Quotes about constant
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Richard Wagner photo
Kurt Vonnegut photo

“I tell you, Mr. Constant,” he said genially, “it’s a thankless job, telling people it’s a hard, hard Universe they’re in.”

Source: The Sirens of Titan (1959), Chapter 1 “Between Timid and Timbuktu” (p. 25)

Václav Klaus photo
John Locke photo
José Martí photo

“Happiness exists on earth, and it is won through prudent exercise of reason, knowledge of the harmony of the universe, and constant practice of generosity.”

José Martí (1853–1895) Poet, writer, Cuban nationalist leader

Martí : Thoughts/Pensamientos (1994)
Context: Happiness exists on earth, and it is won through prudent exercise of reason, knowledge of the harmony of the universe, and constant practice of generosity. He who seeks it elsewhere will not find it for, having drunk from all the glasses of life, he will find satisfaction only in those.

Barack Obama photo

“The arc of the moral universe may bend towards justice, but it doesn’t bend on its own. To secure the gains this country has made requires constant vigilance, not complacency. Whether by challenging those who erect new barriers to the vote, or ensuring that the scales of justice work equally for all, and the criminal justice system is not simply a pipeline from underfunded schools to overcrowded jails, it requires vigilance. And we'll suffer the occasional setback. But we will win these fights.”

Barack Obama (1961) 44th President of the United States of America

2013, "Let Freedom Ring" Ceremony (August 2013)
Context: To dismiss the magnitude of this progress -- to suggest, as some sometimes do, that little has changed -- that dishonors the courage and the sacrifice of those who paid the price to march in those years. Medgar Evers, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, Martin Luther King Jr. -- they did not die in vain. Their victory was great. But we would dishonor those heroes as well to suggest that the work of this nation is somehow complete. The arc of the moral universe may bend towards justice, but it doesn’t bend on its own. To secure the gains this country has made requires constant vigilance, not complacency. Whether by challenging those who erect new barriers to the vote, or ensuring that the scales of justice work equally for all, and the criminal justice system is not simply a pipeline from underfunded schools to overcrowded jails, it requires vigilance. And we'll suffer the occasional setback. But we will win these fights. This country has changed too much. People of goodwill, regardless of party, are too plentiful for those with ill will to change history’s currents.

Mikhail Bakunin photo

“Thence results, for science as well as for industry, the necessity of the division and association of labor. I receive and I give — such is human life. Each directs and is directed in his turn. Therefore there is no fixed and constant authority, but a continual exchange of mutual, temporary, and, above all, voluntary authority and subordination.”

God and the State (1871; publ. 1882)
Context: I bow before the authority of special men because it is imposed upon me by my own reason. I am conscious of my inability to grasp, in all its details and positive developments, any very large portion of human knowledge. The greatest intelligence would not be equal to a comprehension of the whole. Thence results, for science as well as for industry, the necessity of the division and association of labor. I receive and I give — such is human life. Each directs and is directed in his turn. Therefore there is no fixed and constant authority, but a continual exchange of mutual, temporary, and, above all, voluntary authority and subordination.

Rabindranath Tagore photo

“It is the constant harmony of chance and determination which makes it eternally new and living.”

Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) Bengali polymath

Interview with Einstein (1930)
Context: Our passions and desires are unruly, but our character subdues these elements into a harmonious whole. Does something similar to this happen in the physical world? Are the elements rebellious, dynamic with individual impulse? And is there a principle in the physical world which dominates them and puts them into an orderly organization? … It is the constant harmony of chance and determination which makes it eternally new and living.

Heraclitus photo
Abraham Lincoln photo

“Sound policy and our imperative duty to these wards of the Government demand our anxious and constant attention to their material well-being, to their progress in the arts of civilization, and, above all, to that moral training which under the blessing of Divine Providence will confer upon them the elevated and sanctifying influences, the hopes and consolations, of the Christian faith.”

Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) 16th President of the United States

Lincoln's Annual Message (9 December 1863), published in the Journal of the House of Representatives : First Session of the Thirty-eighth Congress (1863), p. 30 http://books.google.es/books?id=bKAFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA30&q=influences, United States Congressional Serial set, N° 1179
Posthumous attributions
Context: The measures provided at your last session for the removal of certain Indian tribes have been carried into effect. Sundry treaties have been negotiated, which will in due time be submitted for the constitutional action of the Senate. They contain stipulations for extinguishing the possessory rights of the Indians to large and valuable tracts of lands. It is hoped that the effect of these treaties will result in the establishment of permanent friendly relations with such of these tribes as have been brought into frequent and bloody collision with our outlying settlements and emigrants. Sound policy and our imperative duty to these wards of the Government demand our anxious and constant attention to their material well-being, to their progress in the arts of civilization, and, above all, to that moral training which under the blessing of Divine Providence will confer upon them the elevated and sanctifying influences, the hopes and consolations, of the Christian faith. I suggested in my last annual message the propriety of remodeling our Indian system. Subsequent events have satisfied me of its necessity. The details set forth in the report of the Secretary evince the urgent need for immediate legislative action.

