Quotes about want
page 45

“Henceforth, whenever we are threatened with being cast adrift upon love’s transcendent, golden shore, I want you to slap my face.”

Jayne Ann Krentz (1948) American novelist

Source: Scandal

Love

“All I wanted was to be loved for myself." (Erik)”

Gaston Leroux book The Phantom of the Opera

Source: The Phantom of the Opera

Love

“It’s in the act of having to do things that you don’t want to that you learn something about moving past the self. Past the ego.”

Bell Hooks (1952) American author, feminist, and social activist

Learning, Past, Moving On

“I know you look both ways before you cross the street, but I want you to look both ways a second time, because I told you to.”

Jonathan Safran Foer (1977) Novelist

Way, Time

“You want to take me to a movie?" I asked.
"Well, not really," he said. "What I really want is for you to be my girlfriend. But I thought saying that might scare you off.”

Sarah Dessen book What Happened to Goodbye

Source: What Happened to Goodbye

“I liked you, cop. From the moment I met you. No… not the first moment. I wanted to kill you when I first met you. But then I liked you. A lot.”

Jessica Bird book Lover Revealed

Source: Lover Revealed

“You are the untold story. You are the impassioned truth wanting to scream its existence, to be forever trapped by a strong hand clapped firmly over the mouth of my soul.”

Henry Rollins (1961) American singer-songwriter

Source: Solipsist

Truth, Soul, Strong

“At the very beginning of my creative life I loved humanity. I wanted to do something good for mankind. Soon I understood that it isn’t possible to save mankind.”

Wisława Szymborska (1923–2012) Polish writer

Love, Life

“Why is it," he said, one time, at the subway entrance, "I feel I've known you so many years?"
"Because I like you," she said, "and I don't want anything from you.”

Ray Bradbury book Fahrenheit 451

Source: Fahrenheit 451

Feeling, Time, Relationship

“But when he looked at her—and she looked at him—they both knew that there was something worse than kissing the wrong person. It was wanting to.”

Kristin Hannah book The Nightingale

Source: The Nightingale

Kiss, Personality

“That's my answer to the question what is your strongest emotion, if you ever want to ask me: Curiosity, old bean. Curiosity every time.”

Elaine Dundy (1921–2008) American journalist, actress

Source: The Dud Avocado

Question, Time

“It's so dark," she said lamely.

"You want me to hold your hand?"

Clary put both her hands behind her back like a small child.

"Don't talk down to me."

"Well, I could hardly talk up to you. You're too short.”

Cassandra Clare book City of Bones

Source: City of Bones

“I don't know if you've ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for thousands of years. Or just not exist..”

Stephen Chbosky book The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Source: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Sleep

“But I don't have anything left inside of me to figure out where I fit in or what I want. If I want anything, it's to know what's possible to want.”

Amy Tan book The Bonesetter's Daughter

Source: The Bonesetter's Daughter

“You know how advice is. You only want it if it agrees with what you wanted to do anyway.”

John Steinbeck book The Winter of Our Discontent

Source: The Winter of Our Discontent (1961), unplaced by chapter

“It seemed that the only lover she had ever wanted was a lover in a dream.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald book The Beautiful and Damned

Source: The Beautiful and Damned

Dreams, Lovers

“You only want everything you don't have"
Matt from The vampire diaries”

L.J. Smith book The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle

Source: The Struggle

“I want to be able to be alone, to find it nourishing - not just a waiting.”

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

Source: Reborn: Journals and Notebooks, 1947-1963

Waiting

“I don’t want to.. you know, fall for you any worse than I already have.”

Jenny Han (1980) American writer

Source: Fire with Fire

“I go to school, but I never learn what I want to know.”

Bill Watterson (1958) American comic artist

Source: The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury

School, Learning

“You cannot be the person they know and the great, glorious person you want to become. Not at the same time.”

Chuck Palahniuk book Haunted

Source: Haunted

Time, Personality

“Just once I want it to be easy and neat. But no, there is never a good decision. I pick what I can live with.”

