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Change

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Quotations

Charles DarwinIt is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.

—  Charles Darwin, 1809-1882, British scientist

36 likes
Jean JauresWhen people can not change things, they change the words.

—  Jean Jaures, 1859-1914, French Socialist leader

28 likes
Lao-TzuWhat the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly.

—  Lao-Tzu, 6th cent. BC, Chinese philosopher

17 likes
Fyodor DostoyevskyEverybody wants to change the world, but nobody thinks about changing himself.

—  Fyodor Dostoyevsky, 1821-1881, Russian writer

15 likes
William JamesYou can alter your life by altering the state of your mind.

—  William James, 1842-1910, American philosopher

15 likes
Will DurantCivilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.

—  Will Durant, 1885-1981, American historian & philosopher

14 likes
Lao-TzuIf you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.

—  Lao-Tzu, 6th cent. BC, Chinese philosopher

13 likes
Georg Christoph LichtenbergI cannot say whether things will get better if we change; what I can say is that they must change if they are to get better.

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

10 likes
Laurence J PeterIn spite of warnings, nothing much happens until the status quo becomes more painful than change.

—  Laurence J Peter, 1919-1990, Canadian writer & educator

10 likes
Bertolt BrechtLittle changes are the enemies of great changes.

—  Bertolt Brecht, 1898-1956, German writer

10 likes
Winston ChurchillTo improve is to change, so to be perfect is to change often.

—  Winston Churchill, 1874-1965, British Prime Minister, Nobel 1953

9 likes
Marcel ProustTime, which changes people, does not alter the image we have of them.

—  Marcel Proust, 1871-1922, French writer

8 likes
RumiYesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.

—  Rumi, 1207-1273, Persian mystic & poet

8 likes
George Bernard ShawProgress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

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

8 likes
HeraclitusNo man can step twice into the same river.

—  Heraclitus, 544-484 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

8 likes
Steve JobsThe people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.

—  Steve Jobs, 1955-2011, American businessman

7 likes
Marlen DietrichMost women set out to try to change a man, and when they have changed him they do not like him.

—  Marlen Dietrich, 1901-1992, German-American actress

6 likes
Alfred North WhiteheadThe art of progress is to preserve order amid change, and to preserve change amid order.

—  Alfred North Whitehead, 1861-1947, British philosopher & mathematician

6 likes
NapoleonVariety made the Revolution. Liberty was just a pretext.

—  Napoleon, 1769-1821, French Emperor

5 likes
Benjamin DisraeliIn a progressive country, change is constant… change is inevitable.

—  Benjamin Disraeli, 1804-1881, British Prime Minister

5 likes
Elbert HubbardIf your religion does not change you, then you had better change your religion.

—  Elbert Hubbard, 1856-1915, American writer

5 likes
Francis BaconThings alter for the worse spontaneously, if they be not altered for the better designedly.

—  Francis Bacon, 1561-1626, English philosopher

5 likes
David Lloyd GeorgeDon't be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated; you can't cross a chasm in two small jumps.

—  David Lloyd George, 1863-1945, British Prime Minister [1916-1922]

4 likes
George Bernard ShawThe only man I know who behaves sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measurements anew each time he sees me. The rest go on with their old measurements and expect me to fit them.

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

4 likes
Arthur SchopenhauerChange alone is eternal, perpetual, immortal.

—  Arthur Schopenhauer, 1788-1860, German philosopher

4 likes
Eric HofferIn a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.

—  Eric Hoffer, 1902-1983, American writer & philosopher

4 likes
Karl JungWe cannot change anything unless we accept it.

—  Karl Jung, 1875-1961, Swiss psychiatrist

4 likes
Anton ChekhovIn nature a repulsive caterpillar turns into a lovely butterfly. But with human beings it is the other way round: a lovely butterfly turns into a repulsive caterpillar.

—  Anton Chekhov, 1860-1904, Russian writer

4 likes
Dwight EisenhowerChange based on principle is progress. Constant change without principle becomes chaos.

—  Dwight Eisenhower, 1890-1969, American general & President

4 likes
John WoodenAlthough there is no progress without change, not all change is progress.

—  John Wooden, 1910-2010, American basketball coach

3 likes
Timothy LearyYou're only as young as the last time you changed your mind.

—  Timothy Leary, 1920-1996, American psychologist

3 likes
Mahatma GandhiOur greatest ability as humans is not to change the world; but to change ourselves.

—  Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948, Indian leader of independence

3 likes
Marquis de SadeWhy do you complain of your fate when you could so easily change it?

