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COMFORT
COMMERCE --- COMMITMENT
COMMITTEES --- COMMON SENSE

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COMFORT

see: "COMPASSION"
see: "HAPPINESS" for other related links


I remember one evening sitting with a lot of men in the
Coffee House in New York — we had all been drinking,
carousing — rather cheap actresses, magazine illustrators,
popular painters, popular novelists. A pretty bad lot in
general, sold out and all that, but suddenly I found
myself saying to myself, 'These are my people.'
--Sherwood Anderson (1876—1941)
American writer of short stories.
_Letters of Sherwood Anderson_ [1953]

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and
thy staff they comfort me.
--Bible
"Psalms" 23:4

I am convinced we have a degree of delight, and that no
small one, in the real misfortunes and pains of others.
--Edmund Burke (1729—1797)
Irish-born Whig politician and man of letters.
_On the Sublime and Beautiful_ in "The Harvard Classics" [1909-1914].

It costs a lot of money to die comfortably.
--Samuel Butler (1835—1902)
English novelist, essayist, and critic.
_The Note-Books of Samuel Butler_,
ed. Henry Festing Jones [1913 ed.]

Death is the liberator of him whom freedom cannot release,
the physician of him whom medicine cannot cure, and the
comforter of him whom time cannot console.
--C.C. Colton (1780—1832)
English clergyman and writer.
_Lacon: or, Many Things in Few Words_ # CC [1821 ed.]

Oh, the comfort — the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with
a person — having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words,
but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain
together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep
what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow
the rest away.
--Dinah Mulock Craik (1826—1887)
English writer and poet.
_A Life for a Life_, ch. 16 [1859]

There is no calamity that right words will not begin to redress.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803—1882)
American philosopher and poet.
_Representative Men_, Lecture III "Eloquence" [1850]

In all life one should comfort the afflicted, but verily, also,
one should afflict the comfortable, and especially when
they are comfortably, contentedly, even happily wrong.
--John Kenneth Galbraith (1908—2006)
American economist.
"Guardian" (London) [28 July 1989], as quoted in
Robert Andrews _The Columbia Dictionary of Quotations_ [1993].

In the silence of night I have often wished for
just a few words of love from one man, rather
than the applause of thousands of people.
--Judy Garland [Frances Gumm] (1922—1969)
American motion-picture singer and actress.
Attributed in Barbara Rowes _The Book of Quotes_ [1979].

In the end, more than freedom, they wanted
security. They wanted a comfortable life,
and they lost it all — security, comfort
and freedom. When the Athenians finally
wanted not to give to society but for
society to give to them, when the freedom
they wished for most was freedom from
responsibility then Athens ceased to
be free and was never free again.
--Edward Gibbon (1737—1794)
English historian.
_The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire_, ch. 29 [1776-1788]

Comfort and indolence are cronies.
--Thomas Hood (1799—1845)
English poet and humorist.
Attributed in Maturin M. Ballou _Edge-Tools of Speech_, p. 74 [1886].

In the bottle discontent seeks for comfort, cowardice
for courage, and bashfulness for confidence.
--Samuel Johnson (1709—1784)
English poet, critic, and lexicographer.
_Lives of the Poets_ [1779—1781]

there is always
a comforting thought
in time of trouble when
it is not our trouble
--Don Marquis (1878—1937)
American poet and journalist.
_archy does his part_ [1935] "comforting thoughts"

Little things console us, because little things afflict us.
--Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
French mathematician, physicist, and moralist.
Attributed in J. De Finod (collected and translated) _A Thousand
Flashes of French Wit, Wisdom, and Wickedness_, p. 66 [1880].

Of all created comforts, God is the lender;
you are the borrower, not the owner.
--Samuel Rutherford (c. 1600—1661)
Scottish Presbyterian theologian and author.
Attributed in James Comper Gray
_The Biblical Museum: Old Testament_, p. 265 [8 vol., 1876].

No one shows himself as he is, but wears his mask
and plays his part. Indeed, the whole of our social
arrangements may be likened to a perpetual comedy;
and this is why a man who is worth anything finds
society so insipid, while a blockhead is quite at home
in it.
--Arthur Schopenhauer (1788—1860)
German philosopher.
_Studies in Pessimism_ [1851]

My pity hath been balm to heal their wounds.
--William Shakespeare (1564—1616)
English dramatist.
_King Henry VI_, pt. III, act IV, sc. 8, [1592]

A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.
--Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835—1910)
American humorist, novelist, journalist, and river pilot.
_What Is Man?_ [1906]

-

Those men pass the most comfortably through the
world, who have a good digestion and a hard heart.
--anon., attributed to "a French author"
in Horace Smith _The Tin Trumpet_ [1836].