Ilona Andrews American husband-and-wife novelist duo

Source: Magic Burns

Decision

“I'd like to say I took the news well.
The truth was, I wanted to strangle the Hunters of Artemis one eternal maiden at a time.
--Percy Jackson”

Rick Riordan book The Titan's Curse

Source: The Titan's Curse

Truth, Time

“The job of the first eight pages is not to have the reader want to throw the book at theduring the first eight pages.”

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

Books

“All our discontents about what we want appeared to me to spring from the want of thankfulness for what we have.”

Daniel Defoe La vie et les aventures de Robinson Crusoe

Source: Robinson Crusoe

Spring, Appearance

“Hey, check this weirdo out." Hi was inspecting a bust on the mantel. "This face is ninety percent eyebrow. What do you want to bet he owned slaves?"

Scowling to match the carving's expression, Hi spoke in a gravelly voice.”

Kathy Reichs book Code

Source: Code

“I don't know. But Iknow that I'm at the stage of my life where I want, not.

I know that the first person I kissed won't be nearly as important as the last person I kiss.

And I also know better than to dream about things that can't happen.”

Jodi Picoult book Sing You Home

Source: Sing You Home

Life, Dreams, Kiss, Personality

“I am completely a loner. In my head I want to feel I can be anywhere. There is a sort of recklessness that being a loner allows me.”

Arundhati Roy (1961) Indian novelist, essayist

Feeling

“If you did not want much, there was plenty.”

Harper Lee book Go Set a Watchman

Source: Go Set a Watchman

“And then there is Darcy. She is a woman who believes that things should fall into her lap, and, consequently, they do. They always have. She wins because she expects to win. I do not expect what I want, so I dont. And I dont even try.”

Emily Giffin Something Borrowed

Source: Something Borrowed

“If you want me, just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow."

(as Marie 'Slim' Browning in)”

Lauren Bacall (1924–2014) American actress, model

Source: The Complete Films of Humphrey Bogart

“Remembering is just an invention of the mind… It means that if you want to, you can remember anything, whether it happened or not… You don't need a time machine if you can remember.”

Rodman Philbrick book Freak the Mighty

Source: Freak the Mighty

Time

“I want you bad like a natural disaster. You are all I see. You are the only one I want to know.”

Henry Rollins (1961) American singer-songwriter

Source: Solipsist

Nature

“I want to know that I've accomplished something. I want to feel that it had some meaning. At the last summing up, I want to be sure it wasn't all-for nothing.”

Ayn Rand book The Fountainhead

Source: The Fountainhead

Feeling

“There's no app for a bourbon buzz on a warm day in a cool, dark bar. The world will always want a drink.”

Gillian Flynn book Gone Girl

Source: Gone Girl

World, Drink

“I want my name to mean me.”

Mark Haddon book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Source: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

“People always tell me "Have a nice day." Well what if I don't want to? What if I want to have a crappy day?”

George Carlin (1937–2008) American stand-up comedian

People

“They'll either want to kill you, kiss you, or be you.”

Suzanne Collins book Mockingjay

Source: Mockingjay

Kiss

“Remember: He WANTS your fellowship, and He has done everything possible to make it a reality. He has forgiven your sins, at the cost of His own dear Son. He has given you His Word, and the priceless privilege of prayer and worship.”

Billy Graham (1918–2018) American Christian evangelist

Source: Hope for Each Day: Words of Wisdom and Faith

Reality

“Do you know what I feel about you, Devin? About us?… Dazzled, you dazzle me. You make me feel things, and want things I never knew I could have. -Cassie”

Nora Roberts (1950) American romance writer

Source: The Heart of Devin MacKade

Feeling

“You want to play video games twenty-four hours a day?"
"Or watch. I just want to not be me. Whether it's sleeping or playing video games or riding my bike or studying. Giving my brain up. That's what's important.”

Ned Vizzini book It's Kind of a Funny Story

Source: It's Kind of a Funny Story

Game, Sleep, Study

“Just remember that the things you put into your head are there forever, he said. You might want to think about that.
You forget some things, dont you?
Yes. You forget what you want to remember and you remember what you want to forget.”

