Quotes about want
page 57

“She wanted—what some people want throughout life—a grief that should deeply touch her, and thus humanize and make her capable of sympathy.”

Nathaniel Hawthorne book The Scarlet Letter

Source: The Scarlet Letter

Life, People

“I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want.”

Andy Warhol (1928–1987) American artist

Beauty, Art, Thinking, Beauty

“If you want to love what you do, abandon the passion mindset (“what can the world offer me?”) and instead adopt the craftsman mindset (“what can I offer the world?”).”

Cal Newport (1982) American computer scientist

Source: So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love

Love, World, Passion

“Sometimes what we want to do and what we must do are not the same. Pasquo, the smaller the space between your desire and what is right, the happier you will be.”

Jess Walter book Beautiful Ruins

Source: Beautiful Ruins

“Stop being yourself and become who u always wanted to be”

Paulo Coelho book The Zahir

Variant: Stop being who you were and become who you are.
Source: The Zahir (2005), p. 215.

“Leo's hands burst into flame. He wanted to melt Gaea's sandy face to glass. Then he felt Calypso's hand on his shoulder.
"Gaea." Her voice was stern and steady. "You are not welcome.”

Rick Riordan book The House of Hades

Source: The House of Hades

“I want an Oompa-Loompa!' screamed Veruca.”

Roald Dahl book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Source: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

“But I'm glad you'll see me as I am. Above all, I wouldn't want people to think that I want to prove anything. I don't want to prove anything, I just want to live; to cause no evil to anyone but myself. I have that right, haven't I?”

Leo Tolstoy book Anna Karenina

Source: Anna Karenina

People, Thinking, Evil

“I want to believe there is a somebody out there just for me. I want to believe that I exist to be there for that somebody.”

David Levithan (1972) American author and editor

Source: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“What I think the political correctness debate is really about is the power to be able to define. The definers want the power to name. And the defined are now taking that power away from them.”

Toni Morrison (1931–2019) American writer

As quoted in the New York Times Magazine (11 September 1994).

Thinking

“I wish I could tell my parents, " If you want to help me, help me die.”

Julie Anne Peters (1952) American writer

Source: By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead

Parent, Help

“And I told you, I'm not going to pursue another man's girlfriend. You want to talk honor. There it is in its purest form”

Richelle Mead book Last Sacrifice

Source: Last Sacrifice

“If you want to make enemies, try to change something.”

Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) American politician, 28th president of the United States (in office from 1913 to 1921)

Address to World's Salesmanship Congress http://books.google.com/books?id=w0IOAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA286&dq=%22want+to+make+enemies,+try+to+change+something%22, Detroit (10 July 1916) <br class="br">1910s

Change, Leadership

“Sometimes the things you're convinced you don't want turn out to be the thing you need the most in this world.”

Malorie Blackman book Boys Don't Cry

Source: Boys Don't Cry

World

“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or objects.”

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

As quoted by Ernst Straus in Einstein: A Centenary Volume by A.P. French (1980), p. 32. <br class="br">Attributed in posthumous publications <br class="br">Variant: "if you want to be a happy man, you should tie your life to a goal, not to other people and not to things." A quote from Ernst Straus' memoir of Einstein in Albert Einstein: Historical and Cultural Perspectives edited by Gerald Holton and Yehuda Elkana (1982), p. 420 http://books.google.com/books?id=CNuwE3NL1QgC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA420#v=onepage&q&f=false

Life, Happiness, People, Motivational

“You're children. Don't you want a home, a family?"
"With, like, vitamin-fortified cereal and educational television?”

James Patterson (1947) American author

Source: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

Children, Education, Family, Home

“I did get lost but I wanted someone to find me.”

Sarra Manning (1950) British writer

“I’ve met plenty of embarrassing parents, but Kronos, the evil Titan Lord who wanted to destroy Western Civilization? Not the kind of dad you invited to
school for Career Day.”

Rick Riordan book The Sea of Monsters

Source: The Sea of Monsters

School, Parent, Evil

“The three saddest things are the ill wanting to be well, the poor wanting to be rich, and the constant traveler saying 'anywhere but here'.”

E.E. Cummings (1894–1962) American poet

Travel

“If you focus on the risks, they'll multiply in your mind and eventually paralyze you. You want to focus on the task, instead, on doing what needs to be done.”

Barry Eisler (1963) American writer

“I know all about dreams that make you want to scream.”

Michael Thomas Ford (1968) American writer

Source: Suicide Notes

Dreams

“Dammit, Dresden, if you want to know about me, wait for the autobiography like everyone else.”

Jim Butcher book Blood Rites

Source: Blood Rites

Waiting

“They wanted them to look like the Gods.
God doesn't look like this.”

James Rollins (1961) American writer

Source: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

God

“Oh yeah. It would be terrible for you to have only one working fang. Your friends might want to call you Lefty”

Kerrelyn Sparks (1955) American writer

Source: How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire

“Those men want to take Laurence from me, and put him in prison, and execute him, and I will not let them, ever, and I do not care if Laurence tells me not to squash you," he added, fiercely, to Lord Barham.”