-----

anodyne [AN-uh-dyn], adjective:
1. Serving to relieve pain; soothing.
2. Not likely to offend; bland; innocuous.
noun:
1. A medicine that relieves pain.
2. Anything that calms, comforts, or soothes disturbed feelings.

ensconced [en-SKONST], adjective:
1. sheltered comfortably and firmly
2. sheltered safely; hidden
Ex.: Hamish is our puppet millionaire: an aged plant-tub tycoon,
ensconced in a country house of sprawling vulgarity, he remains
the befuddled pawn of his wife Gemma.
--Martin Amis, "Prose Is the Leading Lady,"
review of _Words of Advice_, by Fay Weldon,
"New York Times", October 1, 1973

palliate [PAL-ee-ayt], transitive verb:
1. To make (an offense or crime) seem less serious; extenuate.
2. To make less severe or intense; mitigate.
3. To relieve the symptoms of a disease or disorder.

solace (noun) ['sah-lκs or 'so-lκs]
Comfort, consolation in a time of sorrow, or
distress or the source of such consolation.



COMMERCE

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see: "CAPITALISM" for related links


There are no more useful members in a commonwealth
than merchants. They knit mankind together in a mutual
intercourse of good offices, distribute the gifts of nature,
[and] find work for the poor.
--Joseph Addison (1672—1719)
English essayist, poet, and dramatist.
"The Spectator" [19 May 1711]

Great stir and bustle prevails at Constantinople in
consequence of the great conflux of merchants who
resort thither from all parts of the world, from Babylon,
from Medea, from Persia, from Egypt and Palestine
as well as from Russia, Hungary, Italy and Spain. In
this respect the city is equalled only by Baghdad,
the metropolis of the Muslims.
--Benjamin of Tudela (f. 12th cent.)
Spanish-Jewish rabbi who was the first
known European traveler to approach the frontiers of China.
_Masa'ot Binyamin_ (The Voyages of Benjamin)

More pernicious nonsense was never devised
by man than treaties of commerce.
--Benjamin Disraeli (1804—1881)
British Tory statesman, novelist, and
Prime Minister [1868, 1874—1880].
_Endymion_, ch. LXIII [1880]

Chiefly the sea-shore has been the point of departure
to knowledge, as to commerce. The most advanced
nations are always those who navigate the most.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803—1882)
American philosopher and poet.
_Society and Solitude_ [1870] "Civilization"

-

Japanese ships are strictly forbidden to leave for
foreign countries.

No Japanese is permitted to go abroad. If there is
anyone who attempts to do so secretly, he must be
executed. The ship so involved must be impounded
and its owner arrested, and the matter must be
reported to the higher authority.

If any Japanese returns from overseas after residing
there, he must be put to death.

--Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604—1651)
Third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty who reigned
from 1623 to 1651.
Edicts 1, 2, and 3 [1635]

-



COMMITMENT

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see: "LOVE & MARRIAGE (OR NOT)" for related links
see: "SUCCESS" for related links


Men do less than they ought, unless they do all that they can.
--Thomas Carlyle (1795—1881)
Scottish historian and political philosopher.
Quoted in Horace Smith _The Tin Trumpet_ [1859 ed.].

I began revolution with 82 men. If I had [to] do it again, I'd
do it with 10 or 15 and absolute faith. It does not matter how
small you are if you have faith and plan of action.
--Fidel Castro (b. 1926)
Political leader of Cuba from 1959.
In _New York Times_ [22 April 1959].

To congratulate oneself on one's warm
commitment to the environment, or to
peace, or to the oppressed, and think
no more is a profound moral fault.
--Robert Conquest (b. 1917)
English historian.
_Reflections on a Ravaged Century_ [1999]

-

My particular inner desire to fly the Atlantic
alone was nothing new with me. I had flown
Atlantics before. Every one has his own Atlantics
to fly. Whatever you want very much to do, against
the opposition of tradition, neighborhood opinion,
and so-called 'common sense' — that is an Atlantic....

I flew the Atlantic because I wanted to ... To want
in one's heart to do a thing, for its own sake; to
enjoy doing it; to concentrate all one's energies
upon it — that is not only the surest guarantee of
success. It is also being true to oneself.

--Amelia Earhart (1897—1937)
American aviator who disappeared
in a flight over the Pacific Ocean.
Article in "American Magazine" [August 1932].

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I hate to see a thing done by halves; if it be right,
do it boldly; if it be wrong, leave it undone.
--Bernard Gilpin (1517—1583)
English theologian.
Attributed in _The Saturday Magazine_ [15 September 1832].

-

At the end of a rainbow, you'll find a pot of gold,
At the end of a story, you'll find it's all been told.
But our love has a treasure, our hearts always spend,
And it has a story, without any end.

At the end of a river, the water stops its flow,
At the end of a highway, there's no place you can go.
But just tell me you love me, and you are only mine,
And our love will go on, till the end of time.

