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Human history is not the product of the wise direction of human reason, but is shaped by the forces of emotion—our dreams, our pride, our greed, our fears, and our desire for revenge.

— Lin Yutang Confucius Saw Nancy and Essays about Nothing (1936)

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More quotes by Lin Yutang

There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life.

The Importance of Living (1937)

By association with nature's enormities, a man's heart may truly grow big also.

The Importance of Living (1937)

A man who has to be punctually at a certain place at five o'clock has the whole afternoon from one to five ruined for him already.

The Importance of Living (1937)

The wise man reads both books and life itself.

The Importance of Living (1937)

Such religion as there can be in modern life, every individual will have to salvage from the churches for himself.

The Importance of Living (1937)

All Lin Yutang quotes →

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Lin Yutang (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.