“What Is, is, what Was, was, but what is To Be, may be otherwise.”

“Things are not what they appear to be: nor are they otherwise.”

Gautama Buddha (-563–-483 BC) philosopher, reformer and the founder of Buddhism

“Every man must be taken to be cognizant of the law, otherwise there is no saying to what extent the excuse of ignorance may not be Law carried. It would be urged in almost every case.”

Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough (1750–1818) Lord Chief Justice of England

“Islands are metaphors of the heart, no matter what poet says otherwise.”

Jeanette Winterson book Sexing the Cherry

“Become major, Paul. Live like a hero. That's what the classics teach us. Be a main character. Otherwise what is life for?”

J.M. Coetzee (1940) South African writer

“I am what I am and cannot be otherwise because of the shadows.”

Loren Eiseley (1907–1977) US philosopher (1907-1977)

“Of course I'm ambitious. What's wrong with that? Otherwise you sleep all day.”

Ringo Starr (1940) British musician, former member of the Beatles

“Play is always voluntary. What might otherwise be play is work if it's forced. This is axiomatic.”

Bob Black book The Abolition of Work

“We know all their gods; they ignore ours. What they call our sins are our gods, and what they call their gods, we name otherwise.”

Natalie Clifford Barney (1876–1972) writer and salonist

“And what is happiness, Nathan? In my experience, it's only a moment's pause here and there on what is otherwise a long and difficult road. No one can be happy all the time.”

William Kent Krueger book Ordinary Grace