Advanced Search

Drill down into our database of quotes.

Currently showing 10,076 quotes

Every positive value has its price in negative terms... The genius of Einstein leads to Hiroshima.

Pablo Picasso

More information about this quote

Topic

Pros and cons Yin and yang

Speaker

Pablo Picasso

Language

French

Time

1964 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Picasso, Pablo. Quoted in Life with Picasso, written by Francoise Gilot and Carlton Lake. McGraw-Hill, 1964, pt. 2.

The Roman world is falling, yet we hold our heads erect instead of bowing our necks.

St. Jerome

Buy The Letters of Saint Jerome at Amazon Buy The Letters of Saint Jerome at Amazon
Read this letter at newadvent.org

More information about this quote

Topic

Roman empire Societal collapse Decline of civilization

Author

St. Jerome

Medium

Letter

Language

Latin

Time

396 390s 4th century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Saint Jerome. Letter to Heliodorus. c. 396, sect. 16.

Current Citation

Saint Jerome. "Letter LX." Select Letters of Saint Jerome. Aeterna Press, 2015, sect. 16.

Well done, thou good and faithful servant.

Matthew 25:21

Buy the Bible (KJV) at Amazon Buy the Bible (KJV) at Amazon
Read this verse at Bible Hub

More information about this quote

Topic

Doing one's job Reward

Source

Gospel of Matthew The Bible

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Greek

Time

60 60s 1st century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 3

Citation

The Holy Bible: The King James Version. 1611. (Matthew 25:21).

In this world, a man, himself, is nothing. And there ain't no world but this one.

The Thin Red Line

Watch The Thin Red Line at Amazon Watch The Thin Red Line at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

The human condition Insignificance of the individual The afterlife

Speaker

1st Sgt. Welsh

Actor

Sean Penn

Source

The Thin Red Line

Medium

Film

Genre

Epic (film) War (film) Epic War

Language

English

Time

1998 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

The Thin Red Line. Directed by Terrence Malick, Fox 2000 Pictures/Phoenix Pictures/Geisler-Roberdeau, 1998.

Pleasant it is, when over a great sea the winds trouble the waters, to gaze from shore upon another's great tribulation: not because any man's troubles are a delectable joy, but because to perceive what ills you are free from yourself is pleasant.

Lucretius

On the Nature of Things

Buy On The Nature of Things at Amazon Buy On The Nature of Things at Amazon
Read On the Nature of Things at MIT's classics department website

More information about this quote

Topic

Misfortunes of others

Author

Lucretius

Source

On the Nature of Things

Medium

Poem

Genre

Didactic poem Philosophical literature

Language

Latin

Time

55 BC 50s BC 1st century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Carus, Titus Lucretius. De Rerum Natura [On the Nature of Things]. c. 55 BC, bk. 2, l. 1.

Current Citation

Carus, Titus Lucretius. The Nature of Things, translated by Alicia Stallings. Penguin Classics, 2007, bk. 2, l. 1.

That was stupid. How the hell you gonna get fired on your day off?

Friday

Watch Friday at Amazon Watch Friday at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Getting fired Days off

Speaker

Mr. Jones

Actor

John Witherspoon

Source

Friday

Medium

Film

Genre

Comedy (film) Comedy

Statement Type

Question Irony

Language

English

Time

1995 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Friday. Directed by F. Gary Gray, New Line Productions/Ghetto Bird Productions, 1995.

What is beautiful is moral, that is all there is to it.

Gustave Flaubert

Letters of Gustave Flaubert

More information about this quote

Topic

Moral theory Morality

Author

Gustave Flaubert

Source

Letters of Gustave Flaubert

Medium

Letter

Language

French

Time

1880 1880s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Flaubert, Gustave. Letter to Guy de Maupassant. 16 Feb. 1880.

Where is my John Wayne?
Where is my prairie song?
Where is my happy ending?
Where have all the cowboys gone?

Paula Cole

Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?

Listen to Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? at Amazon Listen to Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? at Amazon
Read the lyrics to Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? at genius.com

More information about this quote

Topic

Chivalry is dead Men and women

Speaker

Paula Cole

Source

Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?

Medium

Song

Genre

Pop music

Language

English

Time

1996 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Cole, Paula. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" This Fire. Warner Records/Imago Records, 1996.

George, we’ve had it with you. Understand? We love you like a son, but even parents have limits.

Frank Costanza

Seinfeld

Watch Season 9 of Seinfeld at Amazon Watch Season 9 of Seinfeld at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Parents and children

Speaker

Frank Costanza

Actor

Jerry Stiller

Source

Seinfeld

Medium

TV program

Genre

Sitcom Comedy (TV) Comedy

Language

English

Time

1997 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

"The Junk Mail." Seinfeld, written by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld and Spike Feresten, directed by Andy Ackerman, season 9, episode 5, Shapiro/West Productions and Castle Rock Entertainment, 1997.

There was no one who wept for any death, for all awaited death.

Agnolo di Tura del Grosso

More information about this quote

Topic

The Black Death Plagues Pandemics

Author

Agnolo di Tura del Grosso

Source

Cronica Maggiore

Genre

Historical literature

Language

Italian

Time

14th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Di Tura del Grosso, Agnolo. Cronica Maggiore. c. 1350.

