Quotes by Writer | Beyond Motive

top of page

Quotes by Writer

"When a man lies he murders some part of the world. These are the pale deaths men miscall their lives."

"When a man lies he murders some part of the world. These are the pale deaths men miscall their lives."

Paul Gerhardt, German Writer

Man, Men, Lies, World

320

"Junk is the ideal product... the ultimate merchandise. No sales talk necessary. The client will crawl through a sewer and beg to buy."

"Junk is the ideal product... the ultimate merchandise. No sales talk necessary. The client will crawl through a sewer and beg to buy."

William S. Burroughs, American Writer

Advertising, Sales, Talk, Will

161

"He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination."

"He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination."

Jose Rizal, Filipino Writer

128

"Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity."

"Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity."

Voltaire, French Writer

Thought, Thoughts, Awareness, Consciousness, Infinity

123

"Our lives improve only when we take chances - and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves."

"Our lives improve only when we take chances - and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves."

Walter Anderson, German Writer

Wisdom, First, Risk

107

"Use, do not abuse; neither abstinence nor excess ever renders man happy."

"Use, do not abuse; neither abstinence nor excess ever renders man happy."

Voltaire, French Writer

Personal, Abstinence, Abuse, Excess, Man

99

"I want to do to you what spring does with the cherry trees."

"I want to do to you what spring does with the cherry trees."

Pablo Neruda, Chilean Writer

Romantic, Spring, Trees, Want

98

"Taught from infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison."

"Taught from infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison."

Mary Wollstonecraft, British Writer

Beauty, Body, Mind, Prison

97

"Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive."

"Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive."

Elbert Hubbard, American Writer

92

"While a people preserves its language; it preserves the marks of liberty."

"While a people preserves its language; it preserves the marks of liberty."

Jose Rizal, Filipino Writer

People, Language, Liberty

90

"In a decaying society, art, if it is truthful, must also reflect decay. And unless it wants to break faith with its social function, art must show the world as changeable. And help to change it."

"In a decaying society, art, if it is truthful, must also reflect decay. And unless it wants to break faith with its social function, art must show the world as changeable. And help to change it."

Ernst Fischer, Austrian Writer

Faith, Art, Change, Society

89

"The youth is the hope of our future."

"The youth is the hope of our future."

Jose Rizal, Filipino Writer

Hope, Future, Youth

87

"The appalling thing is the degree of charity women are capable of. You see it all the time... love lavished on absolute fools. Love's a charity ward, you know."

"The appalling thing is the degree of charity women are capable of. You see it all the time... love lavished on absolute fools. Love's a charity ward, you know."

Lawrence Durrell, British Writer

Love, Women, Time, Charity

86

"The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting."

"The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting."

Milan Kundera, Czechoslovakian Writer

Power, Man, Memory, Struggle

85

"Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions."

"Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions."

Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian Writer

Man, Men, Needs, Victims, Will

83

"A handful of men, inured to war, proceed to certain victory, while on the contrary, numerous armies of raw and undisciplined troops are but multitudes of men dragged to the slaughter."

"A handful of men, inured to war, proceed to certain victory, while on the contrary, numerous armies of raw and undisciplined troops are but multitudes of men dragged to the slaughter."

Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, Roman Writer

Man, Men, War, Victory, Troops

77

"Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue."

"Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue."

Francois de La Rochefoucauld, French Writer

Virtue, Hypocrisy, Vice

76

"Everything can be killed except nostalgia for the kingdom, we carry it in the color of our eyes, in every love affair, in everything that deeply torments and unties and tricks."

"Everything can be killed except nostalgia for the kingdom, we carry it in the color of our eyes, in every love affair, in everything that deeply torments and unties and tricks."

Julio Cortazar, Argentinian Writer

Love, Eyes, Nostalgia

75

"It has been my experience, that women possess little or no pride where love affairs are concerned. Pride is a quality often on their lips, but not apparent in their actions."

"It has been my experience, that women possess little or no pride where love affairs are concerned. Pride is a quality often on their lips, but not apparent in their actions."

Agatha Christie, English Writer

Gender, Pride, Love, Women, Behavior

75

"Boredom is always counter-revolutionary. Always."

"Boredom is always counter-revolutionary. Always."

Guy Debord, French Writer

74

"Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness."

"Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness."

Napoleon Hill, American Writer

Success, Sacrifice, Achievement, Result, Selfishness

73

"Strengthen the female mind by enlarging it, and there will be an end to blind obedience."

"Strengthen the female mind by enlarging it, and there will be an end to blind obedience."

Mary Wollstonecraft, British Writer

Gender, Blind, End, Mind, Obedience

72

"No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking."

"No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking."

Voltaire, French Writer

72

"We are justified in enforcing good morals, for they belong to all mankind; but we are not justified in enforcing good manners, for good manners always mean our own manners."

"We are justified in enforcing good morals, for they belong to all mankind; but we are not justified in enforcing good manners, for good manners always mean our own manners."

Gilbert K. Chesterton, English Writer

Mankind, Manners, Morals

72

"The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way."

"The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way."

Dale Carnegie, American Writer

Education, Successful, Man, Mistakes, Profit

71

"When I wrote my book I wanted to love someone. I wanted to be in love. Now I know that I shall never be in love - and I no longer wish to be."

"When I wrote my book I wanted to love someone. I wanted to be in love. Now I know that I shall never be in love - and I no longer wish to be."

Mary MacLane, Canadian Writer

69

"Not only is our love for our children sometimes tinged with annoyance, discouragement, and disappointment, the same is true for the love our children feel for us."

"Not only is our love for our children sometimes tinged with annoyance, discouragement, and disappointment, the same is true for the love our children feel for us."