Cormac McCarthy book The Road

Source: The Road

Thinking, Forgetting

“I don't care if you say we can't be together. I don't care if you think I'm the most evil, unnatural creature walking on earth. You can think whatever you want, go whatever you want. I'm going to just go on loving you, even if it's hopeless.”

Richelle Mead book The Indigo Spell

Source: The Indigo Spell

Love, Thinking, Evil

“If he’s not gay and he hung out with you the whole time, he wanted to be. It’s boyfriend or want to be boyfriend or I guess gay. Those are the choices.”

Daniel Handler book Why We Broke Up

Source: Why We Broke Up

Time

“She didn't want to know how a thing was done, but why…. Luckily, queer ones like her don't happen often.”

Ray Bradbury book Fahrenheit 451

Source: Fahrenheit 451

“Life needed a fast forward button. Because there were days you just don't want to live through, not again, but they kept coming around and you were powerless to stop time or speed it up or do anything to keep from having to face it.”

Sara Zarr (1970) American children's writer

Source: Sweethearts

Life, Time, Speed

“He raised an eyebrow, which made Clary instantly jealous. She’d always wanted to be able to do that.
…
Magnus raised an eyebrow. Damn, Clary thought, another one.”

Cassandra Clare book City of Bones

Source: City of Bones

“And when I was young, did I ever tell you, I always wanted to get inside
a book and never come out again? I loved reading so much I wanted
to be a part of it, and there were some books I could have stayed in
for ever.”

Peter Ackroyd (1949) English author

Source: First Light

Love, Books, Reading, Parting

“People are never satisfied. If they have a little, they want more. If they have a lot, they want still more. Once they have more, they wish they could be happy with little, but are incapable of making the slightest effort in that direction.”

Paulo Coelho book The Winner Stands Alone

Source: The Winner Stands Alone

Happiness, People, Effort

“We never cease wanting what we want, whether it's good for us or not.”

Stephen King book Full Dark, No Stars

Source: Full Dark, No Stars

“I mean, like most guys, you carry around this girl in your head, who is exactly who you want her to be. The person you think you will love the most. And every girl you are with gets measured against this girl in your head.”

Rachel Cohn (1968) American writer

Source: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Love, Guy, Girl, Thinking

“Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who would want to live in an institution?”

H.L. Mencken (1880–1956) American journalist and writer

Marriage, Funny

“I'd wanted a real kiss, something to remember, but i'd long ago learned not to be picky with farewells. They weren't guaranteed or promised. You were lucky, more than blessed, if you got a goodbye at all.”

Sarah Dessen book The Truth About Forever

Variant: But I'd long ago learned not to be picky in farewells. They weren't guaranteed or promised.
You were lucky, more than blessed, if you got a good-bye at all.
Source: The Truth About Forever

Kiss, Learning

“So I want to ask you a hypothetical question.

My favorite kind. Next to rhetorical ones. I can nap equally well through either kind.”

Orson Scott Card book Ender's Shadow

Source: Ender's Shadow

Question

“Thomas was an annoying wiseass who tended to make everyone he met want to kill him, and when I have that much in common with someone, I can't help but like him a little.”

Jim Butcher book Blood Rites

Source: Blood Rites

Help

“To her-
Hand in hand we come
Christopher Robin and I
To lay this book in your lap.
Say you're surprised?
Say you like it?
Say it's just what you wanted?
Because it's yours-
because we love you.”

A.A. Milne book Winnie-the-Pooh

Source: Winnie-the-Pooh

Love, Books

“In my mind, the sexiest thing in the world is the feeling that you’re wanted.”

Mindy Kaling book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

Source: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

World, Feeling

“I would rather die then try to live without you”, “May you always love me and want me but never have me”, “May you never love anyone but me”.”

Jude Deveraux (1947) American writer

Love

“This was an unpleasant trend. I didn’t want a lot of guys popping in and out of my bedroom. I wanted one who would stay.”

Charlaine Harris book From Dead to Worse

Source: From Dead to Worse

Guy

“I’ve learned that waiting is the most difficult bit, and I want to get used to the feeling, knowing that you’re with me, even when you’re not by my side.”

