Quotes about import
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“The most important thing for everyone in Gringolandia is to have ambition and become 'somebody,' and frankly, I don't have the least ambition to become anybody.”

Frida Kahlo (1907–1954) Mexican painter

“Humor is perhaps a sense of intellectual perspective: an awareness that some things are really important, others not; and that the two kinds are most oddly jumbled in everyday affairs.”

Christopher Morley (1890–1957) American journalist, novelist, essayist and poet

Sense

“Success is a journey not a destination. The doing is usually more important than the outcome. Not everyone can be Number 1.”

Arthur Ashe (1943–1993) American tennis player

Success

“Nothing in life is as important as you think it is when you are thinking about it.”

Daniel Kahneman book Thinking, Fast and Slow

Variant: Nothing in life is as important as you think it is when you are thinking about it.
Source: Thinking, Fast and Slow (2011), Chapter 38, "Thinking about life", page 402 (ISBN 9780141033570).

Life, Thinking

“Everyone wears a sign that says "Make me feel important”

Mary Kay Ash (1918–2001) Entrepreneur

Feeling

“The Departure Aria, a very important and romantic song”

Terry Pratchett book Maskerade

Source: Maskerade

Departure

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed, is more important than any other one thing.”

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

Letter to Isham Reavis (5 November 1855)
1850s
Context: If you are resolutely determined to make a lawyer of yourself, the thing is more than half done already. It is but a small matter whether you read with anyone or not. I did not read with anyone. Get the books, and read and study them till you understand them in their principal features; and that is the main thing. It is of no consequence to be in a large town while you are reading. I read at New Salem, which never had three hundred people living in it. The books, and your capacity for understanding them, are just the same in all places.... Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed, is more important than any other one thing.

Attitude, Positive

“Sometimes it's more important to be human, than to have good taste.”

Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956) German poet, playwright, theatre director

“One day all of us will die but - and this is the important thing - we are not dead yet.”

Terry Pratchett book I Shall Wear Midnight

Source: I Shall Wear Midnight

Dead

“I learned to create a little more space between my thoughts and actions—actually between my feelings and reactions. This is extremely important; without it, life can be a real roller coaster ride.”

Sadhguru (1957) Yogi, mystic, visionary and humanitarian

Source: Midnights with the Mystic

Life, Feeling, Learning

“For me, the subject of the picture is always more important than the picture.”

Diane Arbus (1923–1971) American photographer and author

“Upon the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in.”

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

Address Delivered in Candidacy for the State Legislature (9 March 1832)
1830s
Context: Upon the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in. That every man may receive at least a moderate education, and thereby be enabled to read the histories of his own and other countries, by which he may duly appreciate the value of our free institutions, appears to be an object of vital importance, even on this account alone, to say nothing of the advantages and satisfaction to be derived from all being able to read the Scriptures, and other works both of a religious and moral nature, for themselves.

People, Education

“The most important thing is not to think very much about oneself. To investigate candidly the charge; but not fussily, not very anxiously. On no account to retaliate by going to the other extreme -- thinking too much.”

Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) English writer

Source: A Writer's Diary

Thinking

“Come back!" the Caterpillar called after her. "I've something important to say."
This sounded promising, certainly. Alice turned and came back again.
"Keep your temper," said the Caterpillar.”

Lewis Carroll (1832–1898) English writer, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer

Source: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

“Personal isn't the same as important.”

Terry Pratchett book Men at Arms

Variant: Personal’s not the same as important. People just think it is.
Source: Men at Arms

Personality

“Destiny is important, see, but people go wrong when they think it controls them. It's the other way around.”

Terry Pratchett book Wyrd Sisters

Source: Wyrd Sisters

People, Way, Thinking

“You are your own teacher. Looking for teachers can’t solve your own doubts. Investigate yourself to find the truth - inside, not outside. Knowing yourself is most important.”

Ajahn Chah (1918–1992) thai Buddhist monk

Truth, Teachers

“It's vital to remember who you really are. It's very important. It isn't a good idea to rely on other people or things to do it for you, you see. They always get it wrong.”

