Ideas Quotes | Beyond Motive 2/4

top of page

Ideas Quotes

"Almost all new ideas have a certain aspect of foolishness when they are first produced."

"Almost all new ideas have a certain aspect of foolishness when they are first produced."

Alfred North Whitehead, English Mathematician

Ideas, First, Foolishness

53

"I wanted more in depth ideas about the character and it never came."

"I wanted more in depth ideas about the character and it never came."

Nicholas Lea, Canadian Actor

Ideas, Character

53

"Good acting is about being as natural and calm as possible. These days producers have such definite ideas that you have to be prepared to do whatever they ask."

"Good acting is about being as natural and calm as possible. These days producers have such definite ideas that you have to be prepared to do whatever they ask."

Bryn Terfel, Welsh Musician

Ideas, Acting, Being

52

"A lot of the lyrical ideas do have a lot of meaning in a way, although it is somewhat abstracted."

"A lot of the lyrical ideas do have a lot of meaning in a way, although it is somewhat abstracted."

Thurston Moore, American Musician

52

"The cooperation of the two retina in one field of vision, whatever is its cause, must rather be the source of all the ideas to which single or double vision may give rise."

"The cooperation of the two retina in one field of vision, whatever is its cause, must rather be the source of all the ideas to which single or double vision may give rise."

Johannes P. Muller, German Scientist

Ideas, Vision, Cause, Cooperation

52

"The ideas of the great playwrights are almost always larger than the experiences of even the best actors."

"The ideas of the great playwrights are almost always larger than the experiences of even the best actors."

Stella Adler, American Actress

51

"If I don't have a project going, I sit down and begin to write something - a character sketch, a monologue, a description of some sight, or even just a list of ideas."

"If I don't have a project going, I sit down and begin to write something - a character sketch, a monologue, a description of some sight, or even just a list of ideas."

Thomas Perry, German Musician

Ideas, Character, Project, Sight

51

"That doesn't necessarily mean they have to have an explicit proposal that they put forward that all Democrats sign up to, but I think they need to throw some ideas out that, at least directionally, point the way forward."

"That doesn't necessarily mean they have to have an explicit proposal that they put forward that all Democrats sign up to, but I think they need to throw some ideas out that, at least directionally, point the way forward."

John Podesta, American Lawyer

Ideas, Democrats

50

"Together with script writers Syd green and Dick Hills, we worked on the comedy ideas for this series."

"Together with script writers Syd green and Dick Hills, we worked on the comedy ideas for this series."

Eric Morecambe, British Comedian

Ideas, Comedy, Writers

50

"I have no specific ideas in mind of what I will or won't do; it's all about the roles."

"I have no specific ideas in mind of what I will or won't do; it's all about the roles."

Jeri Ryan, American Actress

Ideas, Mind, Will

49

"It is not of the essence of mathematics to be conversant with the ideas of number and quantity."

"It is not of the essence of mathematics to be conversant with the ideas of number and quantity."

George Boole, Irish Mathematician

Ideas, Mathematics, Quantity

49

"Until we perceive the meaning of our past, we remain the mere carriers of ideas, like the Nomads."

"Until we perceive the meaning of our past, we remain the mere carriers of ideas, like the Nomads."

Stephen Gardiner, British Architect

Ideas, Meaning, Past

49

"We manage to bounce ideas off one another. Every band fights, but at the end of the day, we're very positive about the way we fight. At least we come out with a result."

"We manage to bounce ideas off one another. Every band fights, but at the end of the day, we're very positive about the way we fight. At least we come out with a result."

Keith Emerson, British Musician

Ideas, Positive, Day, End

49

"Healthy ideas of both left and right, along with totally new ideas, must form a growing united front."

"Healthy ideas of both left and right, along with totally new ideas, must form a growing united front."

Tom Metzger, American Celebrity

Ideas, Right, United

48

"But I don't sit down at dinner and have clever ideas."

"But I don't sit down at dinner and have clever ideas."

Mark Rylance, English Actor

48

"Attraction is beyond our will or ideas sometimes."

"Attraction is beyond our will or ideas sometimes."

Juliette Binoche, French Actress

48

"All we did was to sit around, collect some ideas, wait and see what's going to happen. That was it."

"All we did was to sit around, collect some ideas, wait and see what's going to happen. That was it."

Mark McGrath, American Musician

47

"Basically I started to jot notes, lots of faxes back and forth to my writer, we faxed ideas throughout the whole first draft, and started all over again."

"Basically I started to jot notes, lots of faxes back and forth to my writer, we faxed ideas throughout the whole first draft, and started all over again."

Bruce Boxleitner, American Actor

Ideas, Draft, First, Writer

47

"Listen, the next revolution is gonna be a revolution of ideas."

