Georg Christoph Lichtenberg Quotes

Even the gentlest, most modest and best of girls are always better, gentler and more modest if their mirrors have told them they are looking more beautiful than ever. - View Quote Details on Even the gentlest, most modest and best of girls are…
Here take back the stuff that I am, nature, knead it back into the dough of being, make of me a bush, a cloud, whatever you will, even a man, only no longer make me me. - View Quote Details on Here take back the stuff that I am, nature, knead…
If it were true what in the end would be gained? Nothing but another truth. Is this such a mighty advantage? We have enough old truths still to digest, and even these we would be quite unable to endure if we did not sometimes flavor them with lies. - View Quote Details on If it were true what in the end would be…
I cannot say whether things will get better if we change; what I can say is they must change if they are to get better. - View Quote Details on I cannot say whether things will get better if we…
First there is a time when we believe everything, then for a little while we believe with discrimination, then we believe nothing whatever, and then we believe everything again — and, moreover, give reasons why we believe. - View Quote Details on First there is a time when we believe everything, then…
Food probably has a very great influence on the condition of men. Wine exercises a more visible influence, food does it more slowly but perhaps just as surely. Who knows if a well-prepared soup was not responsible for the pneumatic pump or a poor one for a war? - View Quote Details on Food probably has a very great influence on the condition…
Never undertake anything for which you wouldn’t have the courage to ask the blessing of heaven. - View Quote Details on Never undertake anything for which you wouldn’t have the courage…
Popularizing should always be done in such a manner that one would elevate people by it. If one stoops down, one should always take care of elevating even those people to whom one descends. - View Quote Details on Popularizing should always be done in such a manner that…
What concerns me alone I only think, what concerns my friends I tell them, what can be of interest to only a limited public I write, and what the world ought to know is printed… - View Quote Details on What concerns me alone I only think, what concerns my…
Actual aristocracy cannot be abolished by any law: all the law can do is decree how it is to be imparted and who is to acquire it. - View Quote Details on Actual aristocracy cannot be abolished by any law: all the…
There are people who possess not so much genius as a certain talent for perceiving the desires of the century, or even of the decade, before it has done so itself. - View Quote Details on There are people who possess not so much genius as…
We often have need of a profound philosophy to restore to our feelings their original state of innocence, to find our way out of the rubble of things alien to us, to begin to feel for ourselves and to speak ourselves, and I might almost say to exist ourselves. Even if my philosophy does not extend to discovering anything new, it does nevertheless possess the courage to regard as questionable what has long been thought true. - View Quote Details on We often have need of a profound philosophy to restore…
If people should ever start to do only what is necessary millions would die of hunger. - View Quote Details on If people should ever start to do only what is…
Book review: G. C. Lichtenberg: a “spy on humanity” - View Quote Details on Book review: G. C. Lichtenberg: a “spy on humanity”
Those who never have time do least. - View Quote Details on Those who never have time do least.
The most dangerous untruths are truths moderately distorted. - View Quote Details on The most dangerous untruths are truths moderately distorted.
God created man in His own image, says the Bible; philosophers reverse the process: they create God in theirs. - View Quote Details on God created man in His own image, says the Bible;…
Man is to be found in reason, God in the passions. - View Quote Details on Man is to be found in reason, God in the…
Nothing makes one old so quickly as the ever-present thought that one is growing older. - View Quote Details on Nothing makes one old so quickly as the ever-present thought…
Good taste is either that which agrees with my taste or that which subjects itself to the rule of reason. From this we can see how useful it is to employ reason in seeking out the laws of taste. - View Quote Details on Good taste is either that which agrees with my taste…
One might call habit a moral friction: something that prevents the mind from gliding over things but connects it with them and makes it hard for it to free itself from them. - View Quote Details on One might call habit a moral friction: something that prevents…
Man is always partial and is quite right to be. Even impartiality is partial. - View Quote Details on Man is always partial and is quite right to be…
Delight at having understood a very abstract and obscure system leads most people to believe in the truth of what it demonstrates. - View Quote Details on Delight at having understood a very abstract and obscure system…
One’s first step in wisdom is to question everything — and one’s last is to come to terms with everything. - View Quote Details on One’s first step in wisdom is to question everything —…
Nothing can contribute more to peace of soul than the lack of any opinion whatever. - View Quote Details on Nothing can contribute more to peace of soul than the…
It is in the gift for employing all the vicissitudes of life to one’s own advantage and to that of one’s craft that a large part of genius consists. - View Quote Details on It is in the gift for employing all the vicissitudes…
I have remarked very clearly that I am often of one opinion when I am lying down and of another when I am standing up. - View Quote Details on I have remarked very clearly that I am often of…
Brief biography - View Quote Details on Brief biography
If another Messiah was born he could hardly do so much good as the printing-press. - View Quote Details on If another Messiah was born he could hardly do so…
So-called professional mathematicians have, in their reliance on the relative incapacity of the rest of mankind, acquired for themselves a reputation for profundity very similar to the reputation for sanctity possessed by theologians. - View Quote Details on So-called professional mathematicians have, in their reliance on the relative…
One of the main conveniences of marriage is that if you can’t stand a visitor, you can pass him along to your wife. - View Quote Details on One of the main conveniences of marriage is that if…
Concerning the body, there are at least as many, if not more, imaginary sick as really sick people. Concerning the mind, there are as many, if not more, imaginary sane people as really sane ones. - View Quote Details on Concerning the body, there are at least as many, if…
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg : Experimental Physics from the Spirit of Aphorism (PDF) - View Quote Details on Georg Christoph Lichtenberg : Experimental Physics from the Spirit of Aphorism…
Everyone is a genius at least once a year. The real geniuses simply have their bright ideas closer together. - View Quote Details on Everyone is a genius at least once a year. The…
Men still have to be governed by deception. - View Quote Details on Men still have to be governed by deception.