Terry Pratchett book Sourcery

Source: Sourcery

People, Idea

“~ I've made the most important discovery of my life. It's only in the mysterious equation of love that any logical reasons can be found. I'm only here tonight because of you. You're the only reason I am… you're all my reasons.~”

John Nash (1928–2015) American mathematician and Nobel Prize laureate

Love, Life

“The importance of repetition until automaticity cannot be overstated. Repetition is the key to learning.”

John Wooden (1910–2010) American basketball coach

Learning

“We should not forget that it will be just as important to our descendants to be prosperous in their time as it is to us to be prosperous in our time.”

Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American politician, 26th president of the United States

Time, Forgetting

“Don't follow after the object of hatred, look at the angry mind. Anger liberated by itself as it arises is mirrorlike wisdom.

Don't chase after the object of pride, look at the grasping mind. Self-importance liberated as it arises is the wisdom of equanimity.

Don't hanker after the object of desire, look at the craving mind.”

Dilgo Khyentse (1910–1991) Bhutanese Buddhist Lama

Wisdom, Anger

“In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity, is the vital thing.”

Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest

Source: The Importance of Being Earnest

Sincerity

“Reality is harsh. It can be cruel and ugly. Yet no matter how much we grieve over our environment and circumstances nothing will change. What is important is not to be defeated, to forge ahead bravely. If we do this, a path will open before us.”

Daisaku Ikeda (1928) Japanese writer

Reality, Change

“I think it's so foolish for people to want to be happy. Happy is so momentary--you're happy for an instant and then you start thinking again. Interest is the most important thing in life; happiness is temporary, but interest is continuous.”

Georgia O'Keeffe (1887–1986) American artist

Life, Happiness, People, Thinking

“There is nothing wrong with crying. Your feelings tell you who are. They tell what is important. Don't ever be ashamed of them.”

Terry Brooks book Armageddon's Children

Source: Armageddon's Children

Feeling, Cry

“The important thing about having lots of things to remember is that you’ve got to go somewhere afterwards where you can remember them, you see? You’ve got to stop. You haven’t really been anywhere until you’ve got back home.”

Terry Pratchett book The Light Fantastic

Source: The Light Fantastic

Home

“How do you make your pictures?
— I don’t know, it’s not important.”

Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908–2004) French photographer

“It is very good that Wikipedia also gives a page to "Internet Meme". Internet memes are arguably the most important subset of memes today”

Richard Dawkins book The Selfish Gene

https://twitter.com/RichardDawkins/status/276449081746915328 (5 December 2012) Twitter Source: The Selfish Gene

“Vain trifles as they seem, clothes have, they say, more important offices than to merely keep us warm. They change our view of the world and the world's view of us.”

Virginia Woolf book Orlando: A Biography

Source: Orlando

World, Change, Clothes

“Romancin’ is verra important, ye ken. Basically it’s a way the boy can get close to the girl wi’oot her attackin’ him and scratchin’ his eyes oot.”

Terry Pratchett book Wintersmith

Source: Wintersmith

Way, Girl, Boy

“I began to realize how important it was to be an enthusiast in life. If you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at it full speed ahead. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it and above all become passionate about it. Lukewarm is no good. Hot is no good, either. White hot and passionate is the only thing to be.”

Roald Dahl book My Uncle Oswald

Source: My Uncle Oswald (1979)

Love, Life, Passion, Speed

“the most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.”

Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American politician, 26th president of the United States

People, Success, For Team

“Never forget the nine most important words of any family-

I love you.
You are beautiful.
Please forgive me.”

H. Jackson Brown, Jr. (1940) American writer

Love, Family, Beauty, Forgiveness

“That the truest experience of freedom: having the most important thing in the world without owning it.”

Paulo Coelho book Eleven Minutes

Variant: That is the true experience of freedom: having the most important thing in the world without owning it.
Source: Eleven Minutes (2003), p. 97.
Context: In love, no one can harm anyone else; we are each of us responsible for our own feelings and cannot blame someone else for what we feel. It hurt when I lost each of the various men I fell in love with. Now, though, I am convinced that no one loses anyone, because no one owns anyone. That is the true experience of freedom: having the most important thing in the world without owning it.

