“We ought not to desire the impossible.”

“Desire backed by faith knows no such word as impossible.”

Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) American author

“Without effort and change, human life cannot remain good. It is not a finished Utopia that we ought to desire, but a world where imagination and hope are alive and active.”

Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) logician, one of the first analytic philosophers and political activist

“It is difficult, if not impossible, to define the limit of our reasonable desires in respect of possessions.”

Arthur Schopenhauer book Aphorisms on the Wisdom of Life

“The saints that be in Heaven, they will to know nothing but that which our Lord willeth to shew them: and also their charity and their desire is ruled after the will of our Lord: and thus ought we to will, like to them. Then shall we nothing will nor desire but the will of our Lord, as they do: for we are all one in God’s seeing.”

Julian of Norwich (1342–1416) English theologian and anchoress

“Our credulity is a part of the imperfection of our natures. It is inherent in us to desire to generalize, when we ought, on the contrary, to guard ourselves very carefully from this tendency.”

Napoleon I of France (1769–1821) French general, First Consul and later Emperor of the French

“The destruction was mutual. We went to Vietnam without any desire to capture territory or impose American will on other people. I don't feel that we ought to apologize or castigate ourselves or to assume the status of culpability.”

Jimmy Carter (1924) American politician, 39th president of the United States (in office from 1977 to 1981)

“As long as you have certain desires about how it ought to be you can't see how it is.”

Ram Dass (1931–2019) American contemporary spiritual teacher and the author of the 1971 book Be Here Now

“It is impossible to travel faster than light, and certainly not desirable, as one's hat keeps blowing off.”

Woody Allen book Side Effects

“Since you cannot live without desires, therefore it is impossible to run away from realisations too.”

Mwanandeke Kindembo (1996) Congolese author