Arzamas Quotes & Sayings

A great many people, he had noticed, spent large parts of their time worrying about things they were powerless to alter. Had they concentrated all this energy on things they could influence, think how different their lives would be. — Diane Setterfield

As a former waitress myself, I know firsthand how a simple smile from someone can improve your day and how a single harsh word can destroy it. Being courteous and thoughtful costs you nothing and can sometimes pay you dividends in unexpected ways. — Susanna Kearsley

Rather than go to a demonstration to burn an effigy of the author Salman Rushdie, I would have hoped that it'd be the real thing. — Cat Stevens

I don't "need" the rush to be happy. I'd be perfectly happy without the attention and action. — Guy Kawasaki

Could we report Tyler for having a gun?" she said.
"He's over eighteen," said Chris. "It's probably legal."
"It's not legal for him to be shooting at me," she snapped. — Brigid Kemmerer

It's easy to forget history or give it a cliff notes. The cliff notes of history. But mainly, so much of what happens in 'Eyes on the Prize' happened in Jackson, Mississippi. Jackson, Mississippi isn't really known for any other touchstone to the movement, other than Medgar Evers being killed. There were sit-ins and riots and atrocities. — Tate Taylor

Sam woke to a feeling of utter, profound, incredible relief.
He closed his eyes as soon as he opened them, afraid that being awake would just invite something terrible to appear.
Astrid was back. And she was asleep with her head on his arm. His arm was asleep, completely numb, but as long as that blond head was right there his arm could stay numb.
She smelled like pine trees and campfire smoke.
He opened his eyes, cautious, almost flinching, because the FAYZ didn't make a habit of allowing him pure, undiluted happiness. The FAYZ made a habit of stomping on anything that looked even a little bit like happiness. And this level of happiness was surely tempting retaliation. From this high up the fall could be a long, long one. — Michael Grant

Your life changes sometimes and it only takes a few words to bridge the gap between now and then. — Julie Murphy

But his smile was slow and wide. I don't know, Clark. Some people just won't be told. — Jojo Moyes

I think it's best if there's an amendment that goes on the ballot where the people can weigh in. Every time this issue has gone on the ballot, the people have voted to retain the traditional definition of marriage as recently as California in 2008. — Michele Bachmann

After I heard that I had had a heart attack, how I lived in my body changed, and my doctor should have found a way to let me know he recognized that. — Arthur W. Frank

Such a lot of guns around town and so few brains! — Humphrey Bogart

If you think that you have caught a cold, call in a good doctor. Call in three good doctors and play bridge. — Robert Benchley

Old age tells us that we ourselves have failed often, have never really done anything completely right, have never truly been perfect - anad that is completely all right. We are who we are - and so is everyone else. — Joan D. Chittister

On the twenty-sixth day of the fifteen-day march, the last of the vegetables was consumed. On the thirty-second day, the last of the grain and fodder. Asha wondered how long a man could live on raw, half-frozen horse meat. — George R R Martin

The day before yesterday I spent the night at Arzamas and something extraordinary happened to me. It was 2 o'clock in the morning. I was terribly tired, I wanted to go to sleep and I felt perfectly well. But — Leo Tolstoy