Thornton Wilder Quotes

Thornton Wilder (36)

Birth:	17th April, 1897
Death:	7th December, 1975
Nationality:	American
Profession:	Novelist, Playwriter

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Today's Anniversary - 20th May

Births

• 1951 - Michael Crapo
• 1932 - Dieter Rams
• 1952 - Dan Benishek
• 1904 - Margery Allingham
• 1965 - Ted Allen

Deaths

• 1782 - William Emerson
• 1956 - Max Beerbohm
• 1732 - Thomas Boston
• 1930 - Henry Flagler
• 2008 - Hamilton Jordan

• Either we live by accident and die by accident, or we live by plan and die by plan.

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Uncategorized

• My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it’s on your plate — that’s my philosophy.

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Now, Questions, Philosophy, Credo, Creed
• 

  We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Life

  Tags in Heart, Moments, Conscious

• Literature is the orchestration of platitudes.

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Literature
• 

  Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it-every, every minute?

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Life

  Tags in Realize, While

• A dramatist is one who believes that the pure event, an action involving human beings, is more arresting than any comment that can be made upon it.

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Event, Comment, Action, Human, Believe

• Ninety-nine per cent of the people in the world are fools and the rest of us are in great danger of contagion.

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in World, Great, Rest, People, Fool, Danger

• I know that every good and excellent thing in the world stands moment by moment on the razor-edge of danger and must be fought for.

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Stands, Excellent, Good, Every, Moment, Must, Danger

• We do not choose the day of our birth nor may we choose the day of our death, yet choice is the sovereign faculty of the mind.

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Death

  Tags in Birth, Choose, Mind

• Marriage is a bribe to make the housekeeper think she’s a householder.

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Think, Make, Marriage

• The future author is one who discovers that language, the exploration and manipulation of the resources of language, will serve him in winning through to his way.

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Winning, Exploration, Way, Language

• The more decisions that you are forced to make alone, the more you are aware of your freedom to choose.

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Decisions

  Tags in Forced, More, Freedom, Choose

• Man is not an end but a beginning. We are at the beginning of the second week. We are children of the eighth day.

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Children

  Tags in Week, Beginning, Man

• For what human ill does not dawn seem to be an alleviation?

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Seem, Human

• The best thing about animals is that they don’t talk much.

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Talk, Thing

• Providence has nothing good or high in store for one who does not resolutely aim at something high or good. A purpose is the eternal condition of success.

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Success

  Tags in Condition, Good, Providence, Purpose, Something

• When God loves a creature he wants the creature to know the highest happiness and the deepest misery He wants him to know all that being alive can bring. That is his best gift. There is no happiness save in understanding the whole.

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in God

  Tags in Misery, Want, Understanding, Bring

• Many who have spent a lifetime in it can tell us less of love than the child that lost a dog yesterday.

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Love

  Tags in Lifetime, Yesterday, Tell

• When you’re safe at home you wish you were having an adventure; when you’re having an adventure you wish you were safe at home

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Safety, Hom, Adventure, Wishes

• Those who are silent, self-effacing and attentive become the recipients of confidences.

  Thornton Wilder

  Topics in Confidence

  Tags in Silent