"Listen, the next revolution is gonna be a revolution of ideas."

Bill Hicks, American Comedian

Ideas, Revolution

47

"I can get away with saying a lot of ideas that are young and naive. I'm liberated."

"I can get away with saying a lot of ideas that are young and naive. I'm liberated."

Neil Young, Canadian Musician

47

"What we need is hatred. From it our ideas are born."

"What we need is hatred. From it our ideas are born."

Jean Genet, French Dramatist

47

"I don't let myself get carried away by my own ideas - I abandon 19 out of 20 of them every day."

"I don't let myself get carried away by my own ideas - I abandon 19 out of 20 of them every day."

Gustav Mahler, Austrian Composer

46

"A lot of times Mick will play me different things, or I'll listen to a cassette, and out of twenty ideas or whatever, I'll find two or three that are just blowing me away, and we'll start working on them right away."

"A lot of times Mick will play me different things, or I'll listen to a cassette, and out of twenty ideas or whatever, I'll find two or three that are just blowing me away, and we'll start working on them right away."

Lou Gramm, American Musician

Ideas, Play, Right, Will

46

"It was a turning point in the sense that as a scene, we can up with a lot of new ideas."

"It was a turning point in the sense that as a scene, we can up with a lot of new ideas."

Arto Lindsay, American Musician

46

"I like to have books around to give me ideas-to get the verbal part of my brain to start working."

"I like to have books around to give me ideas-to get the verbal part of my brain to start working."

Sean Lennon, American Musician

45

"Archimedes will be remembered when Aeschylus is forgotten, because languages die and mathematical ideas do not."

"Archimedes will be remembered when Aeschylus is forgotten, because languages die and mathematical ideas do not."

G. H. Hardy, British Mathematician

45

"Ideas rose in clouds; I felt them collide until pairs interlocked, so to speak, making a stable combination."

"Ideas rose in clouds; I felt them collide until pairs interlocked, so to speak, making a stable combination."

Henri Poincare, French Mathematician

45

"Ideas have unhinged the gates of empires."

"Ideas have unhinged the gates of empires."

Paul Harris, American Entertainer

45

"As scientists, we keep an open mind, but we have to base our ideas about the past on archaeological evidence."

"As scientists, we keep an open mind, but we have to base our ideas about the past on archaeological evidence."

Zahi Hawass, Egyptian Scientist

Ideas, Mind, Open, Past

45

"When I am traveling in a carriage, or walking after a good meal, or during the night when I cannot sleep; it is on such occasions that ideas flow best and most abundantly."

"When I am traveling in a carriage, or walking after a good meal, or during the night when I cannot sleep; it is on such occasions that ideas flow best and most abundantly."

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Austrian Musician

Ideas, Night, Sleep, Traveling

45

"I'm still constantly thinking of ideas. I don't feel 90. I think I'm about 12."

"I'm still constantly thinking of ideas. I don't feel 90. I think I'm about 12."

Norman Wisdom, English Comedian

Ideas, Thinking

44

"It's really about living in your head... just looking out at the world, then going back into your head and tossing around a lot of ideas and coming out with something interesting to say."

"It's really about living in your head... just looking out at the world, then going back into your head and tossing around a lot of ideas and coming out with something interesting to say."

Lucinda Williams, American Musician

Ideas, Living, World

44

"I wanted to do Playboy to get across the same ideas I'm singing and writing about these days. It's all about proving that a woman can defy stereotypes."

"I wanted to do Playboy to get across the same ideas I'm singing and writing about these days. It's all about proving that a woman can defy stereotypes."

Jody Watley, American Musician

Ideas, Singing, Woman, Writing

44

"Even when I'm not directing, that doesn't stop Owen from having ideas for what I should be doing."

"Even when I'm not directing, that doesn't stop Owen from having ideas for what I should be doing."

Ben Stiller, American Comedian

44

"I loved planning 'The Tyra Show' more than actually having to do it. I loved coming up with show ideas, honing each program and crafting it. I'm more excited being in a meeting than being on TV."

"I loved planning 'The Tyra Show' more than actually having to do it. I loved coming up with show ideas, honing each program and crafting it. I'm more excited being in a meeting than being on TV."

Tyra Banks, American Model

Ideas, Being, Meeting, Planning

44

"Despite a few really bad days we had quite a lot of fun making Low, especially when all the radical ideas were making sense and things were starting to click."

"Despite a few really bad days we had quite a lot of fun making Low, especially when all the radical ideas were making sense and things were starting to click."

Tony Visconti, American Musician

Ideas, Fun, Radical, Sense

44

"Students need to learn how to think critically, how to argue opposing ideas. It is important for them to learn how to think. You can always cook."

