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Ideals


Ideals

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Quotations

Thomas SowellAs history has also shown, especially in the twentieth century, one of the first things an ideologue will do after achieving absolute power is kill.

—  Thomas Sowell, 1930 -, American political thinker

12 likes
Fyodor DostoyevskyNeither a person nor a nation can exist without some higher idea. And there is only one higher idea on earth, and it is the idea of the immortality of the human soul.

—  Fyodor Dostoyevsky, 1821-1881, Russian writer

9 likes
George Bernard ShawYou see things; you say, “Why?” But I dream things that never were; and I say “Why not?”

—  George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish writer, Nobel 1925

8 likes
H.L. MenckenAn idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup.

—  H.L. Mencken, 1880-1956, American columnist & cultural critic

7 likes
Wolfgang GoetheLove is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing.

—  Wolfgang Goethe, 1749-1832, German poet & philosopher

7 likes
Rodney DangerfieldAt twenty, a man is full of fight and hope. He wants to reform the world. When he is seventy, he still wants to reform the world, but he knows he can’t.

—  Rodney Dangerfield, 1924-2004, American comedian

6 likes
Robert Oxton BoltA belief is not merely an idea the mind possesses; it is an idea that possesses the mind.

—  Robert Oxton Bolt, 1924-1955, British playwright

5 likes
Margaret AtwoodThere were a lot of utopias in the nineteenth century, wonderful societies that we might possibly construct. Those went pretty much out of fashion after World War I.

—  Margaret Atwood, 1939 -, Canadian writer

5 likes
John KennedyA man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.

—  John Kennedy, 1917-1963, American President [1961-1963]

4 likes
Georg Christoph LichtenbergEveryone is a genius at least once a year. The real geniuses simply have their bright ideas closer together.

—  Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, 1742-1799, German author of maxims

4 likes
Lawrence DurrellAn idea is like a rare bird which cannot be seen. What one sees is the trembling of the branch it has just left.

—  Lawrence Durrell, 1912-1990, British writer

3 likes
Henry David ThoreauIf you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.

—  Henry David Thoreau, 1817-1862, American writer

3 likes
Sri AurobindoAn aimless life is always a troubled life. Every individual should have an aim. But do not forget that the quality of your aim will depend the quality of your life. Your aim should be high and wide, generous and disinterested; this will make your life precious to yourself and to others.

—  Sri Aurobindo, 1872-1950, Indian nationalist, yogi & philosopher

3 likes
Pitigrilli (Dino Segre)There is no shame in changing your mind every day: to change your mind you need to have spare ideas.

—  Pitigrilli (Dino Segre), 1893-1975, Italian writer

2 likes
Emile M. CioranUtopia is a mixture of childish rationalism and secularized angelism.

—  Emile M. Cioran, 1911-1995, French-Romanian philosopher

2 likes
Emile M. CioranThe ideal being? An angel ravaged by humor.

—  Emile M. Cioran, 1911-1995, French-Romanian philosopher

2 likes
Immanuel KantHappiness is not an ideal of reason but of imagination.

—  Immanuel Kant, 1724-1804, German philosopher

2 likes
John KennedyI’m an idealist without illusions.

—  John Kennedy, 1917-1963, American President [1961-1963]

2 likes
Albert CamusThe opposite of an idealist is too often a man without love.

—  Albert Camus, 1913-1960, French writer, Nobel 1957

2 likes
Charles de GaulleFrance may still one day need an image that is pure... If Joan of Arc had married, she would no longer have been Joan of Arc.

—  Charles de Gaulle, 1890-1970, French President

2 likes
Carl SandburgI'm an idealist. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way.

—  Carl Sandburg, 1878-1967, American poet

2 likes
Karl KrausThe superman is a premature ideal, one that presupposes a man.

—  Karl Kraus, 1874-1936, Austrian writer

2 likes
Pierre-Joseph ProudhonThe newspapers are the cemeteries of ideas.

—  Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, 1809-1865, French anarchist

2 likes
P.J. O’ RourkeIdealism is based on big ideas. And, as anybody who has ever been asked "What's the big idea?" knows, most big ideas are bad ones.

—  P.J. O’ Rourke, 1947-2022, American columnist & writer

2 likes
Antoine RivarolOld age is not bearable without a great cause or a vice.

