Nobody should trust their virtue with necessity, the force of which is never known till it is felt, and it is therefore one of the first duties to avoid the temptation of it.
—Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689–1762) English Aristocrat, Poet, Novelist, Writer
Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
Foul water will quench fire.
—English Proverb
Where necessity ends, curiosity begins; and no sooner are we supplied with everything that nature can demand, than we sit down to contrive artificial appetites.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Necessity is often the spur to genius.
—Honore de Balzac (1799–1850) French Novelist
Vice came in always at the door of necessity, not at the door of inclination.
—Daniel Defoe (1659–1731) English Writer, Journalist, Pamphleteer
Freedom is the recognition of necessity.
—Friedrich Engels (1820–95) German Socialist Political Philosopher
Necessity, that great refuge and excuse for human frailty, breaks through all law; and he is not to be accounted in fault whose crime is not the effect of choice, but force.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
The superfluous is very necessary.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
The necessities were going by default to save the luxuries until I hardly knew which were necessities and which luxuries.
—Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959) American Architect
Necessity, the mother of invention.
—William Wycherley (c.1640–1716) English Dramatist
Fact I know; and Law I know; but what is this Necessity, save an empty shadow of my own mind’s throwing?
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95) English Biologist
If people should ever start to do only what is necessary millions would die of hunger.
—Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–99) German Philosopher, Physicist
We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
And with necessity, the tyrant’s plea, excused his devilish deeds.
—John Milton (1608–74) English Poet, Civil Servant, Scholar, Debater
Necessity has no law.
—Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658) British Head of State, Military Leader
Necessity is blind until it becomes conscious. Freedom is the consciousness of necessity.
—Karl Marx (1818–1883) German Philosopher, Economist
Nothing has more strength than dire necessity.
—Euripides (480–406 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
Necessity teaches all things.
—German Proverb
Fear is the underminer of all determinations; and necessity, the victorious rebel of all laws.
—Philip Sidney (1554–86) English Soldier Poet, Courtier
We come into the world laden with the weight of an infinite necessity.
—Albert Camus (1913–60) Algerian-born French Philosopher, Dramatist, Novelist
Everything existing in the universe is the fruit of chance and necessity.
—Democritus (c.460–c.370 BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Necessity of action takes away the fear of the act, and makes bold resolution the favorite of fortune.
—Francis Quarles (1592–1644) English Religious Poet
It is observed in the golden verses of Pythagoras, that power is never far from necessity. The vigor of the human mind quickly appears when there is no longer any place for doubt and hesitation, when diffidence is absorbed in the sense of danger, or overwhelmed by some resistless passion.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
An extravagance is something that your spirit thinks is a necessity.
—Bert Williams (1876–1922) American Entertainer, Actor
Teach thy necessity to reason thus;
There is no virtue like necessity.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
We do what we must, and call it by the best names.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
The best teacher one can have is necessity.
—Francois de La Noue (1531–91) French Huguenot Captain
Invention is the mother of necessity.
—Thorstein Veblen (1857–1929) American Economist, Social Critic
Our necessities never equal our wants.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Leave a Reply