World, Freedom

“Great lovers will always be unhappy, because, for them, love is of supreme importance. Consequently they demand of their beloved the same intensity of thought as they have for her, otherwise they feel betrayed.”

Cesare Pavese (1908–1950) Italian poet, novelist, literary critic, and translator

This Business of Living (1935-1950)

Love, Feeling, Lovers

“The most important thing to do in your life is to not interfere with somebody else's life.”

Frank Zappa (1940–1993) American musician, songwriter, composer, and record and film producer

In response to Joe Walsh on The Howard Stern Show (1987).

Life

“The fate of animals is of far greater importance to me than the fear of appearing ridiculous.”

Emile Zola (1840–1902) French writer (1840-1902)

Fate, Fear, Appearance, Animals

“Be courageous when the mind deceives you
Be courageous
In the final account only this is important”

Zbigniew Herbert (1924–1998) Polish writer

Courage

“Enthusiasm is the most important thing in life.”

Tennessee Williams (1911–1983) American playwright

Life

“Machines deprive us of two things which are certainly important ingredients of human happiness, namely, spontaneity and variety.”

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

Source: Sceptical Essays

Happiness

“The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it!”

Ansel Adams (1902–1984) American photographer and environmentalist

“The most important thing to do if you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging.”

Warren Buffett (1930) American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist

“Think about it: what weakens us is feeling offended by the deeds and misdeeds of our fellow men. Our self-importance requires that we spend most of our lives offended by someone.”

Carlos Castaneda (1925–1998) Peruvian-American author

Variant: Self-importance is our greatest enemy. Think about it - what weakens us is feeling offended by the deeds and misdeeds of our fellowmen. Our self-importance requires that we spend most of our lives offended by someone.
Source: Fire from Within

Men, Feeling, Thinking

“The poet's job is to put into words those feelings we all have that are so deep, so important, and yet so difficult to name, to tell the truth in such a beautiful way, that people cannot live without it.”

Jane Kenyon (1947–1995) American poet, translator

People, Truth, Beauty, Way

“Reading is important - read between the lines. Don't swallow everything.”

Gwendolyn Brooks (1917–2000) American writer

Reading

“The most important persuasion tool you have in your entire arsenal is integrity.”

Zig Ziglar (1926–2012) American motivational speaker

As quoted in Refining Your Style : Learning from Respected Communicators (2004) by Dave Stone, p. 143

“Yes, but humans are more important than animals,' said Brutha.
'This is a point of view often expressed by humans,' said Om.”

Terry Pratchett book Small Gods

Source: Small Gods

Animals

“The aspects of things that are most important for us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity.”

Ludwig Wittgenstein book Philosophical Investigations

§ 129
Philosophical Investigations (1953)
Context: The aspects of things that are most important for us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity. (One is unable to notice something — because it is always before one's eyes.) The real foundations of his enquiry do not strike a man at all. Unless that fact has at some time struck him. — And this means: we fail to be struck by what, once seen, is most striking and most powerful.

“You are here to enable the divine purpose of the universe to unfold. That is how important you are!”

Eckhart Tolle book The Power of Now

The Power of Now (1997)

Universe

“This transformation of competition into monopoly is one of the most important—if not the most important—phenomena of modern capitalist economy”

Vladimir Lenin (1870–1924) Russian politician, led the October Revolution

Source: Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism: Full Text of 1916 Edition

“Curiosity is more important than knowledge.”

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born physicist and founder of the theory of relativity

Variant: Imagination is more imortant than Knowledge

Knowledge

“The important thing is not to stop questioning.”

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born physicist and founder of the theory of relativity

Old Man's Advice to Youth: "Never Lose a Holy Curiosity," http://books.google.com/books?id=dlYEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&dq=Life%2C%202%20May%201955&pg=PA61#v=onepage&q=Life,%202%20May%201955&f=false LIFE magazine (2 May 1955) statement to William Miller, p. 64. 1950s Context: The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day. Never lose a holy curiosity. … Don't stop to marvel.

