Past Quotes | Beyond Motive

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Past Quotes

"We make too much of that long groan which underlines the past."

"We make too much of that long groan which underlines the past."

Derek Walcott, Trinidadian Playwright

127

"It should be clear to all, after the past ten years, that NATO isn't attacking Serbia because of Milosevic; it is attacking Milosevic because of Serbia."

"It should be clear to all, after the past ten years, that NATO isn't attacking Serbia because of Milosevic; it is attacking Milosevic because of Serbia."

Slobodan Milosevic, Yugoslavian Criminal

120

"Photography can only represent the present. Once photographed, the subject becomes part of the past."

"Photography can only represent the present. Once photographed, the subject becomes part of the past."

Berenice Abbott, American Photographer

Past, Photography, Present

74

"The past is what you remember, imagine you remember, convince yourself you remember, or pretend you remember."

"The past is what you remember, imagine you remember, convince yourself you remember, or pretend you remember."

Harold Pinter, English Dramatist

67

"Kerry is an adult - he thinks things through. He learns from the present as well as the past. To George Bush, thinking things through is for sissies."

"Kerry is an adult - he thinks things through. He learns from the present as well as the past. To George Bush, thinking things through is for sissies."

Richard Dreyfuss, American Actor

Past, Present, Thinking

64

"Pursuing employment or climatic relief, we live in voluntary exile from our extended families and our longer past, but in an involuntary exile from ourselves and our own past."

"Pursuing employment or climatic relief, we live in voluntary exile from our extended families and our longer past, but in an involuntary exile from ourselves and our own past."

John Thorn, American Historian

63

"Prepare for the unknown by studying how others in the past have coped with the unforeseeable and the unpredictable."

"Prepare for the unknown by studying how others in the past have coped with the unforeseeable and the unpredictable."

George S. Patton, American Soldier

59

"What is past is prologue."

"What is past is prologue."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

59

"When I left prison, I had to figure out how to embrace my past."

"When I left prison, I had to figure out how to embrace my past."

Fernando Flores, Chilean Politician

56

"The past is malleable and flexible, changing as our recollection interprets and re-explains what has happened."

"The past is malleable and flexible, changing as our recollection interprets and re-explains what has happened."

Peter Berger, American Theologian

54

"The lessons of the past are ignored and obliterated in a contemporary antagonism known as the generation gap."

"The lessons of the past are ignored and obliterated in a contemporary antagonism known as the generation gap."

Spiro T. Agnew, American Politician

53

"My past is a bit checkered."

"My past is a bit checkered."

Kid Rock, American Musician

53

"Never revisit the past, that's dangerous. You know, move on."

"Never revisit the past, that's dangerous. You know, move on."

Robert Redford, American Actor

51

"One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present."

"One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present."

Golda Meir, Israeli Leader

50

"I want to praise activists through the years. I praise those of the past as well, to have them honored."

"I want to praise activists through the years. I praise those of the past as well, to have them honored."

Studs Terkel, American Journalist

Past, Praise, Want, Years

50

"There is no prodigy in our profession. If you see all the great singer of the past, none of them are."

"There is no prodigy in our profession. If you see all the great singer of the past, none of them are."

Luciano Pavarotti, Italian Musician

Past, Profession

49

"Nobody seriously believes in the social philosophies of the immediate past."

"Nobody seriously believes in the social philosophies of the immediate past."

Herbert Read, English Poet

49

"There have been a lot of changes in recruit training in the past twenty years."

"There have been a lot of changes in recruit training in the past twenty years."

R. Lee Ermey, American Soldier

Past, Training, Years

48

"When you are forty, half of you belongs to the past... And when you are seventy, nearly all of you."

"When you are forty, half of you belongs to the past... And when you are seventy, nearly all of you."

Jean Anouilh, French Playwright

48

"A novel is a static thing that one moves through; a play is a dynamic thing that moves past one."

"A novel is a static thing that one moves through; a play is a dynamic thing that moves past one."

Kenneth Tynan, English Critic

47

"Creeds and castes, and all forms of intellectual and emotional grouping, belong to the past."

"Creeds and castes, and all forms of intellectual and emotional grouping, belong to the past."

Herbert Read, English Poet

47

"In the past, I tried to be more of a typical session guitarist. I wasn't so concerned with impressing anybody."

"In the past, I tried to be more of a typical session guitarist. I wasn't so concerned with impressing anybody."

Brad Paisley, American Musician

47

"Look to the past and remember no empire rises that sooner or later won't fall."

"Look to the past and remember no empire rises that sooner or later won't fall."

Al Stewart, Scottish Musician

47

"I was always attracted to the past as a kid."

"I was always attracted to the past as a kid."

Stanley Tucci, American Actor

46

"You can't undo the past... but you can certainly not repeat it."

"You can't undo the past... but you can certainly not repeat it."

Bruce Willis, American Actor

46

"What is buried in the past of one generation falls to the next to claim."

"What is buried in the past of one generation falls to the next to claim."