--"The End"
Words and Music by Sid Jacobson and Jimmy Krondes
[Sung by Earl Grant in 1958.]

-

With malice toward none; with charity for all; with
firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right,
let us strive on to finish the work we are in.
--Abraham Lincoln (1809—1865)
American Republican statesman, President [1861—1865].
"Second Inaugural Address" [4 March 1865].

The heights by great men reached and kept,
Were not attained by sudden flight;
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.
--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807—1882)
American poet.
_The Ladder of Saint Augustine_ [1858]

Never doubt that a small group of
thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world. Indeed, it is
the only thing that ever has.
--Margaret Mead (1901—1978)
American anthropologist.
Attributed in _Christian Science Monitor_ [1 June 1989].

I have already given two cousins to the [Civil] war,
and I stand ready to sacrifice my wife's brother.
--Artemus Ward [Charles Farrar Browne] (1834—1867)
American humorist and writer.
Quoted in Charles Dickens (ed.) _Household Words_ [24 January 1885].

-

Commitment: The difference between involvement
and commitment can be illustrated by a breakfast
of ham and eggs. The chicken was involved, the
pig was committed.
--anon.



COMMITTEES

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.

see: "WORK" for related links


A conference is a gathering of important people
who singly can do nothing but together decide
that nothing can be done.
--Fred Allen [John Florence Sullivan] (1894—1956)
American humorist.
Letter to William McChesney Martin Jr. [25 January 1940].

A committee is a group that keeps
the minutes and loses hours.
--attributed to Milton Berle (Milton Berlinger) (1908—2002)
American comedian.

Meetings are indispensable when
you don't want to do anything.
--attributed to John Kenneth Galbraith (1908—2006)
American economist.

Committee — The unwilling, picked from the unfit to do the unnecessary.
--"N.Y. Times" [4 April 1960]

[Contrasting EDS and the company which acquired it, GM:]
The first EDSer to see a snake kills it. At GM, first thing you
do is organize a committee on snakes. Then you bring in a
consultant who knows a lot about snakes. Third thing you
do is talk about it for a year.
--Ross Perot (b. 1930)
American businessman, philanthropist, and independent
candidate for U.S. president in 1992 and 1996.
Quoted in "Business Week" [6 October 1986].

A committee should consist of three men,
two of whom are absent.
--Herbert Beerbohm Tree (1852—1917)
English actor-manager.
In Hesketh Pearson _Beerbohm-Tree_ [1956].




COMMON SENSE

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see: "INTELLIGENCE"
see: "LOGIC"
see: "PRUDENCE"
see: "REASON"
see: "UNDERSTANDING"
see: "WISDOM"


The freethinking of one age is the common sense of the next.
--Matthew Arnold (1822—1888)
English Victorian poet and literary and social critic.
_God and the Bible: A Review of Objections ..._ [1875]

There's a sucker born every minute.
--attributed to Phineas T. Barnum (1810—1891)
American showman.

-

Today I am mourning the passing of an old friend by
the name of Common Sense. Common Sense, AKA
C.S., lived a long life but died from heart failure at the
brink of the millennium. No one really knows how old
he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in
bureaucratic red tape. He selflessly devoted his life
to service in schools, hospitals, homes, factories and
offices, helping folks get jobs done without fanfare
and foolishness. For decades, petty rules, silly laws
and frivolous lawsuits held no power over C.S. He
was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as
to know when to come in out of the rain, the early bird
gets the worm, and life isn't always fair.

C.S. lived by sound financial policies (don't spend
more than you earn) and reliable teaching and
parenting strategies (the adult is in charge, not
the kid). A veteran of the Industrial Revolution,
the Great Depression, and the Technological Revolution,
C.S. survived cultural and educational trends including
feminism, body piercing, whole language and "new"
math. But his health declined when he became infected
with the "If-It-Only-Helps-One-Person-It's-Worth-It"
virus.

In recent decades his waning strength proved no
match for the ravages of overbearing federal
regulations. He watched in pain as good people
became ruled by self-seeking lawyers and enlightened
auditors. His health rapidly deteriorated, as schools
mindlessly implemented zero tolerance policies.

Reports of 6-year old boys charged with sexual
harassment for kissing a classmate, a teen suspended
for taking a swig of mouthwash after lunch, and a
teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student.
Finally, C.S. lost his will to live as the Ten
Commandments became contraband, churches
became businesses, criminals received better
treatment than victims, and federal judges stuck
their noses in everything from Boy Scouts to
professional sports. As the end neared, C.S.
drifted in and out of logic but was kept informed
of developments regarding questionable
regulations for asbestos, low flow toilets,
"smart" guns and mandatory air bags.

