Family Quotes | Beyond Motive 2/65

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Family Quotes

"Family is not an important thing, it's everything."

"Family is not an important thing, it's everything."

Michael J. Fox, Canadian Actor

79

"For the woman, the man is a means: the end is always the child."

"For the woman, the man is a means: the end is always the child."

Friedrich Nietzsche, German Philosopher

Family, End, Man, Woman

78

"It never entered my father's mind nor my mind ever to do a job othe than at one's best ability."

"It never entered my father's mind nor my mind ever to do a job othe than at one's best ability."

Lord Mountbatten, British Soldier

Family, Father, Ability, Job, Mind

78

"They fuck you up, your mum and dad? No, that wasn't it at all. Well, they did do that, perhaps, but they also allowed you to become the person, and the writer, that you had it in you to be."

"They fuck you up, your mum and dad? No, that wasn't it at all. Well, they did do that, perhaps, but they also allowed you to become the person, and the writer, that you had it in you to be."

Salman Rushdie, Indian Novelist

Family, Influence, Parenting, Identity

76

"Children are everything we could have been."

"Children are everything we could have been."

Bryant McGill, American Poet

Family, Children, Truth, Life

75

"Family likeness has often a deep sadness in it. Nature, that great tragic dramatist, knits us together by bone and muscle, and divides us by the subtler web of our brains; blends yearning and repulsion; and ties us by our heart-strings to the beings that jar us at every movement."

"Family likeness has often a deep sadness in it. Nature, that great tragic dramatist, knits us together by bone and muscle, and divides us by the subtler web of our brains; blends yearning and repulsion; and ties us by our heart-strings to the beings that jar us at every movement."

George Eliot, British Author

Family, Tragedy, Sadness, Connection

75

"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me."

"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me."

Jim Valvano, American Coach

73

"Becoming a mother has helped make me a tougher, stronger writer."

"Becoming a mother has helped make me a tougher, stronger writer."

Jessica Hagedorn, Filipino Writer

72

"We need to think of the future and the planet we are going to leave to our children and their children."

"We need to think of the future and the planet we are going to leave to our children and their children."

Kofi Annan, Ghanaian Statesman

Family, Children, Future

68

"I have nothing against undertakers personally. It's just that I wouldn't want one to bury my sister."

"I have nothing against undertakers personally. It's just that I wouldn't want one to bury my sister."

Jessica Mitford, American Journalist

Family, Sister, Nothing, Undertakers, Want

68

"A plague on eminence! I hardly dare cross the street anymore without a convoy, and I am stared at wherever I go like an idiot member of a royal family or an animal in a zoo; and zoo animals have been known to die from stares."

"A plague on eminence! I hardly dare cross the street anymore without a convoy, and I am stared at wherever I go like an idiot member of a royal family or an animal in a zoo; and zoo animals have been known to die from stares."

Igor Stravinsky, Russian Composer

Family, Animals

68

"Mozart often wrote to his family that certain variations or sections of pieces were so successful that they had to be encored immediately, even without waiting for the entire piece to end."

"Mozart often wrote to his family that certain variations or sections of pieces were so successful that they had to be encored immediately, even without waiting for the entire piece to end."

Emanuel Ax, Ukrainian Musician

Family, Successful, End, Waiting

65

"The attempt to redefine the family as a purely voluntary arrangement grows out of the modern delusion that people can keep all their options open all the time."

"The attempt to redefine the family as a purely voluntary arrangement grows out of the modern delusion that people can keep all their options open all the time."

Christopher Lasch, American Historian

Family, Time, People, Delusion

65

"In a pocket of his knapsack he'd found a last half packet of cocoa and he fixed it for the boy and then poured his own cup with hot water and sat blowing at the rim.You promised not to do that, the boy said.What?You know what, Papa.He poured the hot water back into the pan and took the boy's cup and poured some of the cocoa into his own and then handed it back.I have to watch you all the time, the boy said."

"In a pocket of his knapsack he'd found a last half packet of cocoa and he fixed it for the boy and then poured his own cup with hot water and sat blowing at the rim.You promised not to do that, the boy said.What?You know what, Papa.He poured the hot water back into the pan and took the boy's cup and poured some of the cocoa into his own and then handed it back.I have to watch you all the time, the boy said."