Naomi Novik book Throne of Jade

Source: Throne of Jade

Men

“Language always betrays us, tells the truth when we want to lie, and dissolves into formlessness when we would most like to be precise.”

Jeanette Winterson book Sexing the Cherry

Source: Sexing the Cherry

Truth, Lie

“I will tell you that there have been no failures in my life. I don't want to sound like some metaphysical queen, but there have been no failures. There have been some tremendous lessons.”

Oprah Winfrey (1954) American businesswoman, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist

Life, Failure

“She wasn’t sure if he wanted more from her or if he wanted less. Maybe it was both. Maybe it was always both.”

Ann Brashares book The Last Summer

Source: The Last Summer

“Nico realized he was still leaning against Will. He pushed him away and stood on his own two feet.
‘I’ll do what I need to.’
Will rolled his eyes. ‘Fine, Death Boy. If you want to get yourself killed –’
‘Do not call me Death Boy!”

Rick Riordan book The Blood of Olympus

Source: The Blood of Olympus

Death, Boy

“She was a wicked thing sometimes. All full of want. As if the shape of the world depended on her mood. As if she were important.”

Patrick Rothfuss book The Slow Regard of Silent Things

Source: The Slow Regard of Silent Things

World, Mood, Dependency

“Sometimes one simply wants to disappear.”

Jonathan Safran Foer book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Source: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

“When you steal from the library, you are preventing anyone else from reading that book, and the very notion makes me want to drop you in the Void.”

Piers Anthony Golem in the Gears

Source: Golem in the Gears

Books, Reading

“Tyson was still staring at Chiron in amazement. He whimpered like he wanted to pat Chiron's flank but was afraid to come closer.

"Pony?”

Rick Riordan (1964) American writer

“Wanting to leave is enough.”

Cheryl Strayed book Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar

Source: Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar

“He wont have to worry about you spilling his secrets.”
“Yeah,” Jace said, “he‘s terrified I‘ll tell everyone that he‘s always really wanted to be a ballerina.”
-Inquisitor & Jace about Valentine, pg.123-”

Cassandra Clare book City of Ashes

Variant: How awfully convenient for you, regardless. And for him. He won't have to worry about you spilling his secrets."
"Yeah," Jace said. "He's terrified I'll tell everyone that he's always wanted to be a ballerina.
Source: City of Ashes

Secret

“The happiness of those who want to be popular depends on others; the happiness of those who seek pleasure fluctuates with moods outside their control; but the happiness of the wise grows out of their own free acts.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

Source: Meditations

Happiness, Pleasure, Mood, Dependency

“My mother had always told her kids: if you're about to do something, and you want to know if it's a bad idea, imagine seeing it printed in the paper for all the world to see.”

Gillian Flynn book Gone Girl

Source: Gone Girl

World, Imagination, Idea

“Why do you think people cheat?," I asked.
"Because they're bored? Because they can? Because they're selfish and think they're entitled to anything they want? Because they don't think they'll get caught?”

Sarah Mlynowski (1977) Novelist

Source: Ten Things We Did

People, Thinking, Cheating, Selfishness

“… if God took the trouble to tell us eight hundred times to be glad and rejoice, He must want us to do it—SOME.”

Eleanor H. Porter book Pollyanna

Source: Pollyanna

God, Time

“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.”

Gore Vidal (1925–2012) American writer

“I don't want to live the rest of my life thinking about you and dreaming of what might have been. Stay with me, Allie.”

Nicholas Sparks book The Notebook

Source: The Notebook

Life, Dreams, Thinking

“Look, if you wanted to be babied you should have asked Peeta.”

Suzanne Collins book Catching Fire

Source: Catching Fire

Baby

“Because there was a hunger in me to see everything and do everything. I wanted to be everyone I saw. I wasn't enough for me. Can you understand that?”

Sidney Sheldon book Bloodline

Source: Bloodline

Hunger, Understanding

“Every time you spend money, you're casting a vote for the kind of world you want.”

Anna Lappé (1973) American writer

Money, World, Time

“‎"You want more?" she asked a bit breathlessly. "Even after what we did?"
His mouth took on a sardonic twist. "I'm afraid quantity usually matters for me…"
--THE PRINCESS'S ASSASSINS”

Emma Holly (1961) American writer

Princess

“He wanted to take his love back from her so badly. The old techniques didn’t work anymore. In fact, they’d never worked. How do you stop loving someone? It was one of the world’s more brutal mysteries. The more you tried, the less it worked.”

Ann Brashares (1967) American children's writer

Love, World

“The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.”

Richard Bach (1936) American spiritual writer

Illusions : The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah (1977)

Motivational, Inspirational, Positive, Good Morning

“Her life with others no longer interests him. He wants only her stalking beauty, her theatre of expressions. He wants the minute secret reflection between them, the depth of field minimal, their foreignness intimate like two pages of a closed book.”

Michael Ondaatje book The English Patient

Source: The English Patient

Life, Secret, Books, Beauty

“I wanted to ask a thousand questions, but there was no one to ask. Besides I knew that people only told lies to children-lies about everything from soup to Santa Claus.”

