Quotations and Poems

» Achievement » “The average estimate themselves by what they do, the above average by what they are.”

» Action » “He who considers too much will perform little.”

» Adventure » “Who dares nothing, need hope for nothing.”

» Advice » “One can advise comfortably from a safe port.”

» Advice » “It is easy to give advice from a port of safety.”

» Appearance » “Appearance rules the world.”

» Arts and Artists » “As noble Art has survived noble nature, so too she marches ahead of it, fashioning and awakening by her inspiration. Before Truth sends her triumphant light into the depths of the heart, imagination catches its rays, and the peaks of humanity will be glowing when humid night still lingers in the valleys.”

» Arts and Artists » “The artist is the child of his time; but woe to him if he is also its disciple, or even its favorite.”

» Beauty » “If you have never seen beauty in a moment of suffering, you have never seen beauty at all. If you have never seen joy in a beautiful face, you have never seen joy at all.”

» Beauty » “Truth exists for the wise, beauty for the feeling heart.”

» Caution » “He that is over — cautious will accomplish little.”

» Complaints and Complaining » “He cannot complain of a hard sentence, who is made master of his own fate.”

» Conformity » “We are citizens of an age, as well as of a State; and if it is held to be unseemly, or even inadmissible, for a man to cut himself off from the customs and manners of the circle in which he lives, why should it be less of a duty, in the choice of his activity, to submit his decision to the needs and the taste of his century?”

» Courage » “The brave person thinks of themselves last of all.”

» Curses » “This is the curse of an evil deed, that it incites and must bring forth more evil.”

» Death and Dying » “That which is so universal as death must be a benefit.”

» Death and Dying » “What shall he fear that does not fear death.”

» Destiny » “No cause has he to say his doom is harsh, who’s made the master of his destiny.”

» Destiny » “Not without a shudder may the human hand reach into the mysterious urn of destiny.”

» Destiny » “There is no such thing as chance; and what seem to us merest accident springs from the deepest source of destiny.”

» Dreams » “Keep true to the dreams of your youth.”

» Elections » “Votes should be weighed not counted.”

» Endurance » “Happy he who learns to bear what he cannot change.”

» Fame » “Of all the possessions of this life fame is the noblest; when the body has sunk into the dust the great name still lives.”

» Fashion » “No doubt the artist is the child of his time; but woe to him if he is also its disciple, or even its favorite.”

» Fate » “Full of wisdom are the ordinations of fate.”

» Focus » “Lose not yourself in a far off time, seize the moment that is thine.”

» Freedom » “Where there is much freedom there is much error.”

» Freedom » “Freedom exists only with power.”

» Function » “Utility is the great idol of the age, to which all powers must do service and all talents swear allegiance.”

» Future » “The future comes slowly, the present flies and the past stands still forever.”

» Genius » “The lamp of genius burns quicker than the lamp of life.”

» God » “While the womanly god demands our veneration, the godlike woman kindles our love; but while we allow ourselves to melt in the celestial loveliness, the celestial self-sufficiency holds us back in awe.”

» Goodness » “Nothing leads to good that is not natural.”

» Grace » “Grace is the beauty of form under the influence of freedom.”

» Guilt » “It is criminal to steal a purse, daring to steal a fortune, a mark of greatness to steal a crown. The blame diminishes as the guilt increases.”

» Heart » “It is not flesh and blood, but heart which makes us fathers and sons.”

» History and Historians » “Historians are prophets with their face turned backward.”

» Home » “There is room in the smallest cottage for a happy loving pair.”

» Honesty » “Honesty prospers in every condition of life.”

» Honor » “Worthless is the nation that does not gladly stake its all on its honor.”

» Humankind » “Mankind is made great or little by its own will.”

» Imitation » “Posterity weaves no garlands for imitators.”

» Jest » “The jest loses its point when he who makes it is the first to laugh.”

» Loyalty » “It is difficult to discriminate the voice of truth from amid the clamor raised by heated partisans.”

» Masses » “The voice of the majority is no proof of justice.”

» Meaning of Life » “Dare to err and to dream. Deep meaning often lies in childish plays.”

» Morality » “The greater part of humanity is too much harassed and fatigued by the struggle with want, to rally itself for a new and sterner struggle with error.”

» Opposition » “Opposition always enflames the enthusiast, never converts him.”

» Orthodoxy » “Nothing, it is true, is more common than for both Science and Art to pay homage to the spirit of the age, and for creative taste to accept the law of critical taste.”

» Patience » “Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly will acquire the skill to do difficult things easily.”

» Peace » “Peace is rarely denied to the peaceful.”

» Perfection » “Measure not by the scale of perfection the meager product of reality.”

» Performance » “Wise to resolve, patient to perform.”

» Persecution » “Yes great people are always subject to persecution and always getting into straits.”

» Plays » “Man only plays when in the full meaning of the word he is a man, and he is only completely a man when he plays.”

» Poverty and The Poor » “The rich become richer and the poor become poorer is a cry heard throughout the whole civilized world.”

» Power » “To gain a crown by fighting is great, to reject it divine.”

» Power » “No emperor has the power to dictate to the heart.”

» Power » “Power is the most persuasive rhetoric.”

» Power » “The world is ruled only by consideration of advantages.”

» Publicity » “It is often wise to reveal that which cannot be concealed for long.”

» Reason » “A noble heart will always capitulate to reason.”

» Reputation » “I am better than my reputation.”

» Revenge » “Revenge is barren of itself: it is the dreadful food it feeds on; its delight is murder, and its end is despair.”

» Risk » “To save all we must risk all.”

» Secrets » “It is wise to disclose what cannot be concealed.”

» Self-respect » “Be noble minded! Our own heart, and not other men’s opinions of us, forms our true honor.”

» Solitude » “The strong man is strongest when alone.”

» Soul » “Great souls endure in silence.”

» Soul » “What the inner voice says will not disappoint the hoping soul.”

» Speech » “Speech is always bolder than action.”

» Success » “He who has done his best for his own time has lived for all times.”

» Time and Time Management » “Think with awe on the slow and quiet power of time.”

» Truth » “Truth lives on in the midst of deception.”

» Unity » “Even the weak become strong when they are united.”

» Universe » “The universe is one of God’s thoughts.”

» Vision » “In a narrow circle the mind grows narrow. The more one expands, the larger their aims.”

» Weddings » “A gloomy guest fits not a wedding feast.”

» Will and Will Power » “All things must; man is the only creature that wills.”

» Will and Will Power » “The will of man is his happiness.”

» Will and Will Power » “Will it, and set to work briskly.”

» Wisdom » “They would need to be already wise, in order to love wisdom.”

» Youth » “Youth covets; let not this covetousness seduce you.”