Human Dignity has gleamed only now and then and here and there, in lonely splendor, throughout the ages, a hope of the better men, never an achievement of the majority.

—James Thurber

hope achievement

About James Thurber

Portrait of James Thurber

James Grover Thurber (December 8, 1894 – November 2, 1961) was an American cartoonist, writer, humorist, journalist, and playwright. He was born in Columbus, Ohio, and attended Ohio State University (OSU), leaving in 1918 without graduating. He spent over a year in Paris, working for the US State Department as...

More quotations from James Thurber

Well, if I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?

—James Thurber

humor telephone

I used to wake up at 4 A.M. and start sneezing, sometimes for five hours. I tried to find out what sort of allergy I had but finally came to the conclusion that it must be an allergy to consciousness.

—James Thurber

humor consciousness allergy sneezing

I loathe the expression "What makes him tick." It is the American mind, looking for simple and singular solution, that uses the foolish expression. A person not only ticks, he also chimes and strikes the hour, falls and breaks and has to be put together again, and sometimes stops like an electric clock in a thunderstorm.

—James Thurber

You might as well fall flat on your face as lean over too far backward.

—James Thurber

You can fool too many of the people too much of the time.

—James Thurber

More quotations tagged with “achievement”

Psychology helps to measure the probability that an aim is attainable.

—Edward Thorndike

accomplishment achievement psychology probability

Things are only impossible until they're not.

—Hannah Louise Shearer

achievement possibility impossible

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers.

—Daniel J. Boorstin

humor achievement greatness public relations

Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.

—Robert A. Heinlein

progress achievement laziness

Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.

hope belief faith achievement dreams