Marilyn Monroe (1926–1962) American actress, model, and singer

Source: My Story

Children, People, Question

“If you don't want a man dead, don't bludgeon him over the head repeatedly.”

Naomi Novik book Uprooted

Source: Uprooted

Dead

“To hell, to hell with balance! I break glasses; I want to burn, even if I break myself. I want to live only for ecstasy. I’m neurotic, perverted, destructive, fiery, dangerous - lava, inflammable, unrestrained.”

Anaïs Nin (1903–1977) writer of novels, short stories, and erotica

Hell

“Dolgan: ’Tis a wise thing to know what is wanted, and wiser still to know when ‘tis achieved.
Rhuagh: True. And still wiser to know when it is unachievable, for then striving is folly.”

Raymond E. Feist (1945) Novelist

Source: Magician: Apprentice

“Some prices are just too high, no matter how much you may want the prize. The one thing you can't trade for your heart's desire is your heart.”

Lois McMaster Bujold book Memory

Source: Vorkosigan Saga, Memory (1996)

Heart

“These are the words I want on my gravestone: that I was a helper, and that I danced.”

Anne Lamott (1954) Novelist, essayist, memoirist, activist

Dance

“I want to kiss you one more time before I die.”

Cassandra Clare book Clockwork Princess

Source: Clockwork Princess

Kiss, Time

“To me, making a tape is like writing a letter – there's a lot of erasing and rethinking and starting again, and I wanted it to be a good one.”

Nick Hornby (1957) English novelist

“When you're alone, it's easier," she said a little wistfully. "You can do what you want. You don't have to go home.”

Candace Bushnell book Sex and the City

Source: Sex and the City

Home

“Wanting him to come back before anyone notices part of the world has not moved since he left.”

Brian Andreas (1956) American artist

World, Parting

“I turn and put my lips close to Peeta's and drop my eyelids in imitation… "He offered me sugar and wanted to know all my secrets," I say in my best seductive voice.”

Suzanne Collins book Catching Fire

Source: Catching Fire

Secret

“Yeah, we wouldn't want to lose our little Mockingjay when she's finally begun to sing.”

Suzanne Collins book Mockingjay

Source: Mockingjay

Singing

“If I have to build a big company by mistreating other people then the Bible says WOE to me. I don't know what that is, but I don't want any of it.”

Joyce Meyer (1943) American author and speaker

People

“Wikipedia is the first place I go when I'm looking for knowledge… or when I want to create some.”

Stephen Colbert (1964) American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor

Knowledge

“Sometimes artist like to catch themselves looking out, let the world see them for once. It's a signature. This one is a very bold one. But this is also a witnessing. We want to remember, and we want to be remembered. That's why we paint.”

Maureen Johnson book 13 Little Blue Envelopes

Source: 13 Little Blue Envelopes

World, Painting

“When I want you to beg, I'll tell you.”

Jessica Bird book Lover Unbound

Source: Lover Unbound

“But suicides have a special language.
Like carpenters they want to know which tools.
They never ask why build.”

Anne Sexton book Live or Die

"Wanting to Die"
Live or Die (1966)

Suicide

“Life is brief and to have to spend every day of it doing what somebody else wants you to do is not the way to live it.”

Cormac McCarthy (1933) American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter

Life, Way

“If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”

Harry Truman (1884–1972) American politician, 33rd president of the United States (in office from 1945 to 1953)

Despite being quoted as a remark of Truman by both George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, this apparently originates from a line in the portrayal of Truman in the play Give ‘Em Hell, Harry (1975) by Samuel Gallu : "You want a friend in life, get a dog!" This was later paraphrased by Maureen Dowd (10 March 1989): "If you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog." But prior to Gallu's play their is no actual indication Truman ever said this, according to investigations by David Rothman In "Google Book Search, Harry S. Truman and the get-a-dog quote: Presidential library unable to confirm it" (28 June 2008) http://www.teleread.com/books/google-book-search-harry-s-truman-and-the-get-a-dog-quote-presidential-library-unable-to-confirm-it/ <br class="br">Misattributed

Dogs

“Absorbing the fact that sometimes, people do cut you slack and forgive you and want you anyway.

Sometimes they do. And when they do, even if it's not a happy ending, it is delicious”

E. Lockhart (1967) American writer of novels as E. Lockhart (mainly for teenage girls) and of picture books under real name Emily J…

Source: The Treasure Map of Boys: Noel, Jackson, Finn, Hutch, Gideon—and me, Ruby Oliver

Happiness, People, Forgiveness

“One remedy for the fear of not being loved is to remember how good it feels to love someone. If you're feeling unloved and you want to feel better, go love someone, and see what happens.”

Dossie Easton (1944) American author and family therapist

Source: The Ethical Slut: A Guide to Infinite Sexual Possibilities

Love, Fear, Feeling

“Normally I hate people who whine all the time, but in your case, it would be okay to complain. Be selfish, say what you want once in a while. It's okay to let yourself be sad." -Kyo talking to Tohru”

Natsuki Takaya (1973) Manga artist

Source: Fruits Basket, Vol. 1