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If You Do Things Merely Because You Think Some Other Fool Expects You To Do Them, And He Expects You To Do Them Because He Thinks You Expect Him To Expect You To Do Them, It Will End In Everybody Doing What Nobody Wants To Do, Which Is In My Opinion A Silly State Of Things.
-George Bernard Shaw
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If You Do Things

George Bernard Shaw
If You Do Things Merely Because You Think Some Other Fool Expects You To Do Them, And He Expects You To Do Them Because He Thinks You Expect Him To Expect You To Do Them, It Will End In Everybody Doing What Nobody Wants To Do, Which Is In My Opinion A Silly State Of Things.
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Silly
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Happy Birthday
Family
All The Sweetness Of Religion Is Conveyed To The World By The Hands Of Storytellers And Image-makers. Without Their Fictions The Truths Of Religion Would For The Multitude Be Neither Intelligible Nor Even Apprehensible; And The Prophets Would Prophesy And The Teachers Teach In Vain.
Teacher
Hands
Atheism
We Are Compelled By The Theory Of God's Already Achieved Perfection To Make Him A Devil As Well As A God, Because Of The Existenceof Evil. The God Of Love, If Omnipotent And Omniscient, Must Be The God Of Cancer And Epilepsy As Well.... Whoever Admits That Anything Living Is Evil Must Either Believe That God Is Malignantly Capable Of Creating Evil, Or Else Believe That God Has Made Many Mistakes In His Attempts To Make A Perfect Being.
God
Mistake
Cancer
I Talk Democracy To These Men And Women. I Tell Them That They Have The Vote, And That Theirs Is The Kingdom And The Power And The Glory. I Say To Them You Are Supreme: Exercise Your Power. They Say, That's Right: Tell Us What To Do; And I Tell Them. I Say Exercise Our Vote Intelligently By Voting For Me. And They Do. That's Democracy; And A Splendid Thing It Is Too For Putting The Right Men In The Right Place.
Exercise
Power
Men
This Is The True Joy In Life, The Being Used For A Purpose Recognized By Yourself As A Mighty One.
Inspirational
Life
True Joy
Whenever You Wish To Do Anything Against The Law, Cicely, Always Consult A Good Solicitor First.
Law
Wish
Firsts
Literature Is Like Any Other Trade; You Will Never Sell Anything Unless You Go To The Right Shop.
Writing
Literature
Trade
I Hate Performers Who Debase Great Works Of Art; I Long For Their Annihilation.
Art
Hate
Long
The Conversion Of Paul Was No Conversion At All; It Was Paul Who Converted The Religion That Has Raised One Man Above Sin And Death.
Men
Sin
Conversation
Do Not Do Unto Others As You Expect They Should Do Unto You. Their Tastes May Not Be The Same.
Funny
Life
Marriage
Social Questions Are Too Sectional, Too Topical, Too Temporal To Move A Man To The Mighty Effort Which Is Needed To Produce Greatpoetry. Prison Reform May Nerve Charles Reade To Produce An Effective And Businesslike Prose Melodrama; But It Could Never Produce Hamlet, Faust, Or Peer Gynt.
Moving
Men
Effort
Fine Art Is The Only Teacher Except Torture.
Teacher
Art
Fine
Morality Consists Of Suspecting Other People Of Not Being Legally Married.
Love
Funny
Marriage
Trade Unionism Is Not Socialism. It Is The Capitalism Of The Proletariat.
Socialism
Economics
Proletariat
What The World Calls Originality Is Only An Unaccustomed Method Of Tickling It.
World
Tickling
Originality
Golf Is Typical Capitalist Luncay.
Golf
Typical
Capitalist
Perhaps You Know Some Well-off Families Who Do Not Seem To Suffer From Their Riches. They Do Not Overeat Themselves; They Find Occupations To Keep Themselves In Health; They Do Not Worry About Their Position; They Put Their Money Into Safe Investments And Are Content With A Low Rate Of Interest; And They Bring Up Their Children To Live Simply And Do Useful Work. But This Means That They Do Not Live Like Rich People At All, And Might Therefore Just As Well Have Ordinary Incomes.
Children
Mean
People
My Schooling Not Only Failed To Teach Me What It Professed To Be Teaching, But Prevented Me From Being Educated To An Extent Which Infuriates Me When I Think Of All I Might Have Learned At Home By Myself.
Education
Teaching
Learning
You See Things And You Say, 'why?'. But I Dream Things And I Say, 'why Not?'.
Leadership
Dream
Famous Inspirational
During The Last Considerable Epidemic At The Turn Of The Century, I Was A Member Of The Health Committee Of London Borough Council, And I Learned How The Credit Of Vaccination Is Kept Up Statistically By Diagnosing All The Revaccinated Cases (of Smallpox) As Pustular Eczema, Varioloid Or What Not---except Smallpox.
Epidemics
Credit
Eczema
Death Is For Many Of Us The Gate Of Hell; But We Are Inside On The Way Out, Not Outside On The Way In.
Way
Hell
Happy Death
The Open Mind Never Acts: When We Have Done Our Utmost To Arrive At A Reasonable Conclusion, We Still Must Close Our Minds For The Moment With A Snap, And Act Dogmatically On Our Conclusions.
Thinking
Mind
Done
The Function Of Comedy Is To Dispelunconsciousness By Turning The Searchlight Of The Keenest Moral And Intellectual Analysisright On To It.
Intellectual
Comedy
Moral
The Function Of The Actor Is To Make The Audience Imagine For The Moment That Real Things Are Happening To Real People.
Real
People
Acting
Nowadays A Parlor Maid As Ignorant As Queen Victoria Was When She Came To The Throne Would Be Classed As Mentally Defective.
Queens
Ignorant
Would Be
Girls, Like Men, Want To Be Petted, Pitied, And Made Much Of, When They Are Diffident, In Low Spirits, Or In Unrequited Love. These Are Services Which The Weak Cannot Render To The Strong And Which The Strong Will Not Render To The Weak, Except When There Is Also A Difference Of Sex.
Girl
Strong
Sex
All Young Women Begin By Believing They Can Change And Reform The Men They Marry. They Can't.
Marriage
Believe
Men
Life Contains But Two Tragedies. One Is Not To Get Your Heart's Desire; The Other Is To Get It.
Life
Wisdom
Philosophical
If Associations To Control Burglary And Murder Were Tolerated We Should Take It For Granted That The Members Should All Be Burglers And Murderers.
Association
Murder
Granted
Our Necessities Are Few, But Our Wants Are Endless.
Desire
Want
Economics
A Great Social Reformer.
Moral
Manners
Social
Suppose The World Were Only One Of God's Jokes, Would You Work Any The Less To Make It A Good Joke Instead Of A Bad One?
Inspirational
Funny
Life
Understanding Quotes: Their Essence and Application