—  Marquis de Sade, 1740-1814, French writer

3 likes
Charles BaudelaireThis life is a hospital where each patient is possessed by the desire to change his bed.

—  Charles Baudelaire, 1821-1867, French poet

3 likes
Jim RohnIf you don’t like how things are, change it! You’re not a tree.

—  Jim Rohn, 1930-2009, American self-help speker

3 likes
William JamesThere are 3 rules to follow if you want to change: Start immediately. Do it flamboyantly. No exceptions.

—  William James, 1842-1910, American philosopher

3 likes
Karl JungDon’t hold on to someone who’s leaving, otherwise you won’t meet the one who’s coming.

—  Karl Jung, 1875-1961, Swiss psychiatrist

3 likes
Bill WattersonYou know what's weird? Day by day, nothing seems to change, but pretty soon...everything's different.

—  Bill Watterson, 1958-, American cartoonist

3 likes
Henry MillerWhy change the world? Change worlds!

—  Henry Miller, 1891-1980, American writer

3 likes
Samuel Taylor ColeridgeEvery reform, however necessary, will by weak minds be carried to an excess, that itself will need reforming.

—  Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1772-1834, English poet & philosopher

3 likes
Andy WarholThey always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.

—  Andy Warhol, 1928-1987, American artist

2 likes
John KennedyChange is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.

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

2 likes
Karl JungThe meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed

—  Karl Jung, 1875-1961, Swiss psychiatrist

2 likes
Jim RohnWe generally change ourselves for one of two reasons: inspiration or desperation.

—  Jim Rohn, 1930-2009, American self-help speker

2 likes
Karl MarxThe philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it.

—  Karl Marx, 1818-1883, German philosopher

2 likes
Karl LagerfeldI like to reinvent myself — it’s part of my job.

—  Karl Lagerfeld, 1933-2019, German fashion designer

2 likes
Karl LagerfeldI am a fashion person, and fashion is not only about clothes -- it's about all kinds of change.

—  Karl Lagerfeld, 1933-2019, German fashion designer

2 likes
Arthur ClarkeThe dinosaurs disappeared because they could not adapt to their changing environment. We shall disappear if we cannot adapt to an environment that now contains spaceships, computers — and thermonuclear weapons.

—  Arthur Clarke, 1917-2008, British Sci-Fi writer

2 likes
Bob RossIf you don’t like it, change it. It’s your world.

—  Bob Ross, 1942-1995, American painter & TV personality

Gertrude SteinIt is the human habit to think in centuries from a grandparent to a grandchild because it just does take about a hundred years for things to cease to have the same meaning as they did before.

—  Gertrude Stein, 1874-1946, American writer

Franz KafkaAs Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.

—  Franz Kafka, 1883-1924, Bohemian writer

     (“The Metamorphosis”)

George EliotNo story is the same to us after a lapse of time; or rather we who read it are no longer the same interpreters.

—  George Eliot, 1819-1880, English writer

Victor FranklWhen we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.

—  Victor Frankl, 1905-1997, Austrian neurologist

AnonymousA baby makes love stronger, the days shorter, the nights longer, savings smaller, and a home happier.

—  Anonymous

Gustave FlaubertThe heart, like the stomach, wants a varied diet.

—  Gustave Flaubert, 1821-1880, French writer

Aldοus HuxleyWe don’t want to change. Every change is a menace to stability.

—  Aldοus Huxley, 1894-1963, English writer

Rainer Maria RilkeLove is the unique opportunity to mature, to take shape, to become a world for the love of the loved one.

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

Bertolt BrechtReality changes; in order to represent it, modes of representation must change.

—  Bertolt Brecht, 1898-1956, German writer

Bertolt BrechtBecause things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are.

—  Bertolt Brecht, 1898-1956, German writer

Coco ChanelA woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life.

—  Coco Chanel, 1883-1971, French fashion designer

Robert Louis StevensonThe true wisdom is to be always seasonable, and to change with a good grace in changing circumstances.

—  Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850-1894, Scottish writer

Sri AurobindoTo hope for a true change of human life without a change of human nature is an irrational and unspiritual proposition.

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

Henry MillerIt is almost banal to say so yet it needs to be stressed continually: all is creation, all is change, all is flux, all is metamorphosis.

—  Henry Miller, 1891-1980, American writer

Henry MillerI soon found out you can’t change the world. The best you can do is to learn to live with it.

—  Henry Miller, 1891-1980, American writer

Ashleigh BrilliantSome changes are so slow, you don't notice them,
others are so fast, they don't notice you.

