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

109

"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

98

"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

69

"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

60

"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

59

"What is past is prologue."

"What is past is prologue."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

59

"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

58

"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

57

"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

54

"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

53

"My past is a bit checkered."

"My past is a bit checkered."

Kid Rock, American Musician

52

"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

50

"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

47

"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

46

"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

45

"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

45

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

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

Arthur Baer, American Humorist

45

"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

45

"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

45

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

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

Stanley Tucci, American Actor

44

"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

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

"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

43

"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

43

"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

42

"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

42

"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

41

"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

41

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

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

Tina Turner, American Musician

40

"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

40

"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

39

"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

39

"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

39

"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

38

"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

38

"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

38

"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

37

"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

37

"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

37

"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

37

"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

37

"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

36

"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

36

"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

35

"In reality, the past is preserved by itself automatically."

"In reality, the past is preserved by itself automatically."

Henri Bergson, French Scientist

35

"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

35

"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

35

"The past cannot be cured."

"The past cannot be cured."

Elizabeth I, English Royalty

34

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

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

Barry Gibb, English Musician

34

"If you go too soon, you can come unstuck with 50m left when the guys are going past you."

"If you go too soon, you can come unstuck with 50m left when the guys are going past you."

Michael East, American Athlete

34

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