He is of the earth, but his thoughts are with the stars. Mean and petty
his wants and his desires; yet they serve a soul exalted with grand,
glorious aims,--with immortal longings,--with thoughts which sweep the
heavens, and wander through eternity. A pigmy standing on the outward
crest of this small planet, his far-reaching spirit stretches outward to
the infinite, and there alone finds rest.--_Carlyle._
Alas! what does man here below? A little noise in much
obscurity.--_Victor Hugo._
What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason! how infinite in
faculty! in form and movement, how express and admirable! in action, how
like an angel! in apprehension, how like a god! the beauty of the world!
the paragon of animals!--_Shakespeare._
Every man is a divinity in disguise, a god playing the fool. It seems as
if heaven had sent its insane angels into our world as to an asylum. And
here they will break out into their native music, and utter at intervals
the words they have heard in heaven; then the mad fit returns, and they
mope and wallow like dogs!--_Emerson._
In my youth I thought of writing a satire on mankind; but now in my age
I think I should write an apology for them.--_Walpole._
Man is a reasoning rather than a reasonable animal.--_Alexander
Hamilton._
I considered how little man is, yet, in his own mind, how great! He is
lord and master of all things, yet scarce can command anything. He is
given a freedom of his will; but wherefore? Was it but to torment and
perplex him the more? How little avails this freedom, if the objects he
is to act upon be not as much disposed to obey as he is to
command!--_Burke._