It all depends on how we look at things, and not on how things are in themselves. The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it.
—Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) Swiss Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Philosopher
When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it’s longer than any hour. That’s relativity.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
The violence we do to ourselves in order to remain faithful to the one we love is hardly better than an act of infidelity.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
The rich would have to eat money if the poor did not provide food.
—Russian Proverb
Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world.
—Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) German Philosopher
The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to treat everything as if it were a nail.
—Abraham Maslow (1908–70) American Psychologist, Academic, Humanist
It is seldom indeed that one parts on good terms, because if one were on good terms one would not part.
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922) French Novelist
If we escape punishment for our vices, why should we complain if we are not rewarded for our virtues?
—John Churton Collins (1848–1908) English Literary Critic
There’s only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it.
—Common Proverb
Some men see things as they are and say, “Why?” I dream things that never were, and say, “Why not?”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
What we see depends mainly on what we look for.
—John Lubbock (1834–1913) English Politician, Biologist
Try not to become a man of success, but rather to become a man of value. He is considered successful in our day who gets more out of life than he puts in. But a man of value will give more than he receives.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes, in seeing the universe with the eyes of another, of hundreds of others, in seeing the hundreds of universes that each of them sees.
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922) French Novelist
Set out from any point. They are all alike. They all lead to a point of departure.
—Antonio Porchia (1885–1968) Italian Poet
There is an art, or rather a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.
—Douglas Adams (1952-2001) English Novelist, Scriptwriter
A real patriot is the fellow who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the system works.
—Burton Hillis (William E. Vaughan) (1915–77) American Columnist, Author
Addictions do come in handy sometimes: at least you have to get out of bed for them.
—Martin Amis (b.1949) British Novelist, Journalist
Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn’t mean he lacks vision.
—Stevie Wonder (b.1950) American Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Activist
Flowers often grow more beautifully on dung-hills than in gardens that look beautifully kept.
—Francis de Sales (1567–1622) French Catholic Saint
Humor is perhaps a sense of intellectual perspective: an awareness that some things are really important, others not; and that the two kinds are most oddly jumbled in everyday affairs.
—Christopher Morley (1890–1957) American Novelist, Essayist
Innocence most often is a good fortune and not a virtue.
—Anatole France (1844–1924) French Novelist
To render ourselves insensible to pain we must forfeit also the possibilities of happiness.
—John Lubbock (1834–1913) English Politician, Biologist
I went to a cafe that advertised breakfast anytime, so I ordered French Toast during the Rennaisance.
—Steven Wright (b.1955) American Comedian, Actor, Writer
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my eyes and all is born again.
—Sylvia Plath (1932–63) American Poet, Novelist
It isn’t the things that happen to us in our lives that cause us to suffer, it’s how we relate to the things that happen to us that causes us to suffer.
—Pema Chodron (b.1936) American Buddhist Nun
The enemy is anybody who’s going to get you killed, no matter which side he’s on.
—Joseph Heller (1923–99) American Novelist
No object is mysterious. The mystery is your eye.
—Elizabeth Bowen (1899–1973) Irish Novelist, Short-story Writer
Presence is more than just being there.
—Malcolm S. Forbes (1919–1990) American Publisher, Businessperson
The torment of precautions often exceeds the dangers to be avoided. It is sometimes better to abandon one’s self to destiny.
—Napoleon I (1769–1821) Emperor of France
It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out; it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.
—Robert W. Service (1874–1958) Scottish Poet, Author
Never is a long, long word, but it’s less frustrating than “God knows when”.
—Mignon McLaughlin (1913–83) American Journalist, Author
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
—Common Proverb
A little perspective, like a little humor, goes a long way.
—Allen Klein (1931–2009) American Businessperson
It isn’t that they can’t see the solution. It is that they can’t see the problem.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.
—James Bryant Conant (1893–1978) American Chemist, Educator
If all the year were playing holidays, to sport would be as tedious as to work: but when they seldom come, they wished for come, and nothing pleaseth but rare accidents.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Everybody’s talking about people breaking into houses but there are more people in the world who want to break out of houses.
—Thornton Wilder (1897–1975) American Novelist, Playwright
“Only fools have no doubts;” “Are you sure?”; “I have no doubts!”
—Luciano De Crescenzo (b.1928) Italian Writer, Film Actor, Director, Engineer
We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.
—Anais Nin (1903–77) French-American Essayist
When those waiters ask me if I want some fresh ground pepper, I ask if they have any aged pepper.
—Andy Rooney (b.1919) American Writer, Humorist, TV Personality
No man but feels more of a man in the world if he have but a bit of ground that he can call his own. However small it is on the surface, it is four thousand miles deep; and that is a very handsome property.
—Charles Dudley Warner (1829–1900) American Essayist, Novelist
If I had been around when Rubens was painting, I would have been revered as a fabulous model. Kate Moss? Well, she would have been the paintbrush.
—Dawn French (b.1957) Welsh Comedienne, Actress, Writer
The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
An evil soul producing holy witness
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,
A goodly apple rotten at the heart.
O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
A full heart has room for everything and an empty heart has room for nothing.
—Antonio Porchia (1885–1968) Italian Poet
If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.
—Carl Sagan (1934–96) American Astronomer
The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d druther not.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
I am not an Athenian or a Greek, I am a citizen of the world.
—Socrates (469BCE–399BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Not everything that is more difficult is more meritorious.
—Thomas Aquinas (1225–74) Italian Catholic Priest, Philosopher, Theologian
When I hear somebody sigh that “Life is hard,” I am always tempted to ask, “Compared to what?”
—Sydney J. Harris (1917–86) American Essayist, Drama Critic
The faster you go, the more chance there is of stubbing your toe, but the more chance you have of getting somewhere.
—Charles F. Kettering (1876–1958) American Inventor, Entrepreneur, Businessperson
No one knows what they’ll do in a moment of crisis and hypothetical questions get hypothetical answers.
—Joan Baez (b.1941) American Singer, Songwriter, Musician
Who dares nothing, need hope for nothing.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
The moment one gives a close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world unto itself.
—Henry Miller (1891–1980) American Novelist