Barack Obama photo

“True partnership and true progress requires constant work and sustained sacrifice. They require sharing the burdens of development and diplomacy; of progress and peace. They require allies who will listen to each other, learn from each other and, most of all, trust each other.”

Barack Obama (1961) 44th President of the United States of America

2008, A World that Stands as One (July 2008)
Context: History reminds us that walls can be torn down. But the task is never easy. True partnership and true progress requires constant work and sustained sacrifice. They require sharing the burdens of development and diplomacy; of progress and peace. They require allies who will listen to each other, learn from each other and, most of all, trust each other.

Abraham Lincoln photo

“Of strange, discordant, and even hostile elements, we gathered from the four winds, and formed and fought the battle through, under the constant hot fire of a disciplined, proud, and pampered enemy. Did we brave all them to falter now?”

Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) 16th President of the United States

now, when that same enemy is wavering, dissevered, and belligerent? The result is not doubtful. We shall not fail — if we stand firm, we shall not fail. Wise counsels may accelerate, or mistakes delay it, but, sooner or later, the victory is sure to come.
1850s, The House Divided speech (1858)

Steven Weinberg photo

“There is one constant that seems to be fine tuned…and that is dark energy.”

Steven Weinberg (1933) American theoretical physicist

The Atheism Tapes (2004)
Context: There is one constant that seems to be fine tuned... and that is dark energy.

Desiderius Erasmus photo

“A constant element of enjoyment must be mingled with our studies, so that we think of learning as a game rather than a form of drudgery, for no activity can be continued for long if it does not to some extent afford pleasure to the participant.”

Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536) Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, and theologian

Letter to Christian Northoff (1497), as translated in Collected Works of Erasmus (1974), p. 114

Benjamin Disraeli photo

“Change is inevitable. In a progressive country change is constant. ”

Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881) British Conservative politician, writer, aristocrat and Prime Minister
Steven Weinberg photo

“Perhaps the most important immediate consequence of Planck’s work was to provide long-sought values for atomic constants.”

Steven Weinberg (1933) American theoretical physicist

Source: Lectures on Quantum Mechanics (2012, 2nd ed. 2015), Ch. 1: Historical Introduction

Stafford Cripps photo

“Though we have achieved considerable success in our policy of increasing production and maintaining full employment, this has been accompanied by constant pressure for higher wages resulting in higher prices. We have not yet found out how we can maintain full employment in combination with stable or decreasing costs and prices.”

Stafford Cripps (1889–1952) British politician

Memorandum, 'The Dollar Situation: Forthcoming Discussions with U.S.A. and Canada' (4 July 1949), quoted in Correlli Barnett, The Lost Victory: British Dreams, British Realities: 1945–1950 (London: Pan, 1996), p. 353
Chancellor of the Exchequer

Barack Obama photo

“Our celebration of initiative and enterprise, our insistence on hard work and personal responsibility, these are constants in our character. But we have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action.”

Barack Obama (1961) 44th President of the United States of America

For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores. Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation and one people.
2013, Second Inaugural Address (January 2013)

Miles Davis photo

“Miles said he looked on his need for constant change as a curse. However, Miles, along with Duke Ellington, in terms of looking for models of how you strategize with a band, have been there constantly in the background for me. Not the Beatles as a construct for a group, not Led Zeppelin, not the Floyd. My guides have always been Miles and Duke.”

Miles Davis (1926–1991) American jazz musician

Robert Fripp, on how Miles Davis influenced his leadership in King Crimson.
As quoted in a Rolling Stone interview "The Crimson King Seeks a New Court" by Hank Shteamer (15 April 2019) https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/robert-fripp-interview-king-crimson-tour-david-bowie-kanye-west-820783/.
Quotes by others

Abby Martin photo
David Miedzianik photo

“Living is more or less a constant bore.”

My Autobiography

Lauren Jauregui photo

“I feel like style is just a constant evolution because it’s an expression of self. Some days I’ll be in like a grungy mood and just don’t wanna fuck with anybody, and some days I’m just like 'hi world I love you'”

Lauren Jauregui (1996) Cuban-American singer and songwriter

Fifth Harmony Was Just The Beginning For Lauren Jauregui, Nylon Magazine, September 5, 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtrtUi4Vmnw,

Washington Irving photo

“A tart temper never mellows with age, and a sharp tongue is the only edge tool that grows keener with constant use.”

The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon (1819–1820)
Source: "Rip Van Winkle".

David Foster Wallace photo

“It is extremely difficult to stay alert & attentive instead of getting hypnotized by the constant monolog inside your head.”

David Foster Wallace (1962–2008) American fiction writer and essayist

Source: This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life

Stephen R. Covey photo

“There are three constants in life… Change, Choice and Principles.”

