Favorite quotes, sayings, phrases,etc.

[careph]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Its a riff off of a "real world" quote by Nobel physicist Stephen Weinberg:

"Religion is an insult to human dignity. Without it, you'd have good people doing good things, and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, it takes religion"

And before him, there were several quotes by various Nazis like Goebbels about using "righteousness" or "religion" to motivate people to do things they'd normally consider immoral.

I do not know what a "riff off" is, but the connection you establish seems a little farfetched. Criticizing manipulation based on ideology has a rather long tradition in philosophy; it wasn't invented in the 20th century.

Further, Weinberg's argument shows a distinct lack of understanding of moral relativity, and the fact that he explicitly assumes one ideological position to deny the rationality of another doesn't help the credibility of his argument either.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by careph

I do not know what a "riff off" is, but the connection you establish seems a little farfetched. Criticizing manipulation based on ideology has a rather long tradition in philosophy; it wasn't invented in the 20th century.

Further, Weinberg's argument shows a distinct lack of understanding of moral relativity, and the fact that he explicitly assumes one ideological position to deny the rationality of another doesn't help the credibility of his argument either.

1) A "riff" is an improvisation of a basic melody, a common term in music and literature.
2) Didn't say it was "invented in the 20th Century"; only that it was part of a long line of comments of that line of thought. Game designers usually take existing motifs when creating. That's what was going on here with this fictional character's quote.
3) Weinberg wasn't arguing, he was making an assertion. Whether it is defensible is another issue but this thread is just listing favorite quotes. Disputing a quote's intent would be off-topic.

[MUAHAHAHAHAHA]

"Be yourself" used to be my favourite quote, and I often tell it to people if they come to me with their problems. But I am not really sure if I agree with that anymore. Can we really be ourself without external influences? Our beliefs change through our interaction with family, friends and the larger society. Is it possible to be ourself? In the first place, does "self" exist?

[careph]

Originally Posted by MUAHAHAHAHAHA

"Be yourself" used to be my favourite quote, and I often tell it to people if they come to me with their problems. But I am not really sure if I agree with that anymore. Can we really be ourself without external influences? Our beliefs change through our interaction with family, friends and the larger society. Is it possible to be ourself? In the first place, does "self" exist?

Was that a genuine question or just a thought-provoking quote?

In any case, my personal response would be something like:

"I am happiest when I don't have to be who I am. And yet I am the sum of who I am not."

[MUAHAHAHAHAHA]

Originally Posted by careph

Was that a genuine question or just a thought-provoking quote?

In any case, my personal response would be something like:

"I am happiest when I don't have to be who I am. And yet I am the sum of who I am not."

Not a question. It's open for debate.

[HasuMasu]

Originally Posted by MUAHAHAHAHAHA

"Be yourself" used to be my favourite quote, and I often tell it to people if they come to me with their problems. But I am not really sure if I agree with that anymore. Can we really be ourself without external influences? Our beliefs change through our interaction with family, friends and the larger society. Is it possible to be ourself? In the first place, does "self" exist?

If you ask me, I think your 'self' is a blank slate--or at least that's what it starts as.

What you are now is the outcome of exposing that blank slate to the world's influence...or something like that.

[careph]

In response to a guy who was throwing around with Latin proverbs and phrases:

- "Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam."

- Oh, is that Cicero?

- No, Terry Pratchett.

[careph]

Today on a symposium about New Atheism:

"Thank God I'm an atheist!"

[Sobonok]

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." -John F. Kennedy

[Kizoku Keenan]

My favourite quote is the quote in my lame signature. Enjoy!

[Newtman]

"We don't care what you think."
-Mordecai, Regular Show
[strike!]Arise, Sir Loin of Beef!
[strike!]Arise, Earl of Cloves!
[strike!]Arise, Duke of Brittingham!
[strike!]Arise, Baron of Münnchausen!
[strike!]Arise, Essence of Myrrh!
[strike!]Milk of Magnesia!
[strike!]Quarter of Ten!
-Bugs Bunny, Looney Tunes
[Look at my quote]

[Eragon]

"Why so serious? Let's put a smile on that face..." - Joker

[mystogan]

Originally Posted by Eragon

"Why so serious? Let's put a smile on that face..." - Joker

that is one epic line from one epic character

[HasuMasu]

I'll have to ponder this one a bit more, but it recently caught my attention.

Quote

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

[Endless Soul]

Warcraft Orc

Click 1: (grunt)
Click 2: (angrier grunt)
Click 3: (confused grunt)
Click 4:Huh?
Click 5:Heh heh heh...
Click 6:What?
Click 7:Whaaat?
Click 8:Stop poking meeeee!

[GundamFan0083]

One of my favorite Quotes has got to be from Albert Pike:

"We shall unleash the Nihilists and Atheists, and we shall provoke a formidable social cataclysm which in all its horror will show clearly to the nations the effect of absolute atheism, origin of savagery and of the most bloody turmoil. Then everywhere, the citizens, obliged to defend themselves against the world minority of revolutionaries, will exterminate those destroyers of civilization, and the multitude, disillusioned with Christianity, whose deistic spirits will be from that moment without compass (direction), anxious for an ideal, but with out knowing where to render its adoration, will receive the true light through the universal manifestation of the pure doctrine of Lucifer, brought finally out in the public view, a manifestation which will result from the general reactionary movement which will follow the destruction of Christianity and atheism, both conquered and exterminated at the same time"

I like the quote because I wonder whether the Theosophists will actually be able to pull it off.

[NoemiChan]

Originally Posted by Endless Soul

Warcraft Orc

Starcraft Broad War Terran Campaign

Computer: "Press any key."
Terran Marine : "Where's the ANY key?"

[MissHorrorstar]

"Because we do not know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well. And yet everything happens only a certain number of times. And a very small number really." - Brandon Lee.

[Eragon]

Since I changed my sig, here's another
"Sanity? What would I do with something as useless as that?" - Kenpachi Zaraki.

[Paranoid Android]

Mandarin: 钱不是万能的，没有钱是万万不能的
Informal Pinyin: Qian bu shi wan neng de, mei yo qian shi wan wan bu neng de.
Translation: Money can't accomplish everything, but you cannot be without money. (not as catchy in English)

Even if not your own language, the general enunciation (as shown) has a bit of poetic catchiness to it.

The english counterpart of "Money doesn't buy happiness" is hardly applicable at all. There's people in the world who become satisfied from living as a rich person. People can be quite one-dimensional. I have a friend who borderlines delusional by lying about his surrounding to make himself happier. And I don't think it's right to call that person unhappy. I wouldn't be happy, but he and I aren't the same. The chinese version doesn't speak of happiness. It also speaks of the importance of wealth which the english counterpart does not.
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"Act as if"

A practice of optimism for realists like me who sometimes need some hope and extra positivity. First heard from my arts class teacher when I told him I wanted to be an architect and go to School of Architecture at University of Waterloo (one of the top in the world in architecture). He told me to start acting like an architect if I want to become one.

There's a lot of truth in this that a lot of people in the technical professional workforce are ridiculously under qualified. They simply act hot-headed like they know what they're doing and keeps their job their entire life.

Originally Posted by MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

"Be yourself" used to be my favourite quote

I disliked how misleading/false (from my perspective) that line is for as long as I can remember. Because before I heard of the 'be yourself', I believed in something along the lines of 'always strive to become better than yourself, you are your best competitor". And 'be yourself' told exactly the opposite.

While I'm not very verbal about my disagreement with common proverbs or quotes, but I cringe whenever I see/hear someone say that to someone else. xD

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"Does he look like a bitch?" (almost everyone's favorite)