Advanced Search

Drill down into our database of quotes.

Currently showing 10,076 quotes

The original writer is not he who refrains from imitating others, but he who can be imitated by none.

François-Rene de Chateaubriand

More information about this quote

Topic

Originality Writers

Author

François-Rene de Chateaubriand

Source

The Genius of Christianity

Genre

Religious literature

Language

French

Time

1802 1800s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

De Chateaubriand, Francois Rene. Genie du christianisme [The Genius of Christianity]. Paris: Chez Migneret, 1802, pt. 2, bk. 1, ch. 3.

I know this much: that there is objective time, but also subjective time, the kind you wear on the inside of your wrist, next to where the pulse lies. And this personal time, which is the true time, is measured in your relationship to memory.

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

Time

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. 2.

Steal old stuff.

Austin Kleon

More information about this quote

Topic

Borrowing and creativity Creativity Inspiration

Author

Austin Kleon

Medium

Blog post

Statement Type

Advice

Language

English

Time

2017 2010s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Kleon, Austin. "More Advice for the Recent Graduate." 25 May 2017, austinkleon.com/2017/05/25/more-advice-for-the-recent-graduate/.

My whole life, people have been telling me what I could do and couldn't do. I’ve always listed to ’em, believed in what they said. I don’t wanna do that anymore.

Rudy

Watch Rudy at Amazon Watch Rudy at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Believing in oneself

Speaker

Daniel E. 'Rudy' Ruettiger

Actor

Sean Astin

Source

Rudy

Genre

Sports (film) Biography (film) Sports Biography

Language

English

Time

1993 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Rudy. Directed by David Anspaugh, TriStar Pictures, 1993.

Tyranny is always better organized than freedom.

Charles Peguy

More information about this quote

Topic

Tyranny Threats to freedom

Author

Charles Peguy

Source

Basic Verities

Medium

Epigram

Language

French

Time

1943 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Peguy, Charles. Basic Verities: Prose and Poetry, translated by Ann and Julian Green. Pantheon Books, 1943.

I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing, how the sun was shining, if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes, and if it's an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now.

Sideways

Watch Sideways at Amazon Watch Sideways at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Wine Alcohol

Speaker

Maya Randall

Actor

Virginia Madsen

Source

Sideways

Medium

Film

Genre

Road movie Comedy drama (film) Comedy drama

Language

English

Time

2004 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Sideways. Directed by Alexander Payne, Michael London Productions, 2004.

Public opinion's always in advance of the law.

John Galsworthy

More information about this quote

Topic

Public opinion Law and culture Legal theory Law

Speaker

Mr. March

Author

John Galsworthy

Source

Windows

Medium

Play

Language

English

Time

1922 1920s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Galsworthy, John. Windows. 1922, Royal Court Theatre, London, England, UK, act 1.

Tragedy plus time equals comedy.

Steve Allen

More information about this quote

Topic

Comedy Humor

Author

Steve Allen

Source

Cosmopolitan

Medium

Magazine

Statement Type

Definition

Language

English

Time

1957 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Allen, Steve. "Steve Allen's Almanac." Cosmopolitan Magazine, Feb. 1957.

Literature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life.

Fernando Pessoa

More information about this quote

Topic

Literature

Author

Fernando Pessoa

Source

The Book of Disquiet

Language

Portuguese

Time

1935 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 0

Citation

Pessoa, Fernando (published as Bernardo Soares). Livro do Desassossego [The Book of Disquiet]. Attica, 1982.

That great business of ours, of learning how to be, to do, to do without, and to depart.

John Viscount Morley

More information about this quote

Topic

How to live The human condition

Speaker

John Viscount Morley

Language

English

Time

1887 1880s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Morley, John. "Aphorisms." 11 Nov. 1887, The Edinburgh Philosophical Institution, Edinburgh, Scotland. Address.

To me old age is always fifteen years older than I am.

Bernard Baruch

Quoted in Newsweek

More information about this quote

Topic

Old age Perspective Relativism

Speaker

Bernard Baruch

Source

Newsweek

Medium

Magazine

Language

English

Time

1955 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Baruch, Bernard M. Quoted in Newsweek. 29 Aug. 1955.

