A scholar is someone who does what he can with the information at hand. An ignoramus, however, doesn’t even know what the word scholar means, let alone ignoramus (although he might always suspect).

In the main, dislike rules the world, and about that not much can be said.

You compete to live, and you work to compete. If you don’t do either, inevitably, you’re half-dead already.

Questions beg answers which need answering with more questions, but who says so?

The desire to be with people should always be tempered with the knowledge of what they are.

Only the cock-eyed can look at the world askance and get a clearer image back than was there to be seen in the first place.

What happens to all the mystery when all the mystery has gone?

Answers aren’t always all that important, just so long as you have all the right questions.

Some places are places to do things; other places are places where nothing can be done.

You cannot “start again” if you haven’t started in the first place.

The secret is: nobody tells you the secret; that, you have to find out for yourself.

People don’t like it when you look through them; they expect you to see something there.

Even a complete moron never accepts that he is a moron, no matter how many people neglect to inform him of it.

There is no place in this world for a stupid man: he is going to have to make room, chiefly by being annoying to others in his way.

Know the world for what it is and as well as it knows you: The world is not a cradle, a nursery, or a playground; it is a testing ground for those who can survive its testing conditions.

One of the most annoying things about social observers is that occasionally they can actually be right.

Never expect altruism from anybody, let it surprise you instead.

We are all strange in some way or other, and strangeness itself being part of the unacceptable strangeness of being.

It is preferable as you go along to make up your own wisdom from the dry bones of other’s great wisdom, but never to slavishly follow the dusty old ideas of your predecessors.

Of course you can admire some people for what they are, but you cannot possibly do so for very long.

The essential quality of the unexpected is change, and change needs adapting to or it is overwhelming.

Scratch backs, for whomsoever scratches backs gets his back scratched back.

A good insult is worth killing over, so one had better not do either.

Even the wisest of men cannot see how stupid he appears without a mirror to reflect what he does.

Madness at play puts on a happy face and goes to play tag with the townsfolk.

We can all have differences of opinion, just so long as they don’t differ too much from everyone else’s.

We are all one, together, but some of us are in two minds about it.

Politeness is a boon…and especially in such an impolite society.

The obligation to give back bears with it a benefit that is never grasped by those who cannot give at all.

Mistakes are made to be learned from, but that is not to say you have to make mistakes so you can learn from them.

Without commenting on something, we are reduced to commenting on anything.

Always check out the experts: they know too much to know it all already.

You can’t buy genius, although at the right price it is usually possible to rent it.

With ordinary people, sometimes it is better to be ordinary.

Those who have no time to bother anyone else probably have no time to be bothered with it anyway.

Sometimes, the time to “get up and walk” for some people has long since passed them by, probably because they’ve become much too familiar with “just sitting around and doing nothing”.

An ignorant man can generally be left ignorant, unless he is put in charge of something important, in which case he should be congratulated for it.

One does not “survive beyond death”. Does a crinkle crisp survive being eaten by a living god? No. It is the same with people.

Death, a private affair arranged between two parties, oneself and a silent scream.

Those who could never bring themselves to laugh at themselves should at least try to give it a go, if only that it’s so much an appropriate a thing to do.

You work best at what you do best, so why work so hard at anything else?

Some people are not happy at all but like it like that. This one simple fact also creates much happiness in the world.

Waiting patiently for something to do is also a way of creating something to do, although it isn’t as creative as doing something more creative.

People will say what they mean when they mean to attack you; while, sometimes, when an earlier attack has already proved successful, will say nothing instead.

Non-judgemental people have taken that discerning, life-affirming emotional step of judging everybody they meet long ago. But they never seem to admit it.

We betray out friends most easily with whatever opinion of their ignorant opinions which we do not immediately share with them.

Not saying, “thank you,” gives you the option of being unduly crass without a moment’s hesitation, but how practical that is is open to question.

To commit to something is the only way of gaining anything. But what then happens to those who do nothing of the sort?

The great maxim of progress: With knowledge—ignorance!

Not all men think alike, but it’s a pretty close run thing.

We move on from the past, although all we have is the future to look forward to.

There is nothing “so immensely sad” to the eyes of a dead man.

We watch the failures failing…they might do something interesting.

Sometimes, you can wake up in the morning and blame the world for nothing whatsoever. Which is not good, because there’s so much you can blame the world for with good reason instead.

You lose your usefulness to friends mostly with the changing of the weather.

Be careful of what you say, you might have to wear it.

Pride is for the wise to keep close, but is the domain of fools.