Current Citation

Di Tura del Grosso, Agnolo. "Cronica Maggiore." Quoted in The Black Death: A Turning Point in History?, written by William M. Bowsky. Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1971.

The kingly office is entitled to no respect. It was originally procured by the highwayman's methods; it remains a perpetuated crime, can never be anything but the symbol of a crime.

Mark Twain

More information about this quote

Topic

Anti-monarchism Monarchy

Author

Mark Twain

Source

Journals of Mark Twain

Medium

Personal journal

Language

English

Time

1888 1880s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Twain, Mark. Mark Twain's Notebook, edited by Albert Bigelow Paine. The Mark Twain Company, 1932, ch. 20. Originally from Notebook, c. 1888.

Yes, of course we were pretentious—what else is youth for?

Julian Barnes

The Sense of an Ending

Buy The Sense of an Ending at Amazon Buy The Sense of an Ending at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Pretentiousness Youth

Author

Julian Barnes

Source

The Sense of an Ending

Medium

Novel

Language

English

Time

2011 2010s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Barnes, Julian. The Sense of an Ending. Jonathan Cape/Alfred A. Knopf, 2011, ch. 1.

Education is an ornament for the prosperous, a refuge for the unfortunate.

Democritus

More information about this quote

Topic

Value of education Education

Speaker

Democritus

Source

Tetralogies of Thrasyllus

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

Greek

Time

415 BC 410s BC 5th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 0

Original Citation

Democritus. Tetralogies of Thrasyllus. c. 420 BC, Fr. 180.

Current Citation

Democritus. Quoted in Ancilla to Pre-Socratic Philosophers, written and translated by Kathleen Freeman. Harvard University Press, 1983.

I would not give half a guinea to live under one form of government rather than another. It is of no moment to the happiness of an individual.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

Buy The Life of Samuel Johnson at Amazon Buy The Life of Samuel Johnson at Amazon
Read The Life of Samuel Johnson at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Citizen and state

Speaker

Samuel Johnson

Author

James Boswell

Source

The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D

Genre

Biography

Language

English

Time

1772 1770s 18th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in journal entry by James Boswell. 31 Mar. 1772.

Current Citation

Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

For courage mounteth with occasion.

William Shakespeare

The Life and Death of King John

Buy King John at Amazon Buy King John at Amazon
Read King John at The Folger Shakespeare Library

More information about this quote

Topic

Courage

Speaker

Austria

Author

William Shakespeare

Source

The Life and Death of King John

Medium

Play

Genre

History (play)

Language

English

Time

1616 1610s 17th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. "The Life and Death of King John." Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. London: Edward Blount and William and Isaac Jaggard, 1623, 1623, act 2, sc. 1.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "King John." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 2, sc. 1.

Insanity is often the logic of an accurate mind overtasked.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Read The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Insanity Burnout

Author

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Source

The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table

Medium

Essay

Language

English

Time

1831 1830s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Sr. "The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table." The New England Magazine. Boston: Joseph T. Buckingham, Nov. 1831 and Feb. 1832.

Current Citation

Holmes, Oliver Wendell. The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table. Dover Publications, 2015.

What's done cannot be undone.

William Shakespeare

Macbeth

Buy Macbeth at Amazon Buy Macbeth at Amazon
Read Macbeth at The Folger Shakespeare Library

More information about this quote

Topic

Actions have consequences The road not taken The past

Speaker

Lady Macbeth

Author

William Shakespeare

Source

Macbeth

Medium

Play

Genre

Tragedy (play)

Language

English

Time

1616 1610s 17th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. "Macbeth." Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. London: Edward Blount and William and Isaac Jaggard, 1623, act 5, sc. 1.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "Macbeth." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 5, sc. 1.

Curse God, and die.

Job 2:9

Buy the Bible (KJV) at Amazon Buy the Bible (KJV) at Amazon
Read this verse at Bible Hub

More information about this quote

Topic

Giving up

Source

Book of Job The Bible

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Hebrew

Time

500 BC 500s BC 6th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 3

Citation

The Holy Bible: The King James Version. 1611. (Job 2:9).

The United States is the last country in the world that Japan should fight.

Letters from Iwo Jima

Watch Letters from Iwo Jima at Amazon Watch Letters from Iwo Jima at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

World War II

Speaker

General Kuribayashi

Actor

Ken Watanabe

Source

Letters from Iwo Jima

Medium

Film

Genre

War (film) War

Language

Japanese

Time

2006 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Letters from Iwo Jima. Directed by Clint Eastwood, DreamWorks Pictures/Malpaso Productions/Amblin Entertainment/Warner Bros., 2006.

A man has every season, while a woman has only the right to spring.

Jane Fonda

More information about this quote

Topic

Women and aging Men and women Patriarchy

Speaker

Jane Fonda

Source

Daily Mail

Medium

Newspaper

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

English

Time

1989 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Fonda, Jane. Quoted in Daily Mail. 13 Sept. 1989.