Advanced Search

Drill down into our database of quotes.

Currently showing 10,076 quotes

Have you ever found God in church? I never did. I just found a bunch of folks hoping for him to show. Any God I ever felt in church I brought in with me. And I think all the other folks did too. They come to church to share God, not find God.

Alice Walker

The Color Purple

Buy The Color Purple at Amazon Buy The Color Purple at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

God and man The Church

Speaker

Shug

Author

Alice Walker

Source

The Color Purple

Medium

Novel

Genre

Epistolary novel

Language

English

Time

1982 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982.

A policeman's job is only easy in a police state. That's the whole point, Captain. Who's the boss, the cop or the law?

Touch of Evil

Watch Touch of Evil at Amazon Watch Touch of Evil at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Rule of law Police

Speaker

Mike Vargas

Actor

Charlton Heston

Source

Touch of Evil

Medium

Film

Genre

Film noir Crime drama (film) Crime drama

Language

English

Time

1958 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Touch of Evil. Directed by Orson Welles, Universal-International, 1958.

The climax of terror is reached when the police state begins to devour its own children, when yesterday's executioner becomes today's victim.

Hannah Arendt

More information about this quote

Topic

Totalitarianism

Author

Hannah Arendt

Source

On Violence

Genre

Political literature Philosophical literature

Language

English

Time

1969 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Arendt, Hannah. "On Violence." Crises of the Republic. Vintage, 1972, ch. 2. Originally published as "A Special Supplement: Reflections on Violence." by The New York Review, 27 Feb. 1969.

God more regards the thoughts of the heart than the words of the mouth.

A Man for All Seasons (film)

Watch A Man for All Seasons at Amazon Watch A Man for All Seasons at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

God looks at the heart God

Speaker

Margaret More

Actor

Susannah York

Source

A Man for All Seasons (film)

Medium

Film

Genre

Biography (film) Drama (film) Biography Drama

Language

English

Time

1966 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

A Man for All Seasons. Directed by Fred Zinnemann. Highland Films, 1966.

Onstage I make love to twenty-five thousand people, then I go home alone.

Janis Joplin

Quoted in The New Yorker

More information about this quote

Topic

Artist and audience

Speaker

Janis Joplin

Source

The New Yorker

Medium

Magazine

Language

English

Time

1971 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Joplin, Janis. Quoted in The New Yorker Magazine. 14 Aug. 1971.

Women have been called queens a long time, but the kingdom given them isn't worth ruling.

Louisa May Alcott

More information about this quote

Topic

Oppression of women Gender relations

Speaker

Rebecca

Author

Louisa May Alcott

Source

An Old-Fashioned Girl

Medium

Novel

Language

English

Time

1869 1860s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Alcott, Louisa May. An Old-Fashioned Girl. Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1869, ch. 13.

Current Citation

Alcott, Louisa May. An Old-Fashioned Girl. Puffin Books, 1996, ch. 13.

Improvement makes straight roads, but the crooked roads without improvement are roads of Genius.

William Blake

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

Buy a book containing this poem at Amazon Buy a book containing this poem at Amazon
Read The Marriage of Heaven and Hell at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Genius Incremental improvement Progress

Author

William Blake

Source

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

Medium

Poem

Genre

Philosophical literature

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

English

Time

1793 1790s 18th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Blake, William. "Proverbs of Hell." The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. c. 1790.

Current Citation

Blake, William. "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell." The Complete Poetry and Prose of William Blake, edited by David V. Erdman. University of California Press, 2008.

The various admirable movements in which I have been engaged have always developed among their members a large lunatic fringe.

Theodore Roosevelt

More information about this quote

Topic

Political extremism Politics

Author

Theodore Roosevelt

Medium

Letter

Language

English

Time

1913 1910s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Roosevelt, Theodore, Jr. Letter to Henry Cabot Lodge. 27 Feb. 1913.

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Proverbs 14:23

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

More information about this quote

Topic

Words vs. actions Hard work Work

Source

Proverbs The Bible

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Hebrew

Time

686 BC 680s BC 7th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 3

Citation

The Holy Bible, New International Version. International Bible Society, 1978. (Proverbs 14:23).

Get up quickly-just switch on the white light of the will.

Susan Sontag

More information about this quote

Topic

Getting started Motivation Work

Author

Susan Sontag

Source

Journals of Susan Sontag

Medium

Personal journal

Statement Type

Advice

Language

English

Time

1973 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Sontag, Susan. Journal entry. 15 Oct. 1973.

To die for a religion is easier than to live it absolutely.

Jorge Luis Borges

More information about this quote

Topic

Martyrdom Religious observance Piety Religion

Author

Jorge Luis Borges

Source

Deutsches Requiem El Aleph

Medium

Short story

Language

Spanish

Time

1946 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Borges, Jorge Luis. "Deutsches Requiem." Sur, Feb. 1946.

