The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much.

Joseph Conrad · Heart of Darkness (1902), pt. I

All ambitions are lawful except those which climb upwards on the miseries or credulities of mankind.

Joseph Conrad

There is a weird power in a spoken word.

Joseph Conrad · The source reads: “There is a weird power in a spoken word.… And a word carries far—very far—deals destruction through time as the bullets go flying through space.” · Lord Jim (1900), ch. 15

It's only those who do nothing that make no mistakes.

Joseph Conrad · The source reads: “It's only those who do nothing that make no mistakes, I suppose.”

More Historical Quotes

Caesar or nothing.

Cesare Borgia · The source reads: “Aut Caesar, aut nihil. Caesar or nothing.”

Fortune favors the brave.

Virgil · From the Aeneid: audentes fortuna iuvat.

As all our habits in the past have been to live in a peaceable manner, we have entered all our wars unprepared or ill-prepared.

Winston Churchill · House of Commons, 31 March 1947

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“The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much.”

“All ambitions are lawful except those which climb upwards on the miseries or credulities of mankind.”

“There is a weird power in a spoken word.”

“It's only those who do nothing that make no mistakes.”

“Caesar or nothing.”

“Fortune favors the brave.”

“As all our habits in the past have been to live in a peaceable manner, we have entered all our wars unprepared or ill-prepared.”