Question, Deep, Hope, Graduation

“You imagination is more important than your knowledge.”

Mike Murdock (1946) American televangelist

Imagination, Knowledge

“I think the most important thing about music is the sense of escape.”

Thom Yorke (1968) English musician, philanthropist and singer-songwriter

Music, Thinking, Sense

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. It is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research.”

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born physicist and founder of the theory of relativity

Cosmic Religion : With Other Opinions and Aphorisms (1931) by Albert Einstein, p. 97; also in Transformation : Arts, Communication, Environment (1950) by Harry Holtzman, p. 138. This may be an edited version of some nearly identical quotes from the 1929 Viereck interview below.
1930s
Context: I believe in intuition and inspiration. … At times I feel certain I am right while not knowing the reason. When the eclipse of 1919 confirmed my intuition, I was not in the least surprised. In fact I would have been astonished had it turned out otherwise. Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. It is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research.

World, Imagination, Birth, Knowledge

“The really important thing is not to reject anything.”

Susan Sontag (1933–2004) American writer and filmmaker, professor, and activist

Source: Reborn: Journals and Notebooks, 1947-1963

“No one loses anyone, because no one owns anyone. That is the true experience of freedom: having the most important thing in the world without owning it.”

Paulo Coelho book Eleven Minutes

Variant: i am convinced that no one loses anyone, because no one owns anyone.
that is the true experience of freedom:having the most important thing in the world without owning it.
Source: Eleven Minutes

World, Freedom

“intuition is always right in at least two important ways;
It is always in response to something.
it always has your best interest at heart”

Gavin de Becker (1954) American engineer

Source: The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence

Way, Heart

“Everything changed the day she figured out there was exactly enough time for the important things in her life.”

Brian Andreas (1956) American artist

Life, Change, Time

“it’s important to make sure that we’re talking with each other in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds.”

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

Way

“Don't be a fool. Don't give up something important to hold onto someone who can't even say they love you.”

Sarah Dessen (1970) American writer

Source: Someone Like You

Love, Fools

“This is perhaps one of the most important things I learned during this investigation: We see what we believe, and not just the contrary; and to change what we see, it is sometimes necessary to change what we believe.”

Jeremy Narby (1959) Canadian anthropologist

Source: The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge

Learning, Change

“The only thing of importance, when we depart, will be the traces of love we have left behind.”

Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965) French-German physician, theologian, musician and philosopher

Love

“Others may know pleasure, but pleasure is not happiness. It has no more importance than a shadow following a man.”

Muhammad Ali (1942–2016) African American boxer, philanthropist and activist

Happiness, Pleasure, Happy

“The thing about football - the important thing about football - is that it is not just about football.”

Terry Pratchett book Unseen Academicals

Source: Unseen Academicals

Football

“The heart is what is important." There is nothing more vulnerable, nothing more corruptible than the human mind; nor is there anything as powerful, steadfast and ennobling.”

Daisaku Ikeda (1928) Japanese writer

Heart

“Solemnity, I don't know what it's for. I mean, what is the point of it? The two most beautiful memorial services that I've ever attended both had a lot of humor. It somehow freed us all and made the services inspiring and cathartic. But solemnity, it serves pomposity. The self important always know at some level of their consciousness that their egotism is going to be punctured by humor. That's why they see it as a threat! And so, dishonestly, they pretend that their deficiency makes their views more substantial.”

John Cleese (1939) actor from England

Beauty, Memory

“I will simply express my strong belief, that that point of self-education which consists in teaching the mind to resist its desires and inclinations, until they are proved to be right, is the most important of all, not only in things of natural philosophy, but in every department of daily life.”

Michael Faraday (1791–1867) English scientist

Life, Education, Nature, Strong

“It is not easy to learn much about love, but one thing I discovered, that Lady Harleigh taught me: it is not whom you love that is important, but only that we love.”

Thomas Tryon (1634–1703) British hat maker

Source: Lady

Love, Learning

“Loneliness does not come from having no people around you, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to you.”

C.G. Jung (1875–1961) Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist who founded analytical psychology

People, Communication, Loneliness

“But to me our equations are far more important, for politics are only a matter of present concern. A mathematical equation stands forever.”

