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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Talents are best nurtured in solitude; character is best formed in the stormy billows of the world.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Talent, Character, Solitude
One always has time enough, if one will apply it well.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Productivity, Time, Time Management
The phrases that men hear or repeat continually, end by becoming convictions and ossify the organs of intelligence.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Habit
Character, in great and little things, means carrying through what you feel able to do.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Character
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
Thinking is more interesting than knowing, but less interesting than looking.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Thoughts, Thinking, Thought
Rest not. Life is sweeping by; go and dare before you die. Something mighty and sublime, leave behind to conquer time.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Courage, Bravery
The deed is everything, the glory naught.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Action, Helping
Excellence is rarely found, more rarely valued.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Excellence
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
Nothing is more highly to be prized than the value of each day.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Correction does much, but encouragement does more. Encouragement after censure is as the sun after a shower.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Support, Correction, Hope, Encouragement, Punishment
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: Thoughts, Thought, Thinking
An unused life is an early death.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Without haste, but without rest.
—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
Not the maker of plans and promises, but rather the one who offers faithful service in small matters. This is the person who is most likely to achieve what is good and lasting.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Achievement, Success & Failure, Promises
In all things it is better to hope than to despair.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Depression, Despair, Hope
Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their pleasure takes joy, even as though it were his own.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Kindness, Happiness, Giving, Service
The man with insight enough to admit his limitations comes nearest to perfection.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Perfection, Courage, Realization, Realistic Expectations, Acceptance, Awareness
The greatest difficulties lie where we are not looking for them.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Difficulties, Difficulty, Adversity
Divide and rule, the politician cries; unite and lead, is watchword of the wise.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
When ideas fail, words come in very handy.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Ideals, Words
Life is a quarry, out of which we are to mold and chisel and complete a character.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Life
At the moment of commitment, the universe conspires to assist you.
—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: Authors & Writing, Writers
The greatest genius will never be worth much if he pretends to draw exclusively from his own resources.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Genius, Creativity
Who is the wisest man? He who neither knows or wishes for anything else than what happens.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Wisdom
Everybody wants to be somebody; nobody wants to grow.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Growth, Change
It is better to do the most trifling thing in the world than to regard half an hour as trifle.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Time Management, Value of Time
With wisdom grows doubt.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Nothing tells more about the character of a man than the things he makes fun of.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Character
In praising or loving a child, we love and praise not that which is, but that which we hope for.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Children
One must be something, in order to do something.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Character
The first and last thing required of genius is, love of the truth.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Genius
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
Whatever you do or dream you can do – begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Beginning
Treat people as they are and they will remain as they are. Treat people as they could be and they will become as they could be.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
A clever man commits no minor blunders.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The older we get the more we must limit ourselves if we wish to be active.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Topics: Age
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