Some favorite quotations from the book "Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger"

I started reading the book Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger recently. It retails for a high price. So I decided to read a pdf copy which was sent by a friend. Following are some of my favorite quotations from the book.

A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it, is committing another mistake. ~Confucius

Our life is what our thoughts make it. ~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Roman emperor and philosopher, 121-180)

I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term Natural Selection. ~Charles Darwin (British naturalist, 1809-1882)


Human beings are pulled forward toward and by nature seek pleasure, whereas they flee from and reject pain. ~Epicurus (Greek philosopher, 341-270 BC)

Our fears are always more numerous than our dangers. ~Lucius Annaeus Seneca (Roman philosopher, 4 BC-G5 AD)

We do not care about our reputation in towns where we are only passing through. But when we have to stay some time we do care. How much time does it take? A time proportionate to our vain and paltry existence. ~Blaise Pascal (French mathematician and philosopher, 1623-1662)

Men's natures are alike; it is their habits that carry them for apart. ~Confucius

There must certainly be a vast fond of stupidity in human nature, else men would not be caught as they are, a thousand times over, by the same snare, and while they yet remember their past misfortunes, go on to court and encourage the causes to which they are owing, and which will again produce them. ~Marcus Porcius Cato (Roman statesman and writer, 234-149 BC)

I am just through with the first few pages (about 10-15% of the book). I will add on the quotations as and when I get time.