Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841–1935) was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1902 to 1932, and as Acting Chief Justice of the United States January–February 1930. Noted for his long service, his concise and pithy opinions and his deference to the decisions of elected legislatures, he is one of the most widely cited United States Supreme Court justices in history, particularly for his “clear and present danger” opinion for a unanimous Court in the 1919 case of Schenck v. United States, and is one of the most influential American common law judges, honored during his lifetime in Great Britain as well as the United States. Holmes retired from the Court at the age of 90 years, 309 days, making him the oldest Justice in the Supreme Court’s history. He also served as an Associate Justice and as Chief Justice on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and was Weld Professor of Law at the Harvard Law School, of which he was an alumnus.
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I have always sought to guide the future— but it is very lonely sometimes trying to play God.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Topics: Future
The general rule, at least, is that while property may be regulated to a certain extent, if regulation goes too far it will be recognized as a taking.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
A new and valid idea is worth more than a regiment and fewer men can furnish the former than command the latter.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Topics: Ideas
Leisure only means a chance to do other jobs that demand attention.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Topics: Leisure
A man is usually more careful of his money than of his principles.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Topics: Integrity, Money
Certitude is not the test of certainty. We have been cocksure of many things that were not so.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Topics: Doubt, Uncertainty
This is a court of law young man, not a court of justice.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Topics: Justice
Even the wisest woman you talk to is ignorant of something you may know, but an elegant woman never forgets her elegance.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Topics: Wealth
The right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Topics: Integrity
When I wanted to understand what is happening today, I try to decide what will happen tomorrow; I look back, a page of history is worth a volume of logic.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Topics: Understanding, Reflection, History, Past
If I had a formula for bypassing trouble, I wouldn’t pass it around. Wouldn’t be doing anybody a favor. Trouble creates a capacity to handle it. I don’t say embrace trouble. That’s as bad as treating it as an enemy. But I do say, meet it as a friend, for you’ll see a lot of it and had better be on speaking terms with it.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Topics: Adversity
For me at least there came moments when faith wavered. But there is the great lesson and the great triumph: keep the fire burning until, by and by, out of the mass of sordid details there comes some result.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Topics: Perseverance, Endurance, Resolve
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