The Quotation Blog

The Earth revolves around the Sun

2006-02-19T22:44:00.000Z

These words seem very unsensational now, but at the time they were uttered by Nicolas Copernicus they were considered heretical and profoundly untrue. A heliocentric world would mean that the Earth was not the centre of creation, something that for many seemed to shake the foundations of our self identity and beliefs.

Another quote from Copernicus is:

"To know that we know what we know, and to know that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge"

... does anyone remember a certain Donald Rumsfeld using the word 'know' - or at least 'known' that many times in a sentence not too long ago?!?

You cannot be serious!

2006-02-16T10:50:00.000Z

The quote of the day comes from the fiery tempered tennis player, John McEnroe.

Other quotes include:

"You are in the pits of the world"

...and...

"There's too much money and too many nice guys around"

If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin

2006-02-12T12:46:00.000Z

Hero of many and villain of some, this quote comes from Charles Darwin, he of the evolutionary theory.

Other quotes from Darwin include:

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."

...of course assuming it is responsive in the right ways; and showing that it wasn't him that said 'survival of the fittest'...

"A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life"

...but it's OK, reading a quotations blog must surely count as a very wise investment of time!

Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise

2006-02-09T15:58:00.000Z

The quote today comes from Alice Walker, the American poet.

Other quotes include, on God:

"The experience of God, or in any case the possibility of experiencing God, is innate."

... and on peace and pacifism...

"The quietly pacifist peaceful always die to make room for men who shout"

You can only milk a cow so long, then you're left holding the pail.

2006-02-05T13:50:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from Hank Aaron, the baseball player.

Other quotes include:

"My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling bad or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging"

...and...

"Last year, I was sort of a kid and I was a little scared, I ain't scared any more"

A mind enclosed in language is in prison

2006-02-03T18:14:00.000Z

The quote of the day today is by Simone Weil.

Other quotes include:

"A hurtful act is the transference to others of the degradation which we bear in ourselves"

...and...

"All sins are attempts to fill voids"

Marriage is an institution and that's where a couple finish up

2006-02-02T12:16:00.000Z

The quote today comes from Les Dawson the comedian.

Other quotes include:

"I saw six men kicking and punching the mother-in-law. My neighbour said 'Are you going to help?' I said 'No, Six should be enough"

...and...

"I can always tell when the mother in law's coming to stay; the mice throw themselves on the traps"

... it seems he didn't get on well with his mother in law!

Happiness is no laughing matter

2006-02-01T12:12:00.000Z

The cheerful quote of the day today comes from the philosopher, Richard Whately.

To follow without halt, one aim; there is the secret of success

2006-01-31T12:14:00.000Z

The quote of the day today from Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova targets the secret of success, something that many strive for and few succeed in.

As for what success itself is...:

"...And success? What is it? I do not find it in the applause of the theatre. It lies rather in the satisfaction of accomplishment."

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself

2006-01-30T13:16:00.000Z

The quote today is by Franklin D Roosevelt, who was of course President number 32 of America, but who's counting?

Other quotes include:

"It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something"

...and...

"Rules are not necessarily sacred, principles are"

I don't believe in failure. It is not failure if you enjoyed the process.

2006-01-29T12:15:00.000Z

The quote today comes from Oprah Winfrey, Queen of the American chat show format.

Other quotes include:

"You can have it all you just can't have it all at one time"

...and...

"Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not"

Here's my Golden Rule for a tarnished age: Be fair with others, but keep after them until they're fair with you

2006-01-28T12:12:00.000Z

The quote today is from actor Alan Alda.

Other quotes include:

"It isn't necessary to be rich and famous to be happy. It's only necessary to be rich."

...and...

"When people are laughing, they're generally not killing one another"

Curiouser and curiouser!

2006-01-27T13:53:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from, of course, Lewis Carroll and his book Alice in Wonderland the bizarre but very popular fiction work of his imagination.