Current Citation

Borges, Jorge Luis. "Deutsches Requiem." The Aleph and Other Stories, translated by Andrew Hurley. Penguin Classics, 2004.

In the field of world policy I would dedicate this Nation to the policy of the good neighbor—the neighbor who resolutely respects himself and, because he does so, respects the rights of others.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

First Inaugural Address of Franklin D. Roosevelt

Buy a book containing this speech at Amazon Buy a book containing this speech at Amazon
Read this speech at UVA's Miller Center website

More information about this quote

Topic

Non-intervention American foreign policy Foreign policy International politics

Speaker

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Source

First Inaugural Address of Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential inaugural address

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1933 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Roosevelt, Franklin D. "First Inaugural Address." 4 Mar. 1933, East Portico, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

Current Citation

Roosevelt, Franklin D. "First Inaugral Address: Washington, DC, March 4, 1933." Great Speeches, edited by John Grafton. Dover, 1999.

When a man sees his end, he wants to know there was some purpose to his life.

Gladiator

Watch Gladiator at Amazon Watch Gladiator at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Looking back Purpose of life Meaning of life

Speaker

Marcus Aurelius

Actor

Richard Harris

Source

Gladiator

Medium

Film

Genre

Historical drama (film) Drama (film) Historical drama Drama

Language

English

Time

2000 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Gladiator. Directed by Ridley Scott. DreamWorks Pictures/ Scott Free Productions/Universal Pictures/Red Wagon Entertainment, 2000.

You're just a kid, you don't have the faintest idea what you're talkin' about.

Good Will Hunting

Watch Good Will Hunting at Amazon Watch Good Will Hunting at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Ignorance

Speaker

Sean

Actor

Robin Williams

Source

Good Will Hunting

Medium

Film

Genre

Psychological drama (film) Drama (film) Psychological drama Drama

Language

English

Time

1997 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Good Will Hunting. Directed by Gus Van Sant, Be Gentlemen, 1997.

And the Devil did grin, for his darling sin
Is pride that apes humility.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

More information about this quote

Topic

The devil False humility Pride

Author

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Source

The Devil's Thoughts

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1799 1790s 18th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. "The Devil's Thoughts." Morning Post, 6 Sept. 1799, I. 23.

Current Citation

Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. "The Devil's Thoughts." Samuel Taylor Coleridge: The Complete Poems, edited by William Keach. Penguin Classics, 1997, I. 23.

You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

James 4:14

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

More information about this quote

Topic

Ephemeral nature of life Shortness of life Life

Source

James The Bible

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Greek

Time

49 40s 1st century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 3

Citation

The Holy Bible: The King James Version. 1611. (James 4:14).

To live...to live would be an awfully big adventure.

Hook

Watch Hook at Amazon Watch Hook at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Living life to the fullest Life

Speaker

Peter Banning

Actor

Robin Williams

Source

Hook

Medium

Film

Genre

Adventure (film) Adventure

Language

English

Time

1991 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Hook. Directed by Steven Spielberg, Amblin Entertainment, 1991.

In the Greek cities, it was reckoned profane, that any person should pretend a property in a work of art which belonged to all who could behold it.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Conduct of Life

Read The Conduct of Life Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Nature of art Art

Author

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Source

Wealth The Conduct of Life

Medium

Essay

Language

English

Time

1860 1860s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Wealth." The Conduct of Life. Boston: Ticknor & Fields/London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1860.

Current Citation

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Wealth.” The Conduct of Life, edited by Barbara L. Packer, Joseph Slater, and Douglas Emory Wilson. Vol. 6, Belknap Press, 2004.

To be conscious that you are ignorant is a great step to knowledge.

Benjamin Disraeli

Sybil

Buy Sybil at Amazon Buy Sybil at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Ignorance Wisdom

Author

Benjamin Disraeli

Source

Sybil

Medium

Novel

Statement Type

Paradox

Language

English

Time

1845 1840s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Disraeli, Benjamin. Sybil; or, The Two Nations. Vol. 1, London: Henry Colburn, 1845, bk. 1, ch. 5.

Current Citation

Disraeli, Benjamin. Sybil, edited by Sheila Smith. Oxford University Press, 2009, bk. 1, ch. 5.

Chastity—the most unnatural of all the sexual perversions.

Aldous Huxley

More information about this quote

Topic

Chastity Sex

Speaker

Anthony Beavis

Author

Aldous Huxley

Source

Eyeless in Gaza

Medium

Novel

Language

English

Time

1936 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Huxley, Aldous. Eyeless in Gaza. Chatto & Windus, 1936, ch. 27.