Quote #55

Man can acquire accomplishments or he can become an animal, whichever he wants. God makes the animals, man makes himself.

More from Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

  1. We say that someone occupies an official position, whereas it is the official position that occupies him.
  2. Doubt must be no more than vigilance, otherwise it can become dangerous.
  3. The Greeks possessed a knowledge of human nature we seem hardly able to attain to without passing through the strengthening hibernation of …
  4. I am convinced we do not only love ourselves in others but hate ourselves in others too.
  5. If you are going to build something in the air it is always better to build castles than houses of cards.
  6. 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 …
  7. If countries were named after the words you first hear when you go there, England would have to be called Damn It.
  8. Ideas too are a life and a world.

All Georg Christoph Lichtenberg quotes