For over a thousand years, Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of a triumph—a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeters and musicians and strange animals from the conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conqueror rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children, robed in white, stood with him in the chariot, or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror, holding a golden crown, and whispering in his ear a warning, that all glory is fleeting.

Patton

Watch Patton at Amazon Watch Patton at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Sic transit gloria Glory The human condition

Speaker

General George S. Patton

Actor

George C. Scott

Source

Patton

Medium

Film

Genre

Biography (film) War (film) Biography War

Language

English

Time

1969 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Patton. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. 20th Century Fox, 1969.

My days have been so wondrous free,
The little birds that fly
With careless ease from tree to tree,
Were but bless'd as I.

Thomas Parnell

My Days Have Been So Wondrous Free

More information about this quote

Topic

Being carefree

Author

Thomas Parnell

Source

My Days Have Been So Wondrous Free

Medium

Song

Language

English

Time

1714 1710s 18th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Parnell, Thomas. "Song." Poetical Miscellanies, Consisting of Original Poems and Translations. London: Jacob Tonson, 1714.

Now the art world has become the art market.

Eric Fischl

More information about this quote

Topic

Art and money Art market Art

Speaker

Eric Fischl

Source

Brooklyn Rail

Medium

Interview Magazine

Language

English

Time

2014 2010s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Fischl, Eric. Public conversation between Eric Fischl and Robert Berlind. 19 Mar. 2014, National Academy, New York, NY, USA.

Honesty is the best policy; but he who acts on that principle is not an honest man.

Richard Whately

More information about this quote

Topic

Honesty

Author

Richard Whately

Medium

Epigram

Statement Type

Paradox

Language

English

Time

1854 1850s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Whately, Richard. Thoughts and Apophthegms. London: Blackader and Company, 1854, ch. 18.

What an odd thing tourism is. You fly off to a strange land, eagerly abandoning all the comforts of home, and then expend vast quantities of time and money in a largely futile attempt to recapture the comforts that you wouldn't have lost if you hadn't left home in the first place.

Bill Bryson

Neither Here Nor There

Buy Neither Here nor There at Amazon Buy Neither Here nor There at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Tourism Travel

Author

Bill Bryson

Source

Neither Here Nor There

Genre

Travel writing

Statement Type

Irony

Language

English

Time

1991 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Bryson, Bill. Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe. Secker & Warbug, 1991.

I wanted only to live in accord with the promptings which came from my true self. Why was that so very difficult?

Hermann Hesse

Demian

Buy Demian at Amazon Buy Demian at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Being true to oneself Authenticity

Author

Hermann Hesse

Source

Demian

Medium

Novel

Genre

Coming of age story

Language

German

Time

1919 1910s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Hesse, Herman. Die Geschichte von Emil Sinclairs Jugend [Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth]. Fischer Verlag, 1919.

Current Citation

Hesse, Herman. Demian, translated by Damion Searls. Penguin Classics, 2013.

If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us.

Hermann Hesse

Demian

Buy Demian at Amazon Buy Demian at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Self-hatred Hate

Speaker

Pistorius

Author

Hermann Hesse

Source

Demian

Medium

Novel

Genre

Coming of age story

Language

German

Time

1919 1910s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Hesse, Herman. Die Geschichte von Emil Sinclairs Jugend [Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth]. Fischer Verlag, 1919.

Current Citation

Hesse, Herman. Demian, translated by Damion Searls. Penguin Classics, 2013.

We hear war called murder. It is not: it is suicide.

Ramsay MacDonald

More information about this quote

Topic

Nature of war War

Author

Ramsay MacDonald

Source

Observer

Medium

Newspaper

Statement Type

Definition

Language

English

Time

1930 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

MacDonald, Ramsay. Observer. 4 May 1930.

And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Genesis 2:25

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

More information about this quote

Topic

Nakedness Shame Innocence

Source

Genesis The Bible

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Hebrew

Time

1405 BC 1400s BC 15th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 3

Citation

The Holy Bible: The King James Version. 1611. (Genesis 2:25).