Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) was the greatest icon in the German literary and cultural pantheon. This master of world literature was a polymath: not only was he a poet, novelist, playwright, historian, and natural philosopher, but he also held several government positions at Weimar and made scientific discoveries.
Goethe gained early fame with his first novel Die Leiden des jungen Werthers (1774; The Sorrows of Young Werther.) Written as a collection of letters by the protagonist, this sentimental epistolary novel tells the story of a young man who falls in love with a woman engaged to another man.
Goethe also wrote hundreds of essays, many volumes of lyric poetry, and an in-depth dissertation on the physics of light and color contrasting his theories against Newton’s.
Goethe is most famous for his magnum opus Faust, published as Faust, Part One (1808) and Faust, Part Two (1832.) Goethe started writing Faust at age 23 and finished it a few months before his death six decades later. This two-part poetic drama is based on a classic German legend, which in turn is based on an actual magician who lived in northern Germany in the fifteenth century.
Goethe’s Faust tells the story of a brilliant scholar named Heinrich Faust, who is very successful yet unhappy in life. He forsakes God, makes a dangerous deal with the Devil, and exchanges his soul for unlimited power, knowledge, and worldly pleasures. Celebrated for its themes of damnation, witchcraft, sexual betrayal, and freeform philosophic contemplation, Faust is considered one of the greatest works of German literature.
Appreciation for Goethe and his works throughout Europe and America added much to the dissemination of German culture worldwide, with significant effects on scholarship, education, and philosophy, as well as literature throughout the 19th century.
In addition to his literary work, Goethe was also a geologist, botanist, anatomist, physicist, and science historian. His most notable scientific contributions include his theory of plant metamorphosis and his theory of colors.
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Life teaches us to be less severe with ourselves and others.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Freedom consists not in refusing to recognize anything above us, but in respecting something which is above us; for by respecting it, we raise ourselves to it, and, by our very acknowledgment, prove that we bear within ourselves what is higher, and are worthy to be on a level with it.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Freedom
One need only grow old to become gentler in one’s judgments. I see no fault committed which I could not have committed myself.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Tolerance, Age
Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Thinking, Action
What sort of God would it be, who only pushed from without.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Enjoy what you can, endure what you must.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Every man hears only what he understands.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Understanding
Excellence is rarely found, more rarely valued.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Excellence
One always has time enough, if one will apply it well.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Productivity, Time, Time Management
Habit is a man’s sole comfort. We dislike doing without even unpleasant things to which we have become accustomed.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
People should talk less and draw more. Personally, I would like to renounce speech altogether and, like organic nature, communicate everything I have to say visually.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Listening
Men show their character in nothing more clearly than by what they think laughable.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
If any man wishes to write a clear style, let him first be clear in his thoughts.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Writers, Authors & Writing
How shall we learn to know ourselves? By reflection? Never; but only through action. Strive to do thy duty; then you shall know what is in thee.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Action
The greatest difficulties lie where we are not looking for them.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Adversity, Difficulty, Difficulties
All truly wise thoughts have been thought already thousands of times; but to make them truly ours, we must think them over again honestly, till they take root in our personal experience.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Thought, Thinking, Thoughts
People are so constituted that everybody would rather undertake what they see others do, whether they have an aptitude for it or not.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Ability
Continue to make the demands of the day your immediate concern, and take occasion to test the purity of your hearts and the steadfastness of your spirits. When you then take a deep breath and rise above the cares of this world and in an hour of leisure, you will surely win the proper frame of mind to face devoutly what is above us, with reverence, seeing in all events the manifestation of a higher guidance.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Attitude
Man… knows only when he is satisfied and when he suffers, and only his sufferings and his satisfactions instruct him concerning himself, teach him what to seek and what to avoid. For the rest, man is a confused creature; he knows not whence he comes or whither he goes, he knows little of the world, and above all, he knows little of himself.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Humanity
Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Kindness, Service, Compassion
He who moves not forward goes backward.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Goals
As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Assurance, Confidence, Realization, Self-trust, Trust, Acceptance, Awareness
There is nothing more frightful than imagination without taste.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Imagination
The ideal of beauty is simplicity and tranquility.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
There is no past that we can bring back by longing for it. There is only an eternally new now that builds and creates itself out of the Best as the past withdraws.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: The Past, Past, Time
Give me the benefit of your convictions, if you have any, but keep your doubts to yourself, for I have enough of my own.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Doubt
The person born with a talent they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in using it.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Ability
Instruction does much, but encouragement does everything.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Punishment, Motivation, Correction, Encouragement
All theory dear friend is gray but the precious Tree of Life is green.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Thinking is more interesting than knowing, but less interesting than looking.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Thoughts, Thought, Thinking
If I love you, what business is it of yours?
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Love, Business
A clever man commits no minor blunders.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
An unused life is an early death.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Plunge boldly into the thick of life, and seize it where you will, it is always interesting.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Nature, Life
Character, in great and little things, means carrying through what you feel able to do.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Character
Without haste, but without rest.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Whenever I hear people talking about liberal ideas, I am always astounded that men should love to fool themselves with empty sounds. An idea should never be liberal; it must be vigorous, positive, and without loose ends so that it may fulfill its divine mission and be productive. The proper place for liberality is in the realm of the emotions.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Ideas, Giving
Who is the wisest man? He who neither knows or wishes for anything else than what happens.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Wisdom
Tell me what you’re laughing at and I shall tell you who you are.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
A collections of anecdotes and maxims is the greatest of treasures for the man of the world, for he knows how to intersperse conversation with the former in fit places, and to recollect the latter on proper occasions.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Proverbs
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