If a man has a genuine, sincere, hearty wish to get rid of his liberty, if he is really bent upon becoming a slave, nothing can stop him. And the temptation is to some natures a very great one. Liberty is often a heavy burden on a man. It involves that necessity for perpetual choice which is the kind of labor men have always dreaded. In common life we shirk it by forming habits, which take the place of self-determination.
(Elsie Venner, 1859)

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

All Quotations by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
View Top 10 Quotes by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (Video)

Select Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. Quotations

Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (The Professor at the Breakfast Table, 1859)

It is by little things that we know ourselves.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table, 1858)

A moment's insight is sometimes worth a life's experience.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (The Professor at the Breakfast Table, 1859)

All Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. Quotes