Finally, when told that the homeowners association
restricted exterior furniture only to that which
enhanced property values, he breathed his last
breath. C.S. was preceded in death by his parents,
Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter,
Responsibility; and his Son, Reason. He is survived
by three stepbrothers, Rights, Tolerance, and
Whiner. Few attended his funeral, because so
few realized he was gone.

--Lori Borgman
"The Death of Common Sense"
_Indianapolis Star_ [15 March 1998]

-

Common sense ... is very uncommon.
--Lord Chesterfield [Philip Dormer Stanhope] (1694—1773)
British writer and politician.
Letter to his son [27 September 1748].

Common sense in an uncommon degree
is what the world calls wisdom.
--Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772—1834)
English poet, critic, and philosopher.
"Notes on Hacket"

That good sense which nature affords us is preferable
to most of the knowledge that we can acquire.
--Philippe de Commynes {also spelled Comines} (c. 1447—1511)
French statesman and chronicler.
Attributed in _Materials for Thinking_, no. XXXIV [1837].

Good sense is of all things in the world the most equally distributed,
for everybody thinks he is so well supplied with it, that even those
most difficult to please in all other matters never desire more of it
than they already possess.
--Renι Descartes (1596—1650)
French philosopher and mathematician.
_Discours de la mιthode_ [1637] (Discourse on Method)

Common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices
laid down in the mind before you reach eighteen.
--Albert Einstein (1879—1955)
German-American physicist who developed the special and general theories of relativity.
Quoted in Lincoln Barnett _The Universe and Dr Einstein_ [1950 ed.].

Nothing astonishes men so much as
common sense and plain dealing.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803—1882)
American philosopher and poet.
_Essays_, First Series [1841] "Art"

Where Sense is wanting, every thing is wanting.
--Benjamin Franklin (1706—1790)
American politician, inventor, and scientist.
_Poor Richard's Almanack_ [1754]

Uniform pleasantness is rather a defect than a
faculty. It shows that a man hasn't sense enough
to know whom to despise.
--Thomas Hardy (1840—1928)
English novelist and poet.
_A Pair of Blue Eyes_, ch. 9 [1873]

Financial sense is knowing that certain men
will promise to do certain things, and fail.
--Edgar Watson Howe (1854—1937)
American journalist and author.
Quoted in "American Magazine", vol. 80 [1915].

Common sense in one view is the most uncommon sense.
While it is extremely rare in possession, the recognition of
it is universal. All men feel it, though few men have it.
--Henry Norman Hudson (1814—1886)
American clergyman.
Attributed in Maturin M. Ballou _Edge-Tools of Speech_, p. 75 [1886].

-

Common sense is in spite of, not the result of, education.
--Victor Hugo (1802—1885)
French poet, dramatist, and novelist.
Attributed in Maturin M. Ballou _Edge-Tools of Speech_, p. 75 [1886].

& note:

Common sense is in spite of, not because of age.
--Edward Thurlow, 1st Baron Thurlow (1731—1806)
British lawyer and Tory politician.
Attributed in Charles Noel Douglas _Forty Thousand
Quotations, Prose and Poetical_, p. 317 [1917].

-

Common sense and a sense of humor are the same
thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor
is just common sense, dancing.
--attributed to William James (1842—1910)
American philosopher.

He was one of those men who possess almost every
gift, except the gift of the power to use them.
--Charles Kingsley (1819—1875)
English writer and clergyman.
_Westward Ho!_ [1855]

-

We rarely find that people have good
sense unless they agree with us.
--Franηois de La Rochefoucauld (1613—1680)
French classical author.
_Reflections; or, Sentences and Moral Maxims_ [1678]; maxim 347.


It is with certain good qualities as with the senses; those
who are entirely deprived of them can neither appreciate
nor comprehend them.
--Franηois de La Rochefoucauld (1613—1680)
French classical author.
_Moral Reflections, Sentences and Maxims of Francis,
Duc de La Rochefoucauld_ [William Gowans, New York, 1851]

-

Everybody gets so much information all day
long that they lose their common sense.
--Gertrude Stein (1874—1946)
American writer.
_Reflection on the Atomic Bomb_ [1946], pub.
in "Yale Poetry Review" [December 1947].

Common sense is not so commom.
--Voltaire (Franηois Marie Arouet) (1694—1778)
French writer and philosopher.
"Self-Love", in _Philosophical Dictionary_ [1764].

To act with common sense according to the moment,
is the best wisdom I know; and the best philosophy,
to do one's duties, take the world as it comes, submit
respectfully to one's lot; bless the Goodness that has
given so much happiness with it, whatever it is; and
despise affectation.
--Horace Walpole (1717—1797)
English writer and connoisseur.
Letter to Sir Horace Mann [27 May 1776].

-

It appears to me that strong sense and acute
sensibility together constitute genius.
--anon.
Published in _The New-York Mirror_ [30 April 1831].


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