Cormac McCarthy, American Writer

Family, Care, Protection, Trust, Parenting

65

"They stayed by my side the whole time - my teammates, family and all the fans."

"They stayed by my side the whole time - my teammates, family and all the fans."

William Green, American Politician

Family, Time, Fans

65

"I realize that when I moved out of my father's house I shocked and frightened him because I needed a room of my own, a space of my own to reinvent myself."

"I realize that when I moved out of my father's house I shocked and frightened him because I needed a room of my own, a space of my own to reinvent myself."

Sandra Cisneros, American Author

Family, Father, Space

64

"All what we hope for is that a day will come, when we have all gone, when people will say that this man has tried, and his family tried. This is all there is to seek in this world."

"All what we hope for is that a day will come, when we have all gone, when people will say that this man has tried, and his family tried. This is all there is to seek in this world."

King Hussein I, Jordanian Statesman

Family, People, Hope, Day

64

"A wise mother is the unifying force between father and children, her seed of love produces a harvest of trust."

"A wise mother is the unifying force between father and children, her seed of love produces a harvest of trust."

Jaachynma N.E. Agu, Nigerian Author

Family, Mother, Love, Trust

63

"Night is the mother of thoughts."

"Night is the mother of thoughts."

John Florio, English Writer

Family, Mother, Thoughts, Night

62

"We believed in our idea - a family park where parents and children could have fun- together."

"We believed in our idea - a family park where parents and children could have fun- together."

Walt Disney, American Cartoonist

Family, Idea, Children, Fun

62

"My family has been amazing, and they understand how blessed I am. They've been able to keep my sense of humor."

"My family has been amazing, and they understand how blessed I am. They've been able to keep my sense of humor."

Karen Duffy, American Actress

Family, Humor, Sense

62

"Suffer little children and come unto me."

"Suffer little children and come unto me."

Evita Peron, Argentinian Statesman

Family, Children

62

"I never did say that you can't be a nice guy and win. I said that if I was playing third base and my mother rounded third with the winning run, I'd trip her up."

"I never did say that you can't be a nice guy and win. I said that if I was playing third base and my mother rounded third with the winning run, I'd trip her up."

Leo Durocher, American Athlete

Family, Mother, Winning

62

"Our family, from day one, has only sought the simple truth in this matter."

"Our family, from day one, has only sought the simple truth in this matter."

Sam Sheppard, American Scientist

Family, Truth, Day

62

"One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters."

"One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters."

George Herbert, British Poet

61

"By 1969, when I celebrated 45 years in the music business, I also had 45 people in our musical family."

"By 1969, when I celebrated 45 years in the music business, I also had 45 people in our musical family."

Lawrence Welk, American Musician

Family, Music, Business, People

61

"Dignity is not negotiable. Dignity is the honor of the family."

"Dignity is not negotiable. Dignity is the honor of the family."

Vartan Gregorian, American Educator

Family, Dignity, Honor

61

"To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there."

"To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there."

Barbara Bush, American First Lady

59

"I didn't have a happy childhood."

"I didn't have a happy childhood."

Giorgio Armani, Italian Designer

Family, Childhood

59

"Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your children."

"Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your children."

Sam Levenson, American Author

Family, Children, Insanity

59

"Motherhood is a vocation like any other. It should be freely chosen, not imposed upon woman."

"Motherhood is a vocation like any other. It should be freely chosen, not imposed upon woman."

Anais Nin, American Author

Family, Motherhood, Choice, Freedom, Vocation

58

"If we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand for much."

"If we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand for much."

Marian Wright Edelman, American Activist

Family, Children

57

"Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the best we can do is to remind each other that we're related for better or for worse...and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum."

"Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the best we can do is to remind each other that we're related for better or for worse...and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum."

Rick Riordan, American Novelist

Family, Truth, Love, Power

57

"When I began to think about the head of the family, the storyteller, the rise of television which became the new storyteller, the break-up of the American family as an idea and then Avalon came."

"When I began to think about the head of the family, the storyteller, the rise of television which became the new storyteller, the break-up of the American family as an idea and then Avalon came."

Barry Levinson, American Director

Family, Idea, Television

57

"It was an idea we had when Al was in the Senate - to organize and moderate an annual conference that would look at government policy through the lens of the family to help identify ways that the family can be supported and strengthened."

"It was an idea we had when Al was in the Senate - to organize and moderate an annual conference that would look at government policy through the lens of the family to help identify ways that the family can be supported and strengthened."