Stephen R. Covey (1932–2012) American educator, author, businessman and motivational speaker
Samuel Johnson photo
Charlaine Harris photo
Cassandra Clare photo
Kakuzo Okakura photo

“In joy or sadness flowers are our constant friends.”

Kakuzo Okakura (1862–1913) Japanese scholar, author of The Book of Tea

Source: The Book Of Tea

Jenny Han photo
Swami Vivekananda photo
Charles Bukowski photo
Milan Kundera photo
Dorothy Parker photo
Martin Luther King, Jr. photo

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–1968) American clergyman, activist, and leader in the American Civil Rights Movement
James Patterson photo
Roland Barthes photo
T.S. Eliot photo
Laura Ingalls Wilder photo

“Remember well, and bear in mind, a constant friend is hard to find.”

Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867–1957) American children's writer, diarist, and journalist
Cressida Cowell photo
Paul Karl Feyerabend photo

“Without a constant misuse of language, there cannot be any discovery, any progress.”

pg. 27.
Against Method (1975)
Source: Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge

Edna Ferber photo
Stephen King photo
Elbert Hubbard photo

“Constant effort and frequent mistakes are the stepping stones to genius.”

Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher fue el escritor del jarron azul

Source: The Philosophy of Elbert Hubbard

José Ortega Y Gasset photo
Isaac Asimov photo

“The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."”

Isaac Asimov (1920–1992) American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, known for his works of science fiction …

"A Cult of Ignorance", Newsweek (21 January 1980) http://media.aphelis.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/ASIMOV_1980_Cult_of_Ignorance.pdf
General sources
Context: There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."

Harold Pinter photo

“One way of looking at speech is to say that it is a constant stratagem to cover nakedness.”

Harold Pinter (1930–2008) playwright from England

Writing for the Theatre (1962)
Source: Various Voices: Prose, Poetry, Politics
Context: The speech we hear is an indication of that which we don't hear. It is a necessary avoidance, a violent, sly, and anguished or mocking smoke screen which keeps the other in its true place. When true silence falls we are left with echo but are nearer nakedness. One way of looking at speech is to say that it is a constant stratagem to cover nakedness. (14)

Ernest Shackleton photo

“Men Wanted: For hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.”

Ernest Shackleton (1874–1922) Anglo-Irish polar explorer

The first published appearance of this "ad" is on the first page of a 1949 book by Julian Lewis Watkins, The 100 Greatest Advertisements: Who Wrote Them and What They Did. (Moore Publishing Company), except with the Americanized word "honor", rather than "honour".

Stephen King photo
Dave Eggers photo
Hamza Yusuf photo

“The weak are dominated by their ego, the wise dominate their ego, and the intelligent are in a constant struggle against their ego”

Hamza Yusuf (1958) American Islamic scholar

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/158902.Hamza_Yusuf

Philip Yancey photo
Arthur Schopenhauer photo
Marcel Duchamp photo
Haruki Murakami photo
Ali Smith photo

“Jesus promised his disciples three things—that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble.”

William Barclay (1907–1978) Church of Scotland minister and academic

Source: The Gospel of Luke

Ilchi Lee photo

“Everything in existence undergoes constant change. The things that surround us, even our selves are temporary manifestations of Ki energy.”

Ilchi Lee (1950) South Korean businessman

Source: Brain Wave Vibration: Getting Back Into the Rhythm of a Happy, Healthy Life

Elizabeth Wurtzel photo
Jane Austen photo
Henry David Thoreau photo
Zadie Smith photo
Scott Lynch photo
P.G. Wodehouse photo
Joni Mitchell photo
Rick Riordan photo
Aldous Huxley photo

“To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.”

Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English writer

Readers Digest (1934)

Brian Andreas photo
Jodi Picoult photo
Henry Miller photo
John Updike photo
Richard Brautigan photo

“I'm in a constant process of thinking about things.”

Richard Brautigan (1935–1984) American novelist, poet, and short story writer
Kay Ryan photo
Charles Bukowski photo
Cormac McCarthy photo
F. Scott Fitzgerald photo
Isabel Allende photo
Paulo Coelho photo
Libba Bray photo
Charles Bukowski photo

“Things get bad for all of us, almost continually, and what we do under the constant stress reveals who/what we are.”

Charles Bukowski (1920–1994) American writer

Source: What Matters Most is How Well You Walk Through the Fire

John Irving photo
John Keats photo

“To Sorrow
I bade good morrow,
And thought to leave her far away behind;
But cheerly, cheerly,
She loves me dearly;
She is so constant to me, and so kind.”

John Keats (1795–1821) English Romantic poet

Bk. IV, l. 173
Endymion (1818)
Source: The Complete Poems
Context: To Sorrow
I bade good-morrow,
And thought to leave her far away behind;
But cheerly, cheerly,
She loves me dearly;
She is so constant to me, and so kind:
I would deceive her
And so leave her,
But ah! she is so constant and so kind.

Confucius photo
H. Jackson Brown, Jr. photo
Alice Walker photo
E.E. Cummings photo
Bret Easton Ellis photo