Paulo Coelho book Eleven Minutes

Source: Eleven Minutes

Feeling, Learning, Waiting

“They say that even the brightest star won't shine forever. But in fact, the brightest star would live the shortest amount of time. Feel free to extract whatever life lesson you want from that.”

Philip Plait (1964) astronomer, skeptic

Source: Death from the Skies! (2008), p. 75-76
Source: Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End...

Life, Feeling, Star, Time

“If you want to bring a fundamental change in people's belief and behavior… you need to create a community around them, where those new beliefs can be practiced and expressed and nurtured.”

Malcolm Gladwell (1963) journalist and science writer

Source: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

People, Behavior, Communication, Change

“When I read a book, I want you to be reading it at the same time. I want to know what would Amelia think of it. I want you to be mine. I can promise you books and conversation and all my heart, Amy.”

Gabrielle Zevin (1977) American writer

Source: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Books, Thinking, Time, Reading

“I think when men hear that women want a commitment, they think it means commitment to a romantic relationship, but that's not it. It's a commitment to not floating around anywhere. I want a guy who is entrenched in his own life.”

Mindy Kaling book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

Source: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

Life, Women, Men, Guy

“A charm invests a face
Imperfectly beheld,—
The lady dare not lift her veil
For fear it be dispelled.

But peers beyond her mesh,
And wishes, and denies,—
Lest interview annul a want
That image satisfies.”

Emily Dickinson book The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson

Source: The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson

Fear

“I’ve always wanted to be somebody. I should have been more specific.” – Chloe Traeger”

Jill Shalvis (1963) American writer

Source: Head Over Heels

“They wanted to have a good time, but they were like children playing in the street; they could see one after another of them being killed—run over, maimed, destroyed—but they continued to play anyhow.”

Philip K. Dick book A Scanner Darkly

Author’s Note (p. 276)
Source: A Scanner Darkly (1977)

Children, Time

“you're not a bad person because you want to be yourself.”

Jodi Picoult My Sister's Keeper

Source: My Sister's Keeper

Personality

“I'm afraid to hope but I can't help it, and the idea of hoping in this most hopeless of all places makes me want to cry.”

Beatrice Sparks (1917–2012) American writer

Source: Go Ask Alice

Hope, Idea, Help, Cry

“Well, I don't want you to die," Tessa said. "I don't know why I feel it so strongly -- I've just met you -- but I don't want you to die."

"And I trust you," he said. "I don't know why -- I've just met you -- but I do.”

Cassandra Clare book Clockwork Angel

Source: Clockwork Angel

Feeling

“The German people in its whole character is not warlike, but rather soldierly, that is, while they do not want war, they are not frightened by the thoughts of it.”

Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) Führer and Reich Chancellor of Germany, Leader of the Nazi Party

Source: The speeches of Adolf Hitler, April 1922-August 1939

War, People

“And you can tell Darroc that Ms. Lane is mine. If he wants her, he can bloody well come and get her”

Karen Marie Moning (1964) author

Source: Dreamfever

“Rene, you want us to find you-don't-know-who and to retrieve his you-don't-know-what for you-won't-tell-me-whom?”

Ilona Andrews American husband-and-wife novelist duo

Source: Magic Slays

“The real trick in life is to want nothing, and to succeed in getting it.

- Karla”

Gregory David Roberts book Shantaram

Source: Shantaram

Life

“Edward lives as if there is no tomorrow, Richard as if he wants no tomorrow, and George as though someone should give it to him for free.”

Philippa Gregory book The White Queen

Source: The White Queen

“He pulls the hood over my head. I try to pull back. I'm not trying to run away. I just want to see her… One last time…”

Malorie Blackman Noughts & Crosses

Source: Noughts & Crosses

Time

“Human beings can't see anything without wanting to destroy it. That's original sin. And I'm going to destroy it. Death is going to die.”

Philip Pullman book Northern Lights

Variant: Human beings can’t see anything without wanting to destroy it, Lyra. That’s original sin.
Source: His Dark Materials, The Golden Compass (1995), Ch. 21 : Lord Asriel's Welcome

Death

“We all want things we can't have. Being a decent human being is accepting that.”

John Fowles book The Collector

Source: The Collector