Always smile at the ones you don’t have much time or use for.

Never give advice to someone who’s lost the plot, as he’s already far ahead of you.

Having something to gnaw at gives us all the energy we need to get by with.

Established institutions need to be poked fun at, or else they simply forget to wobble in the breeze.

What is bitterness other than a lost flower of youth?

Ignorance is a deceitful liar, until it kicks you in the teeth and laughs in your face, then it’s quite revealing.

If you don’t know what you need to know already, you probably don’t know anything much either.

You may not always know what someone who dislikes you really thinks of you, but I can tell you right now that it probably isn’t very flattering.

The joy of being a terrible person is in that you cannot get any better than that, and that is hugely encouraging.

You can walk away from responsibility, but you certainly can’t walk back.

The lazy man is universally despised, but he will never fully understand why.

Disappointment is such a reassuring thing to us all, or else we would not know where we stand on the matter.

To achieve the best is best of the best, after all, they’ve got nothing better to do.

Sometimes, even making the right decision gets you nowhere you would want to go.

Sometimes, the time to “get up and walk” for some people has long since passed them by.

The world makes us complete, or it squashes us flat, like a pancake.

The refined reader: something with a point at both ends and no lead in the middle.

It is alright to be cynical about life, so long as you don’t take it all too seriously.

If you’re not in with the crowd, you’re out to lunch.

It’s hard to get someone down if he just won’t stop struggling.

Even those who hate you can be of use to you: to give you a clearer vision of yourself.

If you’ve really got to think of what you’re doing while you’re doing it, try doing that then.

Since when does the same mean better, and thus more desirable? Some people have no appreciation of their own irrelevance.

Just because you can think doesn’t make you “a thinker”.

Tearing down modern art is just as artistic as putting it back up again.

The reward for getting it right in the right place at the right time is splendid.

Only the gullible believe they deserve more praise for being what they are.

Easily the best lie is sweet honey on the tongue, but someone always has to pay for it eventually.

The truth should never be given out for free, it costs too much to replace.

Always check for errors in your understanding, then keep your mouth shut.

Don’t be a hero; the plot of land he occupies is already taken.

One should only step on those too weak to know that they could be strong enough to resist.

If you want to get caught at it, tell the truth to everybody.

Where dirty tricks are in order, sly jokes always do nicely.

Always plan for the unexpected by being cautious with what is expected.

Old men know enough about wasted youth, they’ve had enough of that to last a lifetime.

In waiting for your ship to come along there are always a few more you can miss in the meantime.

Puppets never really suspect that they are puppets until their strings are cut.

The one caught taking notes always figures everything out last.

Drivel may be in order, but you don’t have to do it for yourself.

If you know that “this way lies madness,” you don’t want to travel on the path that leads to its door.

Failure is this: a consistent lack of desire to do whatever is needed to succeed.

The most dangerous option is to attempt to jump a gaping-chasm in a single bound. It would probably be better for everyone involved just to walk around the problem.

Being less ignorant than most suggests you needed more ignorant friends to learn from.

Being able to fit in suggests you can always be put out to grass.

Secrets are juicy when kept, but keeping them fresh is difficult.

If you know how ignorant you are you don’t need anyone else to tell you so.

If you’re looking for peace, keep away from the crowd.

Nothing stings more deeply than the loss of credibility in a credibility gap.

Don’t go off the boil when a slow simmer saves the day.

Don’t blow hot and cold in the same breath, others do that better than you.

Show some respect only when it’s due, and when it comes due, expect it back.

Open your mouth to speak wisely only when you have something intelligent to say.

Getting what you want isn’t just anything, it’s everything.

For winners winning isn’t compulsory, it’s mandatory.

If you need a helping hand, help yourself to the one that suits you.

Lying isn’t so good, but it doesn’t have to be so bad.

Knowing it all is the result of a failure to communicate your own ignorance to yourself.

Don’t worry if you don’t know enough yet, ignorance only lasts so long, and then you die.

Earning your rewards can sometime be bypassed, but the results stick for life.

Laziness is just another excuse for not doing what you want to do.

No one should be allowed to get away with anything, but that should never stop him from trying.

What no one ever tells you is that you have a personal hygiene problem for nothing.

Strange beasts should always be avoided, lest you become one in your turn.

Outrageous laughter should always be reflected back at its sauciest source.

Ignorance isn’t permanent, but stupidity is.

The best advice is for you to tell in confidence, and for others to believe aren’t lies.

Only someone with real backbone can take defeat and then come back for more of the same thing.