You can only predict things after they’ve happened.
—Eugene Ionesco (1909–94) Romanian-born French Dramatist
When there is no vision, a people perish.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
The moment of enlightenment is when a person’s dreams of possibilities become images of probabilities.
—Vic Braden (b.1929) American Sportsperson, Author
We all live under the same sky, but we don’t all have the same horizon.
—Konrad Adenauer (1876–1967) German Statesman
The superior person gathers his weapons together in order to provide against the unforeseen.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
Be a little careful about your library. Do you foresee what you will do with it? Very little to be sure. But the real question is, what it will do with you? You will come here and get books that will open your eyes, and your ears, and your curiosity, and turn you inside out or outside in.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
It takes little talent to see clearly what lies under one’s nose, a good deal of it to know in which direction to point that organ.
—W. H. Auden (1907–73) British-born American Poet, Dramatist
Man has lost the capacity to foresee and to forestall. He will end by destroying the earth.
—Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965) French Theologian, Musician, Philosopher, Physician
Dearth foreseen never came.
—Italian Proverb
He robs present ills of their power who has perceived their coming beforehand.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
The king-times are fast finishing. There will be bloodshed like water, and tears like mist; but the peoples will conquer in the end. I shall not live to see it, but I foresee it.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
The artist doesn’t see things as they are, but as he is.
—Unknown
A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.
—William Blake (1757–1827) English Poet, Painter, Printmaker
A genius is one who shoots at something no one else can see—and hits it.
—Unknown
May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been
The foresight to know where you are going
And the insight to know when you have gone too far.
—Irish Blessing
If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.
—Chinese Proverb
A couple of times a day I sit quietly and visualize my body fighting the AIDS virus. It’s the same as me sitting and seeing myself hit the perfect serve. I did that often when I was an athlete.
—Arthur Ashe (1943–93) American Tennis Player
Fantasies are more than substitutes for unpleasant reality; they are also dress rehearsals, plans. All acts performed in the world begin in the imagination.
—Barbara Grizzuti Harrison (1934–2002) American Journalist, Essayist, Memoirist, Travel Writer
There is nothing certain except the unforeseen.
—James Anthony Froude (1818–94) British Historian, Novelist, Biographer, Editor
We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.
—Marian Wright Edelman (b.1939) American Civil Regrets Advocate, Humanitarian, Lawyer
Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn’t mean he lacks vision.
—Stevie Wonder (b.1950) American Singer, Songwriter
Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
A feeble man can see the farms that are fenced and tilled, the houses that are built. The strong man sees the possible houses and farms. His eye makes estates as fast as the sun breeds clouds.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
In conditions of great uncertainty people tend to predict the events that they want to happen actually will happen.
—Roberta Wohlstetter (1912–2007) American Military Policy Analyst
It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
People have to talk about something just to keep their voice boxes in working order so they’ll have good voice boxes in case there’s ever anything really meaningful to say.
—Kurt Vonnegut (1922–2007) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
It is better to meet danger than to wait for it. He that is on a lee shore, and foresees a hurricane, stands out to sea and encounters a storm to avoid a shipwreck.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
The republic is a dream.
Nothing happens unless first a dream.
—Carl Sandburg (1878–1967) American Biographer, Novelist, Socialist
You can vitally influence your life from within by auto-suggestion. The first thing each morning, and the last thing each night, suggest to yourself specific ideas that you wish to embody in your character and personality. Address such suggestions to yourself, silently or aloud, until they are deeply impressed upon your mind.
—Grenville Kleiser (1868–1935) Canadian Author
Pain and fear and hunger are effects of causes which can be foreseen and known: but sorrow is a debt which someone else makes for us.
—Freya Stark (1893–1993) British Explorer, Writer