“My country owes me nothing. It gave me, as it gives every boy and girl, a chance. It gave me schooling, independence of action, opportunity for service and honor.”
— Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover’s Expectations
The Thatcher Warning for Moderates
While many decry partisan politics and point to moderates as the ideal political philosophy, Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) thought otherwise. The former prime minister of the United Kingdom was famously known as “The […]
Dick Van Dyke’s Secret to Parenting
“I decided, when I started having kids, that I’d try not to do anything that I wouldn’t be proud for them to see. I’ve kind of stuck with that, and I don’t […]
Silent Cal on the Value of Persistence
President Calvin Coolidge was certainly gifted with talent and intelligence. Even so, he was quick to point to an even more important quality that ultimately is responsible for a person’s success. Coolidge […]
Wordiness Is a Defense Against Popularity
Sir Winston Churchill was a master of the English language and greatly appreciated the effectiveness of a carefully-edited work. He was famous for emphasizing the need for brevity in all of his […]
Finding an Aspiring Artist In Every Child
Legendary cartoonist Mort Walker is remembered as the creator of the popular comic strips Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois. In his book, Lexicon of Comicana, he reflected on the artistic potential […]
A Prophecy About Income Tax
When a federal income tax was being debated in 1910, Richard E. Byrd (1860-1925), Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, made the following prediction about what such a tax would mean. […]
Showing Respect With a Kiss and a Ring of Truth
Don Rickles owed his career to the fact that he was discovered by the legendary singer Frank Sinatra. This fact did not exempt Sinatra from being on the receiving end of the […]
The Geographic Knowledge of Britney Spears
An earlier Commonplace post noted that the music of Britney Spears is one of the most effective deterrents to Somali pirates. Lest that be construed as some kind of derogatory judgment on […]
Jefferson’s Purpose of Government
“The purpose of government is to enable the people of a nation to live in safety and happiness. Government exists for the interests of the governed, not for the governors.” — Thomas […]
Tolkien’s Advice on Minding Your Own Business
“Don’t go getting mixed up in the business of your betters, or you’ll land in trouble too big for you.” — J.R.R. Tolkien Read more great quotations. Read more fun facts about […]
The Motivation of the Wise and Foolish to Speak
“Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.” — Plato Read more fun facts about philosophers. Read more fun facts about Greece.
The Only Certain Way to Avoid Making Mistakes
“It’s only those who do nothing that make no mistakes, I suppose.” — Joseph Conrad (1857-1924), British-Polish novelist. Read more great quotes. Read more fun facts about literature.
Augustine’s Words About Those Who Do Not Travel
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” — St. Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354 – A.D. 430) Read more great quotes. Read about the […]
Mo Udall’s Political Wit
Morris “Mo” Udall (June 15, 1922 – December 12, 1998) served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1961 to 1991. He sought the Democratic nomination for President in 1976. Although he […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 