A biography for Georg C. Lichtenberghasn’t been written yet.
“Everyone is a genius at least once a year. The real geniuses simply have their bright ideas closer together.”
“There exists a species of transcendental ventriloquism by means of which men can be made to believe that something said on earth comes from Heaven.”
“There are very many people who read simply to prevent themselves from thinking.”
“Prejudices are so to speak the mechanical instincts of men: through their prejudices they do without any effort many things they would find too difficult to think through to the point of resolving to do them.”
“The human tendency to regard little things as important has produced very many great things.”
“The pleasures of the imagination are as it were only drawings and models which are played with by poor people who cannot afford the real thing.”
“The most dangerous untruths are truths slightly distorted.”
“We have no words for speaking of wisdom to the stupid. He who understands the wise is wise already.”
“The fly that doesn't want to be swatted is most secure when it lights on the fly-swatter.”
“Every man has his moral backside which he refrains from showing unless he has to and keeps covered as long as possible with the trousers of decorum.”
“One must judge men not by their opinions, but by what their opinions have made of them.”
“The most perfect ape cannot draw an ape; only man can do that; but, likewise, only man regards the ability to do this as a sign of superiority.”
“If the little bit you have is nothing special in itself, at least find a way of saying it that is a little bit special.”
“If people should ever start to do only what is necessary millions would die of hunger.”
“To err is human also in so far as animals seldom or never err, or at least only the cleverest of them do so.”