—  Ashleigh Brilliant, 1933-, British cartoonist & epigrammatist

Ashleigh BrilliantNothing we do can change the past, but everything we do changes the future.

—  Ashleigh Brilliant, 1933-, British cartoonist & epigrammatist

Ashleigh BrilliantThings are sometimes better left as they are, but you can't be sure until you change them.

—  Ashleigh Brilliant, 1933-, British cartoonist & epigrammatist

Søren KierkegaardThe world is rejuvenated, but as Heine so wittily remarked, it was rejuvenated by romanticism to such a degree that it became a baby again.

—  Søren Kierkegaard, 1813-1855, Danish philosopher

Robert M. PirsigThe place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands.

—  Robert M. Pirsig, 1928-2017, American writer

VespasianDear me, I believe I am becoming a god.

—  Vespasian, 9-79 AD, Roman Emperor

     (when he sensed imminent death)

Alphonse de LamartinThere is no man more complete than the one who travelled a lot, who changed the shape of his thoughts and his life twenty times.

—  Alphonse de Lamartin, 1790-1869, French poet

Susan SontagAnything in history or nature that can be described as changing steadily can be seen as heading toward catastrophe.

—  Susan Sontag, 1933-2004, American writer, critic, activist

Susan SontagI must change my life so that I can live it, not wait for it.

—  Susan Sontag, 1933-2004, American writer, critic, activist

Thomas SowellPeople who talk incessantly about “change” are often dogmatically set in their ways. They want to change other people.

—  Thomas Sowell, 1930 -, American political thinker

Latin Quotes

OvidAll change, nothing perishes.

Omnia mutantur, nihil interit.

—  Ovid, 43 BC-17 AD, Roman poet

40 likes
VirgilWoman is ever a fickle and changeable thing.

Varium et mutabile semper Femina.

—  Virgil, 70-19 BC, Roman poet

34 likes
Latin phraseNature does not make jumps.

Natura non facit saltus.

—  Latin phrase

     (meaning: natural things and properties change gradually)

14 likes
Latin phraseOnce the necessary changes having been made.

Mutatis mutandis.

—  Latin phrase

10 likes

Quotes in Verse

Robert FrostMost of the change we think we see in life
Is due to truths being in and out of favor.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

3 likes

Funny Quotes

Mark TwainPoliticians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.

—  Mark Twain, 1835-1910, American writer

17 likes

Ancient Greek

HeraclitusEverything flows, nothing stands still.

Τα πάντα ρει και ουδέν μένει.

—  Heraclitus, 544-484 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

26 likes
Marcus AureliusThe universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.

Ο κόσμος αλλοίωσις, ο βίος υπόληψις.

—  Marcus Aurelius, 121-180 AD, Roman Emperor ‐ Meditations IV, 3

16 likes
HeraclitusNo man can step twice into the same river.

Ποταμώ ουκ έστιν εμβήναι δις τω αυτώ.

—  Heraclitus, 544-484 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

10 likes
AristotleIn all things, change is sweet.

Μεταβολή δε πάντων γλυκύ.

—  Aristotle, 384-322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher

4 likes
Marcus AureliusIs somebody afraid of change? But what can take place without change?

Φοβείταί τις μεταβολήν; τι γαρ δύναται χωρίς μεταβολής γενέσθαι;

—  Marcus Aurelius, 121-180 AD, Roman Emperor ‐ Meditations VII, 18

4 likes
Marcus AureliusAll things are in the process of changing; and you yourself are in continuous mutation and in continuous wear and the whole universe too.

Πάντα εν μεταβολήι· και αυτός συ εν διηνεκεί αλλοιώσει και κατά τι φθορά, και ο κόσμος δε όλος.

—  Marcus Aurelius, 121-180 AD, Roman Emperor ‐ Meditations IX, 19

3 likes
Ancient Greek phraseAnother life, another way of life.

Άλλος βίος, άλλη δίαιτα.

—  Ancient Greek phrase

3 likes
EuripidesIn all things change is sweet.

Μεταβολή πάντων γλυκύ.

—  Euripides, 480-406 BC, Ancient Greek tragedian ‐ Orestes

2 likes

Proverbs

English proverbVariety is the spice of life.

—  English proverb

3 likes
International proverbDon't change horses in midstream.

—  International proverb

2 likes
French proverbThe more it changes, the more it stays the same.

Plus ça change, plus c'est pareil.

—  French proverb

2 likes

Movie Quotes

The Wizard of Oz (1939)Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.

—  from the film The Wizard of Oz (1939)

4 likes



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