—  Antoine Rivarol, 1753-1801, French author of maxims

Thomas CarlyleOnce the mind has been expanded by a big idea, it will never go back to its original state.

—  Thomas Carlyle, 1795-1881, English writer

Nicolas Gomez DavilaIntelligence consists not in handling intelligent ideas, but in handling any idea intelligently.

—  Nicolas Gomez Davila, 1913-1994, Colombian writer

Nikos KazantzakisDon't be tempted to ask, “Will we win? Will we be defeated?” Just fight!

—  Nikos Kazantzakis, 1883-1957, Greek writer

Antoine RivarolIdeas are a capital that bears interest only in the hands of talent.

—  Antoine Rivarol, 1753-1801, French author of maxims

John SteinbeckIdeas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.

—  John Steinbeck, 1902-1968, American writer, Nobel 1962

Oliver W. Holmes Sr.Some people are so heavenly minded, that they are no earthly good.

—  Oliver W. Holmes Sr., 1809-1894, American writer

Oliver W. Holmes Sr.A man’s mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions.

—  Oliver W. Holmes Sr., 1809-1894, American writer

Gustave FlaubertShe was the amoureuse of all the novels, the heroine of all the plays, the vague “she” of all the poetry books.

—  Gustave Flaubert, 1821-1880, French writer ‐ Madame Bovary

Gustave FlaubertWithout ideality, there is no grandeur; without grandeur there is no beauty.

—  Gustave Flaubert, 1821-1880, French writer

BouddhaThe greatest gift is health. The greatest wealth is satisfaction. And the best relationship is faith.

—  Bouddha, 563-483 BC, Indian founder of Buddhism

Jean RostandIn our ideals we unwittingly reveal our vice.

—  Jean Rostand, 1894-1977, French scientist & philosopher

Rainer Maria RilkeFor one human being to love another; that is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks, the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation.

—  Rainer Maria Rilke, 1875-1926, Czech-German poet

André MalrauxMan can only be built by pursuing what exceeds him.

—  André Malraux, 1901-1976, French writer & statesman

William Hazlitt A really great man has always an idea of something greater than himself.

—  William Hazlitt , 1778-1830, English essayist & critic

Anatole FranceWe chase dreams and embrace shadows.

—  Anatole France, 1844-1924, French writer, Nobel 1921

Terry PratchettIf you trust in yourself.... and believe in your dreams.... and follow your star... you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.

—  Terry Pratchett, 1948-2015, British writer

Henry de MontherlantSince ideals have such an irresistible inclination to disappoint us, it is wisdom to have more than one.

—  Henry de Montherlant, 1895-1972, French writer

Henry de MontherlantIt’s not the reality that’s vulgar, it’s the ideal.

—  Henry de Montherlant, 1895-1972, French writer

Henry de MontherlantWoman’s ideal: to be served in the little things, and to serve in the big ones.

—  Henry de Montherlant, 1895-1972, French writer

Hermann HesseOnly the ideas that we actually live are of any value.

—  Hermann Hesse, 1877-1962, German writer, Nobel 1946

Henry MillerPolitical leaders are never leaders. For leaders we have to look to the Awakeners! Lao Tse, Buddha, Socrates, Jesus, Milarepa, Gurdjiev, Krishnamurti.

—  Henry Miller, 1891-1980, American writer

H.L. MenckenThe kind of man who wants the government to adopt and enforce his ideas is always the kind of man whose ideas are idiotic.

—  H.L. Mencken, 1880-1956, American columnist & cultural critic

Oliver W. Holmes Sr.A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience.

—  Oliver W. Holmes Sr., 1809-1894, American writer

Nicolas Gomez DavilaIdeas tyrannize the man who has but few.

—  Nicolas Gomez Davila, 1913-1994, Colombian writer

Funny Quotes

Ashleigh BrilliantFor me, it's always easy to choose between the Ultimate, the Infinite, and the Chocolate.

—  Ashleigh Brilliant, 1933-, British cartoonist & epigrammatist

P.J. O’ RourkeEverybody wants to save the world but nobody wants to help mom with the dishes.

—  P.J. O’ Rourke, 1947-2022, American columnist & writer




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