Wit & Wisdom
From Samuel Butler, Truman Capote, Leszek Kolakowski, Chris Rock, Baltasar Gracián, Mark Twain, Carl Jung
“All of the animals except man know that the principal business of life is to enjoy it.”
Samuel Butler, quoted in Forbes.com
“Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Truman Capote, quoted in The Sacramento Bee
“A modern philosopher who has never once suspected himself of being a charlatan must be such a shallow mind that his work is probably not worth reading.”
Philosopher Leszek Kolakowski, quoted in the London Daily Telegraph
“You can either be married and bored or single and lonely.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Chris Rock, quoted in the McAllen, Texas, Monitor
“Good things, when short, are twice as good.”
Writer Baltasar Gracián, quoted in The San Diego Union-Tribune
“There is no sadder sight than a young pessimist.”
Mark Twain, quoted in the Tallahassee Democrat
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”
Carl Jung, quoted in the Memphis Commercial Appeal
-
Doom: The Dark Ages – an 'exhilarating' prequel
The Week Recommends Legendary shooter adds new combat options from timed parries to melee attacks and a 'particularly satisfying' shield charge
-
7 US cities to explore on a microtrip
The Week Recommends Not enough vacation days? No problem.
-
Crossword: May 14, 2025
The Week's daily crossword