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First Law Quotes

Two very different ideas of what comes first.

Several quotes here treat mutual pardon and tolerance as the true first law of nature, framing human error as something meant to be forgiven reciprocally. For more foundational-sounding sayings, see Advertising quotes.

What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly - that is the first law of nature.

Voltaire

We are all full of weakness and errors; let us mutually pardon each other our follies - it is the first law of nature.

Voltaire

The very first law in advertising is to avoid the concrete promise and cultivate the delightfully vague.

Quotes by Stuart Chase

Self-preservation is the first law of nature.

Quotes by Samuel Butler

Advertising Quotes

It is just physics - who can argue with Newton and the first law of thermodynamics?

Quotes by Mark Hyman

The first law in advertising is to avoid the concrete promise... and cultivate the delightfully vague.

Quotes by John C. Crosby

Persecution is the first law of society because it is always easier to suppress criticism than to meet it.

Quotes by Howard Mumford Jones

The first Law of Heaven is obedience, and it should be the first law of every home. It is the foundation of an orderly home, a successful family, and the successful lives of the children. The wife is the key.

Quotes by Helen Andelin

The first law I passed in my cabinet was a law eliminating the double salary for the prime minister and the ministers. I have a salary as member of parliament. I don't want a double salary. So it was a...

Quotes by Enrico Letta

Always Quotes

It is a good thing to follow the First Law of Holes: if you are in one, stop digging.

Quotes by Denis Healey

Order and tidiness is the first law of Heaven.

Quotes by Brunello Cucinelli

I will tell you King's First Law of Recognition: You never get it when you want it, and then when it comes, you get too much.

Quotes by Billie Jean King

Our annual school physics trip was always to Blackpool Pleasure Beach, as it's such a good example of Newtonian physics. You can learn about centrifugal force and Newton's first law from the roller coasters, and the Viking long boat is...

Quotes by Ben Miller

The first law of ecology is that everything is related to everything else.

Quotes by Barry Commoner

Annual Quotes

It is conflict overall that mires people in poverty. That is the first law of development.

Quotes by Andrew Mitchell

The First Law of Journalism: to confirm existing prejudice, rather than contradict it.

Quotes by Alexander Cockburn

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 'first law' referred to in these quotes?
Two different first laws come up: nature's law of mutual pardon, and advertising's own rule about favoring vague suggestion.
Do the quotes agree on what counts as tolerance?
Yes, both nature-related quotes describe tolerance as forgiving one another's errors and follies reciprocally.
How is advertising's first law described?
It's described as avoiding a concrete promise and instead cultivating something deliberately vague to appeal to buyers.
Are the two 'first law' ideas connected?
Not directly. They're grouped together because both quote traditions use the same phrase for very different rules.
Where can I find more sayings about human error and forgiveness?
Try Always and Avoid quotes for related reflections.

A separate pair reframes the phrase entirely, naming vague suggestion over concrete promise as advertising's actual first law. Explore Always and Avoid quotes for related lines.