Consider your breed; you were not made to live like beasts, but to follow virtue and knowledge.
—Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) Italian Poet, Philosopher
If you want a quality, act as if you already had it. Try the “as if” technique.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
Man is more interesting than men. God made him and not them in his image. Each one is more precious than all.
—Andre Gide (1869–1951) French Novelist
Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he just picks himself up and stumbles on.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
How is it possible that a being with such sensitive jewels as the eyes, such enchanted musical instruments as the ears, and such fabulous arabesque of nerves as the brain can experience itself anything less than a god.
—Alan Watts (1915–73) British-American Philosopher, Author
The secret of a person’s nature lies in their religion and what they really believes about the world and their place in it.
—James Anthony Froude (1818–94) British Historian, Novelist, Biographer, Editor
It is no use trying to sum people up. One must follow hints, not exactly what is said, nor yet entirely what is done.
—Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) English Novelist
We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims.
—Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983) American Inventor, Philosopher
That man is the noblest creature may also be inferred from the fact that no other creature has yet contested this claim.
—Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–99) German Philosopher, Physicist
If we consider the superiority of the human species, the size of its brain, its powers of thinking, language and organization, we can say this: were there the slightest possibility that another rival or superior species might appear, on earth or elsewhere, man would use every means at his disposal to destroy it.
—Jean Baudrillard (1929–2007) French Sociologist, Philosopher
God gives the nuts, but he does not crack them.
—German Proverb
We’re all of us guinea pigs in the laboratory of God. Humanity is just a work in progress.
—Tennessee Williams (1911–83) American Playwright
The world of men is dreaming, it has gone mad in its sleep, and a snake is strangling it, but it can’t wake up.
—D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930) English Novelist, Playwright, Poet, Essayist, Literary Critic
Always observe how ephemeral and worthless human things are. Pass then through this little space of time conformably to nature, and end thy journey in content, just as an olive falls off when it is ripe, blessing nature who produced it, and thanking the tree on which it grew.
—Marcus Aurelius (121–180) Emperor of Rome, Stoic Philosopher
Action is the last resource of those who know not how to dream.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Man is God’s highest present development. He is the latest thing in God.
—Samuel Butler
One of the oldest human needs is having someone to wonder where you are when you don’t come home at night.
—Margaret Mead (1901–78) American Anthropologist, Social Psychologist
When you see a rattlesnake poised to strike you, do not wait until he has struck before you crush him.
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) American Head of State, Lawyer
It’s no good agreeing with a person who can’t make up his mind.
—Unknown
What constitutes a real, live human being is more of a mystery than ever these days, and men—each one of whom is a valuable, unique experiment on the part of nature—are shot down wholesale.
—Hermann Hesse (1877–1962) German-born Swiss Novelist, Poet
The search for the perfect venture can turn into procrastination. Your idea may or may not have merit. The key is to get started.
—Indian Proverb
Man’s only true happiness is to live in hope of something to be won by him. Reverence something to be worshipped by him, and love something to be cherished by him, forever.
—John Ruskin (1819–1900) English Writer, Art Critic
Man is the only animal of which I am thoroughly and cravenly afraid.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
Footprints on the sands of time are not made by sitting down.
—Common Proverb
What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god: the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals!—and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delighteth not me…
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
To talk goodness is not good… only to do it is.
—Chinese Proverb
As the archeology of our thought easily shows, man is an invention of recent date. And one perhaps nearing its end.
—Michel Foucault (1926–84) French Philosopher, Critic, Historian
What holds the world together, as I have learned from bitter experience, is sexual intercourse.
—Henry Miller (1891–1980) American Novelist
Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he does not count his joys. If he counted them up as he ought to, he would see that every lot has enough happiness provided for it.
—Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821–81) Russian Novelist, Essayist, Writer
The race of man, while sheep in credulity, are wolves for conformity.
—Carl Clinton Van Doren (1885–1950) American Critic, Historian