinger, HenryAlfred

Thus they say that nature herself prescribes for us a joyous life, in other words, pleasure, as the goal of our actions; and living according to her prescriptions isto be defined as virtue.

—More, SirThomas

Great actions are not always true sons Of great and mighty resolutions.

—Butler, Samuel

Riches are for spending; and spending for honour and good actions.

—Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans

It isrequisite from time to time to remind one generation of the experience which led a former generation to important legislative actions.

—Jevons,William Stanley

Sencillamente se me ocurre que la parodia se ha desplazado y hoy invade los gestos, las acciones. Donde antes hab|¤a acontecimientos, experiencias, pasiones, hoy quedan so¤  lo parodias. Eso trataba a veces de decirle a Marcelo en mis cartas: que la parodia ha sustitutido por completo a la historia. It's simply that I believe that parody has been displaced and that it now invades all gestures and actions.Where there used to be events, experiences, passions, now there are nothing but parodies. This is what I tried to tell Marcelo so many times in my letters: that parody had completely replaced history.

—Piglia, Ricardo

Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds; and until we know what has been or will be the peculiar combination of outward with inward facts, which constitute a man's critical actions, it will be better not to thinkourselves wise about his character.

—Eliot, George pseudonym of  MaryAnn Evans

Men's actions are too strong for them. Show me a man who has acted, and who has not been the victim and slave of his action.

—Emerson, RalphWaldo

This is very trueöfor my words are my own, and my actions are my Ministers'. See Rochester 692:72.

—Charles II

It is a poor centre of a man's actions, himself.

—Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans

If everything is caused by innumerable'factors,'then we had best be very careful in any practical actions we undertake. We must deal with many details, and so it is advisable to proceed to reform this little piece and see what happens, before we reform that little piece too. 574

—Mills, C(harles) Wright

We tend to justify our actions and in a sense we color history to achieve that objective.

—McNamara, Robert Strange