Tipper Gore, American Celebrity

Family, Government, Policy, Idea

57

"I suppose you could say my father's world was Thomas Hardy and my mother's D.H. Lawrence."

"I suppose you could say my father's world was Thomas Hardy and my mother's D.H. Lawrence."

Seamus Heaney, Irish Poet

Family, Mother, Father, World

56

"All the flower children were as alike as a congress of accountants and about as interesting."

"All the flower children were as alike as a congress of accountants and about as interesting."

John Mortimer, English Novelist

Family, Children, Congress

56

"Children in a family are like flowers in a bouquet: there's always one determined to face in an opposite direction from the way the arranger desires."

"Children in a family are like flowers in a bouquet: there's always one determined to face in an opposite direction from the way the arranger desires."

Marcelene Cox, American Columnist

Family, Children, Direction, Flowers

56

"A liberal education... frees a man from the prison-house of his class, race, time, place, background, family and even his nation."

"A liberal education... frees a man from the prison-house of his class, race, time, place, background, family and even his nation."

Robert M. Hutchins, American Educator

Family, Education, Time, Class

56

"She seemed to know, to accept, to welcome her position, the citadel of the family, the strong place that could not be taken. And since old Tom and the children could not know hurt or fear unless she acknowledged hurt or fear, she had practiced denying them in herself. And since, when a joyful thing happened, they looked to see whether joy was on her, it was her habit to build laughter out of inadequate materials....She seemed to know that if she swayed the family shook, and if she ever deeply wavered or despaired the family would fall."

"She seemed to know, to accept, to welcome her position, the citadel of the family, the strong place that could not be taken. And since old Tom and the children could not know hurt or fear unless she acknowledged hurt or fear, she had practiced denying them in herself. And since, when a joyful thing happened, they looked to see whether joy was on her, it was her habit to build laughter out of inadequate materials....She seemed to know that if she swayed the family shook, and if she ever deeply wavered or despaired the family would fall."

John Steinbeck, American Author

Family, Strength, Laughter, Joy

56

"I've always put my family first and that's just the way it is."

"I've always put my family first and that's just the way it is."

Jamie Lee Curtis, American Actress

55

"Poverty is the mother of crime."

"Poverty is the mother of crime."

Marcus Aurelius, Roman Soldier

Family, Mother, Crime, Poverty

55

"As for our garments, my Mother did not only delight to see us neat and cleanly, fine and gay, but rich and costly: maintaining us to the heighth of her estate, but not beyond it."

"As for our garments, my Mother did not only delight to see us neat and cleanly, fine and gay, but rich and costly: maintaining us to the heighth of her estate, but not beyond it."

Margaret Cavendish, English Writer

Family, Mother, Delight, Gay

55

"All that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother."

"All that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother."

Abraham Lincoln, American Politician

Family, Gratitude, Parenting, Love

55

"True maturity is only reached when a man realizes he has become a father figure to his girlfriends' boyfriends - and he accepts it."

"True maturity is only reached when a man realizes he has become a father figure to his girlfriends' boyfriends - and he accepts it."

Larry McMurtry, American Writer

Family, Father, Girlfriends, Man, Maturity

54

"Community cannot for long feed on itself; it can only flourish with the coming of others from beyond, their unknown and undiscovered brothers."

"Community cannot for long feed on itself; it can only flourish with the coming of others from beyond, their unknown and undiscovered brothers."

Howard Thurman, American Educator

Family, Brothers, Community

54

"The advantage is I have my family with me all the time. When your daughter takes her first steps or says her first words and your son is going through potty training, I'm not missing any of those things."

"The advantage is I have my family with me all the time. When your daughter takes her first steps or says her first words and your son is going through potty training, I'm not missing any of those things."

Larry Dixon, American Politician

Family, Time, Son, Daughter

54

"We have obligations towards the innocent, the dead, towards the living, towards our children and their children."

"We have obligations towards the innocent, the dead, towards the living, towards our children and their children."

Ricardo Lagos, Chilean Politician

Family, Children, Living

54

"Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops."

"Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops."

Cary Grant, American Actor

Family, Insanity

54

"The family is the first essential cell of human society."

"The family is the first essential cell of human society."

Pope John XXIII, Italian Clergyman

Family, Society, First

54

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