Quotes, or quotations, are powerful tools in communication, encapsulating ideas, emotions, and wisdom in concise expressions. They serve various purposes across different contexts, from academic writing to everyday conversation.

1. Defining Quotes

A quote is a repetition of someone else's statement or thoughts. It can be a direct replication of words spoken or written by another individual, often used to support arguments, provide evidence, or convey profound insights.


2. The Importance of Quotes

2.1. Enhancing Credibility

Incorporating quotes from authoritative sources can bolster the credibility of your work. By referencing experts or primary sources, you demonstrate thorough research and a solid foundation for your arguments.


2.2. Providing Evidence

Quotes serve as concrete evidence to support claims. In academic and professional writing, they validate points made, offering readers a basis to trust the information presented.


2.3. Conveying Emotions and Perspectives

Quotes can encapsulate emotions and perspectives succinctly. They allow writers to express complex feelings or viewpoints through the words of others, often more eloquently than paraphrasing.


3. Types of Quotes

3.1. Direct Quotes

Direct quotes involve copying the exact words from a source, enclosed in quotation marks. They are used when the original wording is significant or particularly well-expressed.


3.2. Indirect Quotes (Paraphrasing)

Indirect quotes restate the original message in your own words. While not enclosed in quotation marks, they still require proper attribution to the original source.


3.3. Block Quotes

Block quotes are lengthy direct quotations, formatted as a separate block of text. They are typically used for quotes exceeding a certain length, varying by citation style. For instance, in APA style, quotes longer than 40 words are formatted as block quotes.



4. Proper Usage of Quotes


4.1. Contextual Relevance

Ensure that the quote you choose is relevant to the topic and adds value to your content. Avoid inserting quotes solely for decorative purposes.


4.2. Integration into Your Writing

Seamlessly integrate quotes into your writing. Introduce them appropriately and follow up with analysis or commentary to connect them to your main points.


4.3. Attribution and Citation

Always attribute quotes to their original authors and provide proper citations according to the required style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).


5. Common Mistakes to Avoid


5.1. Overusing Quotes

Relying too heavily on quotes can overshadow your voice. Use them sparingly to support your arguments, not replace them.


5.2. Lack of Analysis

Presenting a quote without analysis or explanation can leave readers questioning its relevance. Always follow up with your interpretation or discussion.


5.3. Misquoting or Taking Out of Context

Ensure that quotes are accurate and not taken out of context, as this can mislead readers and undermine your credibility.



6. Quotes in Different Contexts


6.1. Academic Writing

In academic writing, quotes are used to support arguments, provide evidence, and engage with existing literature. Proper citation is crucial to avoid plagiarism.


6.2. Journalism

Journalists use quotes to provide firsthand accounts, add authenticity, and present multiple perspectives within a story.


6.3. Literature and Creative Writing

In literature, quotes can be used to convey character voices, themes, and stylistic elements. They enrich narratives and provide depth to storytelling.



7. Punctuation and Formatting


Understanding the correct punctuation and formatting of quotes is essential:


Quotation Marks: Always enclose direct quotes within quotation marks.


Punctuation Placement: In American English, periods and commas are placed inside quotation marks, while colons and semicolons are placed outside.


Block Quotes: For longer quotes, format them as block quotes without quotation marks, and indent the entire block.



8. Ethical Considerations


Ethical use of quotes involves accurate representation, proper attribution, and respect for intellectual property. Misuse can lead to plagiarism, which carries serious academic and professional consequences.

9. Tools for Managing Quotes


Utilize tools like citation generators and plagiarism checkers to manage quotes effectively. These tools help ensure proper formatting and originality in your writing.



Conclusion


Quotes are invaluable in enriching content, providing evidence, and conveying complex ideas succinctly. When used appropriately, they enhance the quality and credibility of your writing. Always ensure relevance, proper integration, and ethical usage to maximize their impact.


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