Thought must be divided against itself before it can come to any knowledge of itself.
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English Humanist, Pacifist, Essayist, Short Story Writer, Satirist
We do not live to think, but, on the contrary, we think in order that we may succeed in surviving.
—Jose Ortega y. Gasset (1883–1955) Spanish Critic, Journalist, Philosopher
More than those who hate you, more than all your enemies, an undisciplined mind does greater harm.
—Buddhist Teaching
Thinking is the most unhealthy thing in the world, and people die of it just as they die of any other disease. Fortunately, in England at any rate, thought is not catching. Our splendid physique as a people is entirely due to our national stupidity.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Those that think must govern those that toil.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
A thought is harmless unless we believe it. It’s not our thoughts, but our attachment to our thoughts, that causes suffering. Attaching to a thought means believing that it’s true, without inquiring. A belief is a thought that we’ve been attaching to, often for years.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
Thought is free.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Thoughts, like fleas, jump from man to man, but they don’t bite everybody.
—Stanislaw Jerzy Lec (1909–1966) Polish Aphorist, Poet
Many a man fails as an original thinker simply because his memory is too good.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
You’re either attaching to your thoughts or inquiring. There’s no other choice.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
All thought must, directly or indirectly, by way of certain characters, relate ultimately to intuitions, and therefore, with us, to sensibility, because in no other way can an object be given to us.
—Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) Prussian German Philosopher, Logician
Beware when the great God lets loose a thinker on this planet.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) 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
It is the power of thought that gives man power over nature.
—Hans Christian Andersen (1805–75) Danish Author, Poet, Short Story Writer
Great thoughts, like great deeds, need no trumpet.
—Philip James Bailey (1816–1902) English Poet
Greatness is attained only by the thinking of great thoughts.
—Wallace Wattles (1860–1911) American New Thought Author
The key to every man is his thought. Sturdy and defying though he look, he has a helm which he obeys, which is the idea after which all his facts are classified. He can only be reformed by showing him a new idea which commands his own.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
The person who sends out positive thoughts activates the world around him positively and draws back to himself positive results.
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
A sect or party is an elegant incognito devised to save man from the vexation of thinking.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Life consists in what a man is thinking of all day.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Thought is an infection. In the case of certain thoughts, it becomes an epidemic.
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955) American Poet
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
Profundity of thought belongs to youth, clarity of thought to old age.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
Thoughts are funny little things; they can make paupers or make kings.
—Sidney Madwed (1926–2013) American Poet, Author
Your programming leads to your thoughts; your thoughts lead to your feelings; your feelings lead to your actions; your actions leads to your results. Therefore, just as is done with a personal computer, by changing your programming, you take the first essential step to changing your results.
—T. Harv Eker (b.1954) American Motivational Speaker, Lecturer, Author
No man should think himself a zero, and think he can do nothing about the state of the world.
—Bernard M. Baruch (1870–1965) American Financier, Economic Consultant
As you think, so shall you become.
—Bruce Lee (1940–73) American Martial Artist, Actor, Philosopher
No one on earth has lived through the exact same experiences you have, and no one thinks the exact same thoughts you do.
—Steve Pavlina (b.1971) American Motivational Speaker
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
You know what I love, sweetheart? The thoughts that used to send us into deep depression—these same thoughts, once understood, send us into laughter.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
Which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
—Henry James (1843–1916) American-born British Novelist, Writer
Thinking is not to agree or disagree. That is voting.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
Think twice before you speak to a friend in need.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
Thinking well is wise; planning well, wiser; doing well wisest and best of all.
—Persian Proverb
If I have done the public any service, it is due to my patient thought.
—Isaac Newton (1643–1727) English Physicist, Mathematician, Astronomer, Theologian
Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth—
more than ruin—more even than death….
Thought is subversive and revolutionary,
destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege,
established institutions, and comfortable habit.
Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid.
Thought is great and swift and free,
the light of the world, and the chief glory of man.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
Writing is another powerful way to sharpen the mental saw. Keeping a journal of our thoughts, experiences, insights, and learnings promotes mental clarity, exactness, and context.
—Stephen Covey (1932–2012) American Self-help Author
A man’s thinking goes on within his consciousness in a seclusion in comparison with which any physical seclusion is an exhibition to public view.
—Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951) Austrian-born British Philosopher
When you do The Work, you see who you are by seeing who you think other people are. Eventually you come to see that everything outside you is a reflection of your own thinking. You are the storyteller, the projector of all stories, and the world is the projected image of your thoughts.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
Guard your roving thoughts with a jealous care, for speech is but the dialer of thoughts, and every fool can plainly read in your words what is the hour of your thoughts.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–92) British Poet
Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature; but he is a thinking reed. The entire universe need not arm itself to crush him. A vapour, a drop of water suffices to kill him. But, if the Universe were to crush him, man would still be more noble than that which killed him, because he knows that he dies and the advantage which the universe has over him; the universe knows nothing of this.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
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
Far more numerous are those as such; who think to little and talk to much.
—John Dryden (1631–1700) English Poet, Literary Critic, Playwright
Most of one’s life is one prolonged effort to prevent oneself thinking.
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English Humanist, Pacifist, Essayist, Short Story Writer, Satirist
The brain that bubbles with phrases has hard work to collect its thoughts.
—Unknown
When we have ‘second thoughts’ about something, our first thoughts don’t seem like thoughts at all – just feelings.
—Sydney J. Harris (1917–86) American Essayist, Drama Critic
To think is to practice brain chemistry.
—Deepak Chopra (b.1946) Indian-born American Physician, Public Speaker, Writer
There is a big difference between thinking: I’m in a relationship and something’s wrong. Therefore something must be wrong with the relationship. and thinking I’m in a relationship and we’ve got problems. This is evidence that you are different than me.
—Wayne Dyer (1940–2015) American Self-Help Author
Every thought we think is creating our future.
—Louise Hay (b.1926) American Author
Thought means life, since those who do not think do not live in any high or real sense. Thinking makes the man.
—Amos Bronson Alcott (1799–1888) American Teacher, Writer, Philosopher