Bruno Bettelheim, Italian Writer

Love, Children, Disappointment, Discouragement

67

"Only in dreams, in poetry, in play do we sometimes arrive at what we were before we were this thing that, who knows, we are."

"Only in dreams, in poetry, in play do we sometimes arrive at what we were before we were this thing that, who knows, we are."

Julio Cortazar, Argentinian Writer

Dream, Dreams, Poetry, Play

67

"The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous."

"The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous."

Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian Writer

Act, Fact, Grief, Man

66

"God is the tangential point between zero and infinity."

"God is the tangential point between zero and infinity."

Alfred Jarry, French Writer

66

"An angry father is most cruel towards himself."

"An angry father is most cruel towards himself."

Publilius Syrus, Roman Writer

Planning, Father

65

"You can hesitate before deciding, but not once the decision is made."

"You can hesitate before deciding, but not once the decision is made."

Jose Bergamin, Spanish Writer

Decision-Making, Decision

65

"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."

"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."

Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish Writer

64

"One is not exposed to danger who, even when in safety is always on their guard."

"One is not exposed to danger who, even when in safety is always on their guard."

Publilius Syrus, Roman Writer

Wisdom, Danger, Safety

62

"I turned my home state of Florida into the Land of Xanth."

"I turned my home state of Florida into the Land of Xanth."

Piers Anthony, English Writer

Home, Land, State

62

"I'm preparing for a multimedia theater piece, Airport Music, that's coming up in New York City."

"I'm preparing for a multimedia theater piece, Airport Music, that's coming up in New York City."

Jessica Hagedorn, Filipino Writer

61

"I don't know what issues concerning identity have helped contemporary fiction evolve to what it is now. All I know is that the range of voices that are being heard and published is a lot more diverse than when I was coming up."

"I don't know what issues concerning identity have helped contemporary fiction evolve to what it is now. All I know is that the range of voices that are being heard and published is a lot more diverse than when I was coming up."

Jessica Hagedorn, Filipino Writer

Being, Fiction, Identity, Now

59

"It would have shown people that I was prepared to do that kind of work, although I find myself in a position now where I don't really need to and I could pick and choose the kind of characters I'd like to do."

"It would have shown people that I was prepared to do that kind of work, although I find myself in a position now where I don't really need to and I could pick and choose the kind of characters I'd like to do."

Garth Ennis, Irish Writer

Work, People, Now

59

"I was uncomfortable writing fiction. My love was the personal essay, rather than the novel."

"I was uncomfortable writing fiction. My love was the personal essay, rather than the novel."

Alain de Botton, English Writer

Love, Fiction, Writing

59

"I think for a lot of so-called post-colonial peoples, there's a feeling of not being quite legitimate, of not being pure enough."

"I think for a lot of so-called post-colonial peoples, there's a feeling of not being quite legitimate, of not being pure enough."

Jessica Hagedorn, Filipino Writer

Being, Feeling, Post

59

"Nothing made by brute force lasts."

"Nothing made by brute force lasts."

Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish Writer

58

"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional."

"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional."

Haruki Murakami, Japanese Writer

Resilience, Pain, Suffering, Choice

58

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."

Philip K. Dick, American Writer

58

"There's no such thing as perfect writing, just like there's no such thing as perfect despair."

"There's no such thing as perfect writing, just like there's no such thing as perfect despair."

Haruki Murakami, Japanese Writer

Despair, Writing

56

"Women are oppressed in the east, in the west, in the south, in the north. Women are oppressed inside, outside home, a woman is oppressed in religion, she is oppressed outside religion."

"Women are oppressed in the east, in the west, in the south, in the north. Women are oppressed inside, outside home, a woman is oppressed in religion, she is oppressed outside religion."

Taslima Nasrin, Bangladeshi Writer

Religion, Women, Home, Woman

56

"Momo listened to everyone and everything - even to the rain and the wind and the pine trees - and all of them spoke to her after their own fashion."

"Momo listened to everyone and everything - even to the rain and the wind and the pine trees - and all of them spoke to her after their own fashion."

Michael Ende, German Writer

Fashion, Rain, Trees, Wind

56

"He who does not love his own language is worse than an animal and smelly fish."

"He who does not love his own language is worse than an animal and smelly fish."

Jose Rizal, Filipino Writer

Love, Fish, Language

56

"Simplicity, clarity, singleness: These are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy as they are also the marks of great art. They seem to be the purpose of God for his whole creation."

"Simplicity, clarity, singleness: These are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy as they are also the marks of great art. They seem to be the purpose of God for his whole creation."

Richard Holloway, Scottish Writer

Power, Art, God, Purpose

56

"Everything in the world has its reasons for doing what it does. The wind has its reasons. We just don't notice as we go about our lives. But then, at some point, we are made to notice. The wind envelops you with a certain purpose in mind, and it rocks you. The wind knows everything that's inside you. And not just the wind. Everything, including a stone. They all know us very well. From top to bottom. It only occurs to us at certain times. And all we can do is go with those things. As we take them in, we survive, and deepen."

"Everything in the world has its reasons for doing what it does. The wind has its reasons. We just don't notice as we go about our lives. But then, at some point, we are made to notice. The wind envelops you with a certain purpose in mind, and it rocks you. The wind knows everything that's inside you. And not just the wind. Everything, including a stone. They all know us very well. From top to bottom. It only occurs to us at certain times. And all we can do is go with those things. As we take them in, we survive, and deepen."

Haruki Murakami, Japanese Writer

Nature, Reason, Purpose, Survival

55

"I love writing dialogue, and I think a lot of my writing is visual and very cinematic."

"I love writing dialogue, and I think a lot of my writing is visual and very cinematic."

Jessica Hagedorn, Filipino Writer

55

bottom of page