The intercourse with reasonable people is advisable to everybody because, in this way, a blockhead can become wise by imitation, for the greatest blockheads can imitate, even apes and elephants can do it. - View Quote Details on The intercourse with reasonable people is advisable to everybody because,…
My inquiries into physics could perhaps be given the title: legacies. For people do also bequeath trifles, after all. - View Quote Details on My inquiries into physics could perhaps be given the title:…
The noble simplicity in the works of nature only too often originates in the noble shortsightedness of him who observes it. - View Quote Details on The noble simplicity in the works of nature only too…
Much can be inferred about a man from his mistress: in her one beholds his weaknesses and his dreams. - View Quote Details on Much can be inferred about a man from his mistress:…
Man is a masterpiece of creation if for no other reason than that, all the weight of evidence for determinism notwithstanding, he believes he has free will. - View Quote Details on Man is a masterpiece of creation if for no other…
There are people who believe everything is sane and sensible that is done with a solemn face…. It is no great art to say something briefly when, like Tacitus, one has something to say; when one has nothing to say, however, and none the less writes a whole book and makes truth… into a liar — that I call an achievement. - View Quote Details on There are people who believe everything is sane and sensible…
What I do not like about our definitions of genius is that there is in them nothing of the day of judgment, nothing of resounding through eternity and nothing of the footsteps of the Almighty. - View Quote Details on What I do not like about our definitions of genius…
It is almost impossible to bear the torch of truth through a crowd without singeing somebody’s beard. - View Quote Details on It is almost impossible to bear the torch of truth…
There are two ways of extending life: firstly by moving the two points “born” and “died” farther away from one another… The other method is to go more slowly and leave the two points wherever God wills they should be, and this method is for the philosophers. - View Quote Details on There are two ways of extending life: firstly by moving…
The late M. who had a Catholic maid, once told me entirely bona fide: This person is a Catholic, it is true, but she is an honest, good soul. Recently she committed a perjury on my behalf. - View Quote Details on The late M. who had a Catholic maid, once told…
As nations improve, so do their gods. - View Quote Details on As nations improve, so do their gods.
Lichtenberg digs deeper than anyone… He speaks from the subterranean depths. Only he who himself digs deep hears him. - View Quote Details on Lichtenberg digs deeper than anyone… He speaks from the subterranean…
Brief biography at Kirjasto (Pegasos) - View Quote Details on Brief biography at Kirjasto (Pegasos)
Just as we outgrow a pair of trousers, we outgrow acquaintances, libraries, principles, etc., at times before they’re worn out and times — and this is the worst of all — before we have new ones. - View Quote Details on Just as we outgrow a pair of trousers, we outgrow…
The human tendency to regard little things as important has produced very many great things. - View Quote Details on The human tendency to regard little things as important has…
The greatest events occur without intention playing any part in them; chance makes good mistakes and undoes the most carefully planned undertaking. The world’s greatest events are not produced, they happen. - View Quote Details on The greatest events occur without intention playing any part in…
One is rarely an impulsive innovator after the age of sixty, but one can still be a very fine orderly and inventive thinker. One rarely procreates children at that age, but one is all the more skilled at educating those who have already been procreated, and education is procreation of another kind. - View Quote Details on One is rarely an impulsive innovator after the age of…
Not only did he not believe in ghosts, he wasn’t even afraid of them. - View Quote Details on Not only did he not believe in ghosts, he wasn’t…
There is a great difference between still believing something and again believing it. - View Quote Details on There is a great difference between still believing something and…
The “second sight” possessed by the Highlanders in Scotland is actually a foreknowledge of future events. I believe they possess this gift because they don’t wear trousers… That is also why in all countries women are more prone to utter prophecies. - View Quote Details on The “second sight” possessed by the Highlanders in Scotland is…
With prophecies the commentator is often a more important man than the prophet. - View Quote Details on With prophecies the commentator is often a more important man…
With a pen in my hand I have successfully stormed bulwarks from which others armed with sword and excommunication have been repulsed. - View Quote Details on With a pen in my hand I have successfully stormed…
There were honest people long before there were Christians and there are, God be praised, still honest people where there are no Christians. It could therefore easily be possible that people are Christians because true Christianity corresponds to what they would have been even if Christianity did not exist. - View Quote Details on There were honest people long before there were Christians and…