"Students need to learn how to think critically, how to argue opposing ideas. It is important for them to learn how to think. You can always cook."

Charlie Trotter, American Celebrity

Ideas, Students

44

"The production team's first meeting took place at my house. I had ideas and a color scheme in mind, how I wanted the movie to look, because that has to be a real collaboration."

"The production team's first meeting took place at my house. I had ideas and a color scheme in mind, how I wanted the movie to look, because that has to be a real collaboration."

Debbie Allen, American Actress

Ideas, Collaboration, First, Meeting

43

"Acting school was summer camp, and I needed concentration camp. I had so many different ideas swirling between culture and how to tie things together."

"Acting school was summer camp, and I needed concentration camp. I had so many different ideas swirling between culture and how to tie things together."

Ajay Naidu, American Actor

Ideas, Acting, Culture, School

43

"Back when I was jamming with Axl and the guys they had boxes of cassettes with song ideas. How do you know which ones you like now when you have that many ideas."

"Back when I was jamming with Axl and the guys they had boxes of cassettes with song ideas. How do you know which ones you like now when you have that many ideas."

Zakk Wylde, American Musician

Ideas, Now, Song

43

"One of the ideas behind doing this acoustic record is that I didn't want to have to produce it by committee."

"One of the ideas behind doing this acoustic record is that I didn't want to have to produce it by committee."

Robyn Hitchcock, English Musician

Ideas, Committee, Want

43

"Whereas you have someone like Houdini, who works really, really hard to get really, really famous, and then has actual intellectual ideas that he puts into the culture that stay there."

"Whereas you have someone like Houdini, who works really, really hard to get really, really famous, and then has actual intellectual ideas that he puts into the culture that stay there."

Penn Jillette, American Entertainer

Ideas, Culture, Famous

43

"We have to do a film parody for Comic Relief. We can't decide which film to parody at the moment. Any ideas welcome, but not Spiderman owing to costume being too tight."

"We have to do a film parody for Comic Relief. We can't decide which film to parody at the moment. Any ideas welcome, but not Spiderman owing to costume being too tight."

Dawn French, British Comedian

Ideas, Being, Film

43

"Working together was a bit of a disaster. I'd tell him his ideas were cr*p and he'd say the same about mine."

"Working together was a bit of a disaster. I'd tell him his ideas were cr*p and he'd say the same about mine."

Daisy Donovan, British Actress

Ideas, Disaster

42

"Cartoons have always been an enjoyment to me... a relaxation... I get my ideas from everyday events."

"Cartoons have always been an enjoyment to me... a relaxation... I get my ideas from everyday events."

Matthew Ashford, American Actor

Ideas, Cartoons, Enjoyment, Events

42

"I think, you know, as an actor we get these terribly sort of pretentious ideas in our heads. We try to take everything very seriously at first, you know, until we lighten up, we get onboard, and have a laugh."

"I think, you know, as an actor we get these terribly sort of pretentious ideas in our heads. We try to take everything very seriously at first, you know, until we lighten up, we get onboard, and have a laugh."

Rosamund Pike, British Actress

Ideas, Actor, First

42

"Ray is very secretive about his ideas - why not, the times that the Kinks have been ripped off, especially in the early years, it makes you a little bit cautious about telling anybody what you're doing. And that's understandable."

"Ray is very secretive about his ideas - why not, the times that the Kinks have been ripped off, especially in the early years, it makes you a little bit cautious about telling anybody what you're doing. And that's understandable."

Dave Davies, British Musician

42

"A major fault, for example, is the fact that, along with the materialist principle, Darwin introduced into his theory of evolution reactionary Malthusian ideas."

"A major fault, for example, is the fact that, along with the materialist principle, Darwin introduced into his theory of evolution reactionary Malthusian ideas."

Trofim Lysenko, Russian Celebrity

Ideas, Evolution, Example, Fact

42

"I've always been very interested in the struggle for human rights, not just here but abroad, and I wanted to be an inside player in that struggle. I wanted to make the laws reflect our ideals and ideas in this democracy that is America."

"I've always been very interested in the struggle for human rights, not just here but abroad, and I wanted to be an inside player in that struggle. I wanted to make the laws reflect our ideals and ideas in this democracy that is America."

Leah Ward Sears, American Judge

Ideas, America, Democracy, Rights

42

"I used to want to be a children's writer, because I would have all these great ideas when I was little, and I'd write them and draw them, and turn them into class."

"I used to want to be a children's writer, because I would have all these great ideas when I was little, and I'd write them and draw them, and turn them into class."

Jena Malone, American Actress

Ideas, Children, Class, Want

41

bottom of page