“Men of lofty genius when they are doing the least work are most active.”
Leonardo Da Vinci (1452–1519) Italian Renaissance polymath
Quotes of famous people
Popular topics
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Tupac Shakur154
rapper and actor 1971–1996Barack Obama1158
44th President of the United States of America 1961William Shakespeare699
English playwright and poet 1564–1616George Orwell473
English author and journalist 1903–1950Oscar Wilde812
Irish writer and poet 1854–1900Recommended quotes
“The first true love is always the last one.”
Andrzej Majewski (1966) Polish writer and photographer
Aphorisms. Magnum in Parvo (2000)
Yukio Mishima (1925–1970) Japanese author
Addressing the SPF Garrison at Ichigaya Camp during his failed coup attempt, as quoted at "Yukio Mishima" by Kerry Bolton at Counter Currents Publishing http://www.counter-currents.com/2011/01/yukio-mishima-2/; upon going back inside he is said to have commented to his followers: "I don't think they even heard me". <br class="br">Final address (1970)
“… living is merely the chaos of existence…”
Yukio Mishima book The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea
Source: The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea
“If you're going through rough times, just stick around, cause everything has to end eventually.”
Mckenna Grace (2006) American child actress
McKenna Grace [citation needed]
“You can do anything you put your mind to and just to follow your dreams.”
Mckenna Grace (2006) American child actress
McKenna Grace [citation needed]
Adi Shankara (788–820) Hindu philosopher monk of 8th century
Source: Atma Bodha (1987), p. 98-101: Quote nr. 52 - 54.
Context: Though he lives in the conditionings (Upadhis), he, the contemplative one, remains ever unconcerned with anything or he may move about like the wind, perfectly unattached.
On the destruction of the Upadhis, the contemplative one is totally absorbed in "Vishnu", the All-pervading Spirit, like water into water, space into space and light into light.
Realise That to be Brahman, the attainment of which leaves nothing more to be attained, the blessedness of which leaves no other blessing to be desired and the knowledge of which leaves nothing more to be known.
“It is better to be addicted to opium than to be addicted to money.”
Nico (1938–1988) German musician, model and actress, one of Warhol's superstars
On her "soul brother" Jim Morrison, as quoted in Life and Lies of an Icon (1995) by Richard Witts.
Context: I think he was the first man I met who was not afraid of me in some way. We were very similar, like brother and sister. Our spirits are similar. We were the same height and the same age, almost … He was well read and he introduced me to William Blake and also the English Romantic poets who came after him. Jim liked Shelley. I preferred Coleridge. In fact, he is my favoured poet of all time. Did you know they were all drug addicts? Coleridge was addicted to opium. It is better to be addicted to opium than to be addicted to money.
Björn Andrésen (1955) actor, musician
Quoted in Matt Seaton, "I feel used," The Guardian, 16 October 2003
“The telephone becomes an instrument of torture in the demonic hands of a beloved who doesn't call.”
Alain de Botton (1969) Swiss writer
Source: On Love
“All know that the drop merges into the ocean, but few know that the ocean merges into the drop.”
Kabir (1440–1518) Indian mystic poet
Al-Maʿarri (973–1057) Medieval Arab philosopher
As quoted in "The Meditations of Al-Maʿarri", Studies in Islamic Poetry (1921) by R. A. Nicholson, Verse 197, pp. 134–135
“Male domination is so rooted in our collective unconscious that we no longer even see it.”
Pierre Bourdieu (1930–2002) French sociologist, anthropologist, and philosopher
(1998), " On male domination http://mondediplo.com/1998/10/10bourdieu" Le Monde Diplomatique, Oct. 10, 1998
“The joy of youth is to disobey, but the trouble is that there are no longer any orders.”
Jean Cocteau (1889–1963) French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, boxing manager and filmmaker
As quoted in Geary's Guide to the World's Great Aphorists (2007) by James Geary, p. 271