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born physicist and founder of the theory of relativity

Earliest source located is the book Brighter than a Thousand Suns: A Personal History of the Atomic Scientists by Robert Jungk (1958), p. 249, which says that Einstein made the comment during "a walk with Ernst Straus, a young mathematician acting as his scientific assistant at Princeton." Variant: "Equations are more important to me, because politics is for the present, but an equation is something for eternity." From A Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking (2005), p. 144 http://books.google.com/books?id=4Y0ZBW19n_YC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA144#v=onepage&q&f=false. Earlier, Straus recalled the German version of the quote in Helle Zeit, Dunkle Zeit: In Memoriam Albert Einstein (1956) edited by Carl Seelig, p. 71. There the quote was given as Ja, so muß man seine Zeit zwischen der Politik und unseren Gleichungen teilen. Aber unsere Gleichungen sind mir doch viel wichtiger; denn die Politik ist für die Gegenwart da, aber solch eine Gleichung is etwas für die Ewigkeit. Attributed in posthumous publications Context: Yes, we now have to divide up our time like that, between politics and our equations. But to me our equations are far more important, for politics are only a matter of present concern. A mathematical equation stands forever.

Mathematics

“The thing that's important to know is that you never know. You're always sort of feeling your way.”

Diane Arbus (1923–1971) American photographer and author

Source: Diane Arbus: Revelations

Way, Feeling

“Mistakes,’ he said with effort, ‘are also important to me. I don’t cross them out of my life, or memory. And I never blame others for them.”

Andrzej Sapkowski book Blood of Elves

Source: Blood of Elves

Life, Effort, Memory

“Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible.”

C.G. Jung (1875–1961) Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist who founded analytical psychology

People, Communication, Loneliness

“Smoking kills. If you’re killed, you’ve lost a very important part of your life.”

Brooke Shields (1965) US actress

Life, Parting

“Man, the living creature, the creating individual, is always more important than any established style or system.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

As quoted in "From Wing Chun to Jeet Kune Do" by Jesse R. Glover in Black Belt Vol. 31, No. 9 (September 1993), p. 35

“The most important things to remember about back story are that (a) everyone has a history and (b) most of it isn’t very interesting.”

Stephen King (1947) American author

Source: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

History

“It's not where you start or even what happens to you along the way that's important. What is important is that you persevere and never give up on yourself.”

Zig Ziglar (1926–2012) American motivational speaker

Source: Something to Smile about: Encouragement and Inspiration for Life's Ups and Downs

Way, Perseverance

“Make your ego porous. Will is of little importance, complaining is nothing, fame is nothing. Openness, patience, receptivity, solitude is everything.”

Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) Austrian poet and writer

As quoted in Sunbeams : A Book of Quotations (1990) by Sy Safransky, p. 42

Solitude, Patience

“Of course, it is very important to be sober when you take an exam. Many worthwhile careers in the street-cleansing, fruit-picking and subway-guitar-playing industries have been founded on a lack of understanding of this simple fact.”

Terry Pratchett book Moving Pictures

Source: Moving Pictures

Understanding

“Best friends are important. They're the closest thing to a sister you'll ever have.”

Jenny Han (1980) American writer

Source: The Summer I Turned Pretty

Sister

“Even the smallest of the starlings' concerns grew in importance until it seemed equal to the worries of kings.”

Christopher Paolini book Inheritance

Source: Inheritance

“Creativity is as important as literacy”

Ken Robinson (1950) UK writer

“High school isn't a very important place. When you're going you think it's a big deal, but when it's over nobody really thinks it was great unless they're beered up.”

Stephen King book Carrie

Source: Carrie

School, Beer, Thinking

“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.”

Stephen R. Covey (1932–2012) American educator, author, businessman and motivational speaker

Time, Back To Work

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”

Zig Ziglar (1926–2012) American motivational speaker

As quoted in Secrets of Superstar Speakers: Wisdom from the Greatest Motivators of Our Time (2000) by Lilly Walters, p. 96
Variant: What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.

Motivational, Wise, Deep, Inspirational