As I take up my pen I feel myself so full, so equal to my subject, and see my book so clearly before me in embryo, I would almost like to try to say it all in a single word. - View Quote Details on As I take up my pen I feel myself so…
The expression divine service should cease to be applied to church attendance and be applied instead to good deeds. - View Quote Details on The expression divine service should cease to be applied to…
How happy would many people live if they cared about other people’s affairs as little as about their own. - View Quote Details on How happy would many people live if they cared about…
Do we write books so that they shall merely be read? Don’t we also write them for employment in the household? For one that is read from start to finish, thousands are leafed through, other thousands lie motionless, others are jammed against mouseholes, thrown at rats, others are stood on, sat on, drummed on, have gingerbread baked on them or are used to light pipes. - View Quote Details on Do we write books so that they shall merely be…
Rational free spirits are the light brigade who go on ahead and reconnoitre the ground which the heavy brigade of the orthodox will eventually occupy. - View Quote Details on Rational free spirits are the light brigade who go on…
Do not have too artificial an idea of man but judge him naturally. Don’t consider him too good or too bad. It is a golden rule that one should not judge people according to their opinions, but according to what these opinions make of them. - View Quote Details on Do not have too artificial an idea of man but…
Sickness is mankind’s greatest defect. - View Quote Details on Sickness is mankind’s greatest defect.
Perhaps in time the so-called Dark Ages will be thought of as including our own. - View Quote Details on Perhaps in time the so-called Dark Ages will be thought…
Texts at the German Projekt Gutenberg - View Quote Details on Texts at the German Projekt Gutenberg
Many things about our bodies would not seem to us so filthy and obscene if we did not have the idea of nobility in our heads. - View Quote Details on Many things about our bodies would not seem to us…
Be wary of passing the judgment: obscure. To find something obscure poses no difficulty: elephants and poodles find many things obscure. - View Quote Details on Be wary of passing the judgment: obscure. To find something…
A great speech is easy to learn by heart and a great poem even easier. How hard it would be to memorize as many words linked together senselessly, or a speech in a foreign tongue! Sense and understanding thus come to the aid of memory. Sense is order and order is in the last resort conformity with our nature. When we speak rationally we are only speaking in accordance with the nature of our being. That is why we devise genera and species in the case of plants and animals. The hypotheses we make belong here too: we are obliged to have them because otherwise we would unable to retain things… The question is, however, whether everything is legible to us. Certainly experiment and reflection enable us to introduce a significance into what is not legible, either to us or at all: thus we see faces or landscapes in the sand, though they are certainly not there. The introducion of symmetries belongs here too, silhouettes in inkblots, etc. Likewise the gradation we establish in the order of creatures: all this is not in the things but in us. In general we cannot remember too often that when we observe nature, and especially the ordering of nature, it is always ourselves alone we are observing. - View Quote Details on A great speech is easy to learn by heart and…
If it is permissible to write plays that are not intended to be seen, I should like to see who can prevent me from writing a book no one can read. - View Quote Details on If it is permissible to write plays that are not…
I am convinced we do not only love ourselves in others but hate ourselves in others too. - View Quote Details on I am convinced we do not only love ourselves in…
German Wikipedia - View Quote Details on German Wikipedia
A clever child brought up with a foolish one can itself become foolish. Man is so perfectable and corruptible he can become a fool through good sense. - View Quote Details on A clever child brought up with a foolish one can…
When a book and a head collide and a hollow sound is heard, must it always have come from the book? - View Quote Details on When a book and a head collide and a hollow…
The Greeks possessed a knowledge of human nature we seem hardly able to attain to without passing through the strengthening hibernation of a new barbarism. - View Quote Details on The Greeks possessed a knowledge of human nature we seem…
It is said that truth comes from the mouths of fools and children: I wish every good mind which feels an inclination for satire would reflect that the finest satirist always has something of both in him. - View Quote Details on It is said that truth comes from the mouths of…
Sometimes men come by the name of genius in the same way that certain insects come by the name of centipede — not because they have a hundred feet, but because most people can’t count above fourteen. - View Quote Details on Sometimes men come by the name of genius in the…
Body and soul: a horse harnessed beside an ox. - View Quote Details on Body and soul: a horse harnessed beside an ox.
Man loves company — even if it is only that of a small burning candle. - View Quote Details on Man loves company — even if it is only that…