So far as we are human, what we do must be either evil or good: so far as we do evil or good, we are human: and it is better, in a paradoxical way, to do evil than to do nothing: at least we exist.
—T. S. Eliot (1888–1965) American-born British Poet, Dramatist, Literary Critic
In order to be able to set a limit to thought, we should have to find both sides of the limit thinkable (i.e. we should have to be able to think what cannot be thought).
—Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951) Austrian-born British Philosopher
Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.
—Napoleon I (1769–1821) Emperor of France
Nothing is comparable to the pleasure of an active and prevailing thought—a thought prevailing over the difficulty and obscurity of the object, and refreshing the soul with new discoveries and images of things; and thereby extending the bounds of apprehension, and as it were enlarging the territories of reason.
—Robert South (1634–1716) English Theologian, Preacher
The unconscious is the ocean of the unsayable, of what has been expelled from the land of language, removed as a result of ancient prohibitions.
—Italo Calvino (1923–85) Italian Novelist, Essayist, Journalist
The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts.
—John Locke (1632–1704) English Philosopher, Physician
Man is obviously made for thinking. Therein lies all his dignity and his merit; and his whole duty is to think as he ought.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten.
—Cesare Pavese (1908–50) Italian Novelist, Poet, Critic, Translator
Thought makes every thing fit for use.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Thoughts lead on to purpose, purpose leads onto actions, actions form habits, habits decide character, and character fixes our destiny.
—Tryon Edwards American Theologian
As you think, you travel, and as you love, you attract. You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.
—James Lane Allen (1849–1925) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
The greatest events of an age are its best thoughts. It is the nature of thought to find its way into action.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
For in itself a thought, a slumbering thought, is capable of years, and curdles a long life into one hour.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
All thought is immoral. Its very essence is destruction. If you think of anything you kill it. Nothing survives being thought of.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
How novel and original must be each new mans view of the universe – for though the world is so old – and so many books have been written – each object appears wholly undescribed to our experience – each field of thought wholly unexplored – the whole world is an America – a New World.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
It’s important to realize that inquiry is about noticing, not about dropping the thought… Inquiry is not about getting rid of thoughts; it’s about realizing what’s true for you, through awareness and unconditional self-love. Once you see the truth, the thought lets go of you, not the other way around.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
The images of the unconscious place a great responsibility upon a man. Failure to understand them, or a shirking of ethical responsibility, deprives him of his wholeness and imposes a painful fragmentariness on his life.
—Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) Swiss Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Philosopher
If I have done the public any service, it is due to my patient thought.
—Isaac Newton (1643–1727) English Physicist, Mathematician, Astronomer, Theologian
We in America have everything we need except the most important thing of all-time to think and the habit of thought.
—Norman Cousins (1915–90) American Journalist, Author, Academic, Activist
Most people can’t think, most of the remainder won’t think, the small fraction who do think mostly can’t do it very well. The extremely tiny fraction who think regularly, accurately, creatively, and without self-delusion—in the long run, these are the only people who count.
—Robert A. Heinlein (1907–88) American Science Fiction Writer
Great minds think alike.
—Common Proverb
Either you think—or else others have to think for you and take power from you, pervert and discipline your natural tastes, civilize and sterilize you.
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) American Novelist
What a peculiar privilege has this little agitation of the brain which we call ‘thought’.
—David Hume (1711–76) Scottish Philosopher, Historian
Thought is the labor of the intellect, reverie is its pleasure.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
Mark this well, ye proud men of action! ye are, after all, nothing but unconscious instruments of the men of thought.
—Heinrich Heine (1797–1856) German Poet, Writer
Tell your boss what you think of him and the truth shall set you free.
—Unknown
Thinking is another attribute of the soul; and here I discover what properly belongs to myself. This alone is inseparable from me. I am—I exist: this is certain; but how often? As often as I think; for perhaps it would even happen, if I should wholly cease to think, that I should at the same time altogether cease to be. I now admit nothing that is not necessarily true: I am therefore, precisely speaking, only a thinking thing, that is, a mind, understanding, or reason,—terms whose signification was before unknown to me. I am, however, a real thing, and really existent; but what thing? The answer was, a thinking thing. The question now arises, am I aught besides? I will stimulate my imagination with a view to discover whether I am not still something more than a thinking being. Now it is plain I am not the assemblage of members called the human body; I am not a thin and penetrating air diffused through all these members, or wind, or flame, or vapour, or breath, or any of all the things I can imagine; for I supposed that all these were not, and, without changing the supposition, I find that I still feel assured of my existence.
—Rene Descartes (1596–1650) French Mathematician, Philosopher
The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think—rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with the thoughts of other men.
—James Beattie
I have asked several men what passes in their minds when they are thinking, and I could never find any man who could think for two minutes together. Everybody has seemed to admit that it was a perpetual deviation from a particular path, and a perpetual return to it; which, imperfect as the operation is, is the only method in which we can operate with our minds to carry on any process of thought.
—Sydney Smith (1771–1845) English Clergyman, Essayist, Wit
I have discovered that in every language and every country I have visited, there are no new stories. They’re all recycled. The same stressful thoughts arise in each mind one way or another, sooner or later.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
Man’s great misfortune is that he has no organ, no kind of eyelid or brake, to mask or block a thought, or all thought, when he wants to.
—Paul Valery (1871–1945) French Critic, Poet
All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts
—James Lane Allen (1849–1925) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
Nothing is more active than thought, for it travels over the universe, and nothing is stronger than necessity for all must submit to it.
—Thales of Miletus (c.624–c.545 BCE) Greek Philosopher, Mathematician
A man is what he thinks about all day long.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
He is able who thinks he is able.
—Buddhist Teaching
The thinker without a paradox is like a lover without a feeling: a paltry mediocrity.
—Soren Kierkegaard (1813–55) Danish Philosopher, Theologian
Make a decision that from now on, your thoughts do not run you, you run your thoughts. From now on, your mind is not the captain of your ship, you are the captain of the ship, and your mind works for you.
—T. Harv Eker (b.1954) American Motivational Speaker, Lecturer, Author
Silence and reserve suggest latent power. What some men think has more effect than what others say.
—Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773) English Statesman, Man of Letters
Our virtues are dearer to us the more we have had to suffer for them. It is the same with our children. All profound affection entertains a sacrifice. Our thoughts are often worse than we are, just as they are often better.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
Make yourselves nests of pleasant thoughts. None of us knows what fairy palaces we may build of beautiful thought-proof against all adversity. Bright fancies, satisfied memories, noble histories, faithful sayings, treasure houses of precious and restful thoughts, which care cannot disturb, nor pain make gloomy, nor poverty take away from us.
—John Ruskin (1819–1900) English Writer, Art Critic
No brain is stronger than its weakest think.
—Thomas Masson (1866–1934) American Journalist, Humorist, Author
The greatest friend of Truth is time, her greatest enemy is Prejudice, and her constant companion Humility.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
The brain that bubbles with phrases has hard work to collect its thoughts.
—Unknown
Great men are they who see that spiritual is stronger than any material force, that thoughts rule the world.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Thinkers perish, thoughts don’t.
—Malcolm S. Forbes (1919–1990) American Publisher, Businessperson
Unless a man can link his written thoughts with the everlasting wants of men, so that they shall draw from them as from wells, there is no more immortality to the thoughts and feelings of the soul than to the muscles and the bones.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
If we examine our thoughts, we shall find them always occupied with the past and the future.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
It is remarkable to what lengths people will go to avoid thought.
—Thomas Edison (1847–1931) American Inventor, Scientist, Entrepreneur
All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?
—Buddhist Teaching