Susan Griffin, American Writer

46

"Over the past several years, I've been more in a managerial role."

"Over the past several years, I've been more in a managerial role."

Dennis Ritchie, American Scientist

46

"Lefty Grove could throw a lamb chop past a wolf."

"Lefty Grove could throw a lamb chop past a wolf."

Arthur Baer, American Humorist

46

"One does not substitute oneself for the past, one merely adds to it a new link."

"One does not substitute oneself for the past, one merely adds to it a new link."

Paul Cezanne, French Artist

45

"I don't like parties past 2 am. Then it's all losers and weirdos."

"I don't like parties past 2 am. Then it's all losers and weirdos."

Paris Hilton, American Celebrity

45

"Some years I'm the coolest thing that ever happened, and then the next year everyone's so over me, and I'm just so past my sell date."

"Some years I'm the coolest thing that ever happened, and then the next year everyone's so over me, and I'm just so past my sell date."

Cher, American Musician

44

"I don't like to dwell on the past."

"I don't like to dwell on the past."

Tina Turner, American Musician

44

"Well, I wasn't going to tell anyone, but I've been seeing this really sweet guy for the past few weeks."

"Well, I wasn't going to tell anyone, but I've been seeing this really sweet guy for the past few weeks."

Amber Frey, American Celebrity

44

"If we are to put the past on trial, where do we stop?"

"If we are to put the past on trial, where do we stop?"

Craig Shirley, American Author

43

"Ah, beware of snobbery; it is the unwelcome recognition of one's own past failings."

"Ah, beware of snobbery; it is the unwelcome recognition of one's own past failings."

Cary Grant, American Actor

43

"An expert is someone who knows a lot about the past."

"An expert is someone who knows a lot about the past."

Tom Hopkins, American Businessman

43

"And on this you have my pledge - unlike in the past, when you stood up and did what was right, this governor will not pull the rug out from underneath you - I will sign strong reform bills."

"And on this you have my pledge - unlike in the past, when you stood up and did what was right, this governor will not pull the rug out from underneath you - I will sign strong reform bills."

Chris Christie, American Politician

Past, Reform, Right, Will

42

"From depicting the past, so goes the suspicion, it is a short step to glorifying the past."

"From depicting the past, so goes the suspicion, it is a short step to glorifying the past."

Lion Feuchtwanger, German Novelist

Past, Suspicion

42

"I do like to drive fast and I have gotten pulled over in the past. I use my skills to get out of tickets."

"I do like to drive fast and I have gotten pulled over in the past. I use my skills to get out of tickets."

Josie Maran, American Model

41

"We saw hundreds of programs to redevelop the central city, the neighborhoods, in the past."

"We saw hundreds of programs to redevelop the central city, the neighborhoods, in the past."

Jane Byrne, American Politician

41

"Duncan Aldrich has been my partner in most recording projects, and touring projects, for the past decade."

"Duncan Aldrich has been my partner in most recording projects, and touring projects, for the past decade."

Warren Zevon, American Musician

41

"I don't want to live on past records."

"I don't want to live on past records."

Barry Gibb, English Musician

40

"I wanted to get away from my past and everything connected with it."

"I wanted to get away from my past and everything connected with it."

Georg Solti, Hungarian Musician

40

"I appeared on a show with Jonathan Harris on it-the Bill Dana show-even before Lost In Space. Someone gave me a tape of it in the past year, but in all these years we hadn't remembered."

"I appeared on a show with Jonathan Harris on it-the Bill Dana show-even before Lost In Space. Someone gave me a tape of it in the past year, but in all these years we hadn't remembered."

Mark Goddard, American Actor

Past, Space, Years

40

"So when you put the kick in and the other runners go past you, it's game over!"

"So when you put the kick in and the other runners go past you, it's game over!"

Michael East, American Athlete

40

"We need not destroy the past. It is gone."

"We need not destroy the past. It is gone."

John Cage, American Composer

39

"Out of the past come the standards for judging the present; standards in turn to be shaped by the practice of present-day dramatists into broader standards for the next generation."

"Out of the past come the standards for judging the present; standards in turn to be shaped by the practice of present-day dramatists into broader standards for the next generation."

George P. Baker, American Theorist

Past, Practice, Present

39

"President Bush has consistently used rhetoric, and that is not convincing given his past record."

"President Bush has consistently used rhetoric, and that is not convincing given his past record."

Grace Napolitano, American Politician

Past, President, Rhetoric

39

"The segregated schools of today are arguably no more equal than the segregated schools of the past."

"The segregated schools of today are arguably no more equal than the segregated schools of the past."

Ed Markey, American Politician

Past, Schools, Today

39

"Polls are frequently taken to try to tease out or determine likely directions and trends, but once taken, they belong to the past, requiring that new polls be taken."

"Polls are frequently taken to try to tease out or determine likely directions and trends, but once taken, they belong to the past, requiring that new polls be taken."

Alan Dundes, American Educator

39

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