Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Hume may be a philosopher from the 1700s but that doesn't mean he's forgotten. Desmond David Hume in Lost is named after him and an episode of The O.C. included lengthy conversations about several poets and philosophers—including Hume. (Source.)
Hume was known for being one of the most pleasant, even-tempered, honorable guys you could ever meet—so much so that people in France dubbed him le bon David (that's "the good David" to you and me). As far as morals go, Hume was a dude who was known for practicing what he preached. (Source.)
Hume's folks were keen on their son pursuing a career in law, thinking that his studiousness, diligence, and clean-living lifestyle would make him an ideal fit. Seems like a great match on paper, but Hume wasn't so keen: when he was 22, he wrote that "The law, which was the business I designed to follow, appeared nauseous to me." He had no regrets in later life either, recalling that he'd only ever been devoted to "philosophy and general learning." So, it was all good in the end. (Source.)
As the story goes, Hume (who was on the chubby side) once got stuck in some mud and needed to be helped out. Upon finding the philosopher in this sticky situation, an old lady offered her help. However, knowing that Hume was an atheist, she had one condition—she'd only help him if he recited the Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Prayer. We doubt that Hume had ever imagined finding himself in this position but, hey, it makes for a good anecdote. (Source.)
Fellow philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a controversial guy who, having caused uproar in France, asked for Hume's help in fleeing to England. Ignoring warnings about Rousseau being unpredictable and bad-tempered, Hume agreed to help. You'd expect Rousseau to be grateful, but nope: once in England, he accused Hume of plotting against him. (Source.)