Quotes by Writer | Beyond Motive

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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

410

"To him, they looked like shadows that his wife had left behind. Size 7 shadows of his wife hung there in long rows, layer upon layer, as if someone had gathered and hung up samples of the infinite possibilities (or at least the theoretically infinite possibilities) implied in the existence of a human being."

"To him, they looked like shadows that his wife had left behind. Size 7 shadows of his wife hung there in long rows, layer upon layer, as if someone had gathered and hung up samples of the infinite possibilities (or at least the theoretically infinite possibilities) implied in the existence of a human being."

Haruki Murakami, Japanese Writer

Existence, Possibility, Humanity, Imagination

293

"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

247

"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

217

"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

205

"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

203

"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

200

"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

200

"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

187

"Someone who can write aphorisms should not fritter away his time in essays."

"Someone who can write aphorisms should not fritter away his time in essays."

Karl Kraus, Austrian Writer

Time, Aphorisms

182

"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

181

"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

181

"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

180

"An angry father is most cruel towards himself."

"An angry father is most cruel towards himself."

Publilius Syrus, Roman Writer

Planning, Father

179

"Nothing made by brute force lasts."

"Nothing made by brute force lasts."

Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish Writer

178

"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

175

"I had a terrible vision: I saw an encyclopedia walk up to a polymath and open him up."

"I had a terrible vision: I saw an encyclopedia walk up to a polymath and open him up."

Karl Kraus, Austrian Writer

173

"Boredom is always counter-revolutionary. Always."

"Boredom is always counter-revolutionary. Always."

Guy Debord, French Writer

173

"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

170

"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

167

"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

166

"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

166

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

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

Voltaire, French Writer

164

"To me, it's all about opening all the doors and getting people to be not only prolific, but creative and having control of their music."

"To me, it's all about opening all the doors and getting people to be not only prolific, but creative and having control of their music."

Eric Brown, British Writer

Music, People, Control

162

"What kind of world is this that can send machines to Mars and does nothing to stop the killing of a human being?"

"What kind of world is this that can send machines to Mars and does nothing to stop the killing of a human being?"

Jose Saramago, Portuguese Writer

Being, Killing, Machines, Nothing

162

"When suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool."

"When suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool."

Chinua Achebe, Nigerian Writer

Acceptance, Suffering, Worry

160

"Fact is we went on to do other things. But we still wanted to do our success like rock'n'roll stars."

"Fact is we went on to do other things. But we still wanted to do our success like rock'n'roll stars."

Joe Eszterhas, Hungarian Writer

Success, Fact, Stars

159

"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

159

"A solitary, unused to speaking of what he sees and feels, has mental experiences which are at once more intense and less articulate than those of a gregarious man."

"A solitary, unused to speaking of what he sees and feels, has mental experiences which are at once more intense and less articulate than those of a gregarious man."

Thomas Mann, German Writer

158

"A person needs a little madness, or else they never dare cut the rope and be free."

"A person needs a little madness, or else they never dare cut the rope and be free."

Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek Writer

Freedom, Madness, Needs

156

"Writing is not a profession but a vocation of unhappiness."

"Writing is not a profession but a vocation of unhappiness."

Georges Simenon, Belgian Writer

Writing, Profession, Unhappiness, Vocation

156

"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

154

"The period that I could consider the most important in my literary work came about beginning with the Revolution, and in a certain way, developed as a consequence of the Revolution. But it was also a result of the counterrevolutionary coup of November 1975."

"The period that I could consider the most important in my literary work came about beginning with the Revolution, and in a certain way, developed as a consequence of the Revolution. But it was also a result of the counterrevolutionary coup of November 1975."

Jose Saramago, Portuguese Writer

Work, Beginning, Revolution, Literary

154

"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

154

"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

154

"The youth is the hope of our future."

"The youth is the hope of our future."

Jose Rizal, Filipino Writer

Hope, Future, Youth

154

"I am human and let nothing human be alien to me."

"I am human and let nothing human be alien to me."

Terence, Roman Writer

153

"Superstition is to religion what astrology is to astronomy the mad daughter of a wise mother. These daughters have too long dominated the earth."

"Superstition is to religion what astrology is to astronomy the mad daughter of a wise mother. These daughters have too long dominated the earth."

Voltaire, French Writer

Religion, Mother, Daughter, Astrology

153

"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

152

"As I grew up, I was continually to suffer hardships in different realms of life - in my family, in my relationship to Japanese society and in my way of living at large in the latter half of the twentieth century."

"As I grew up, I was continually to suffer hardships in different realms of life - in my family, in my relationship to Japanese society and in my way of living at large in the latter half of the twentieth century."

Kenzaburo Oe, Japanese Writer

Life, Society, Family, Living

151

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

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

Alfred Jarry, French Writer

151

"There were also horror shows on the radio. Very terrifying and thrilling to me as a kid. They had all these creepy sound effects. They would come on at ten o'clock at night, and I just would scare myself to death."

"There were also horror shows on the radio. Very terrifying and thrilling to me as a kid. They had all these creepy sound effects. They would come on at ten o'clock at night, and I just would scare myself to death."

Jessica Hagedorn, Filipino Writer

Death, Horror, Night, Sound

149

"Words were not given to man in order to conceal his thoughts."

"Words were not given to man in order to conceal his thoughts."

Jose Saramago, Portuguese Writer

Thought, Thoughts, Man, Order, Words

147

"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

146

"The ideal reasoner, he remarked, would, when he had once been shown a single fact in all its bearings, deduce from it not only all the chain of events which led up to it but also all the results which would follow from it."

"The ideal reasoner, he remarked, would, when he had once been shown a single fact in all its bearings, deduce from it not only all the chain of events which led up to it but also all the results which would follow from it."

Arthur Conan Doyle, British Writer

Events, Fact, Results

145

"Is not the whole world a vast house of assignation of which the filing system has been lost?"

"Is not the whole world a vast house of assignation of which the filing system has been lost?"

Quentin Crisp, English Writer

144

"I wanted to live the inner life of every man I saw, look at the world through his eyes."

"I wanted to live the inner life of every man I saw, look at the world through his eyes."

Aleksandr I. Kuprin, Russian Writer

Life, Eyes, Man, World

143

"I presume that nobody will deny the positive aspects of the North American cultural world. These are well known to all. But these aspects do not make one forget the disastrous effects of the industrial and commercial process of 'cultural lamination' that the USA is perpetrating on the planet."

"I presume that nobody will deny the positive aspects of the North American cultural world. These are well known to all. But these aspects do not make one forget the disastrous effects of the industrial and commercial process of 'cultural lamination' that the USA is perpetrating on the planet."

Jose Saramago, Portuguese Writer

Positive, American, Forget, Will

143

"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

142

"It is difficult to understand these people who democratically take part in elections and a referendum, but are then incapable of democratically accepting the will of the people."

"It is difficult to understand these people who democratically take part in elections and a referendum, but are then incapable of democratically accepting the will of the people."

Jose Saramago, Portuguese Writer

People, Elections, Will

142

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