Another quote from Lewis is:

"I once delivered a simple ball, which I was told, had it gone far enough, would have been considered a wide."

A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction

2006-01-25T12:31:00.000Z

This statement on the criteria needed to produce works of fiction comes from author Virginia Woolf.

Other quotes include:

"Why are women... so much more interesting to men than men are to women?"

...and...

"You cannot find peace by avoiding life"

Heaven Hath no rage like a love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned

2006-01-24T11:11:00.000Z

One of the most famous quotes that there is actually comes from someone feww people may have heard of - that is the English playwright William Congreve.

Other quotes include:

"Grief walks upon the heels of pleasure; married in haste, we repent at leisure"
... often expressed as 'marry in haste, repent at leisure'

...and...

"Never go to bed angry, stay up and fight"
... expressing sentiments such as never let the sun go down on an argument - get it out of the way and move on.

Age does not protect you from love, but love, to some extent, protects you from age

2006-01-23T10:43:00.000Z

The quote today about the importance of love and how it can stop you ageing comes from the French actress, Jeanne Moreau.

On football:

"Women will not talk about football unless one of them is in love with a football player, and then suddenly you discover that they know everything that is to be known about it."

I was coming home from kindergarten - well they told me it was kindergarten...

2006-01-22T16:11:00.000Z

...I found out later I had been working in a factory for ten years. It's good for a kid to know how to make gloves.

Can you guess who the quote of the day is from today?

No, well I'll put you out of your misery then - it's none other than popular comedienne, Ellen

You've got to be honest; if you can fake that, you've got it made

2006-01-20T12:47:00.000Z

The amusing quote of the day today, no surprise, comes from a comedian - in this case, it's George Burns.

Other quotes include:

"I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate"

...and...

"Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city."

If you wish to forget anything on the spot, make a note that this thing is to be remembered

2006-01-19T13:04:00.000Z

The quote of the day today is by Edgar Allan Poe, the famous author, and will certainly ring true for many people!

Other quotes include the rather cryptic:

"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream"

...and more optimistically...

"Man's real life is happy, chiefly because he is ever expecting that it soon will be so"

I think that now I am older I could take the story a stage further, which is an idea I am currently working on

2006-01-18T11:41:00.000Z

This quote comes from Kevin Costner, in relation to Robin Hood.

Confident in his abilities, he also said:

"It sounds vain, but I could probably make a difference for almost everyone I ever met if I chose to involve myself with them either professionally or personally"

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee

2006-01-17T12:03:00.000Z

The author of this very famous quote needs no introduction, being the famous boxer Muhammad Ali

Other memorable quotes include:

"I'm so fast that last night I turned the light switch off in my bedroom and I was in bed before the room was dark"

...and...

"It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up"

I want people to remember me as a full on entertainer and a good person

2006-01-16T11:29:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from the popular R&B singer, Aaliyah.

Other quotes from Aaliyah include:

"Always be true to yourself"

...and...

"You have to love what you do to want to do it everyday"

Life's most persistant and urgent question is what are you doing for others

2006-01-15T18:01:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from Martin Luther King Jr.

Other quotes include:

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that happen"

...and...

"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools"

Success in show business depends on your ability to make and keep friends

2006-01-13T12:01:00.000Z

This practical advice on how to survive on the big screen comes from the singer Sophie Tucker.

Another quote, containing more practical advice, is:

"From birth to 18 a girl needs good parents. From 18 to 35, she needs good looks. From 35 to 55, good personality. From 55 on, she needs good cash"

I've learned that you'll never be disappointed if you always keep an eye on uncharted territory, where you'll be challenged and growing and having fun

2006-01-12T13:02:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from Kirstie Alley.

Other quotes include:

"Smile don't frown Look up don't look down Believe in yourself Don't let yourself go Just be who you are And let your life flow..."

There is no more miserable human being than one in whom nothing is habitual but indecision

2006-01-11T15:24:00.000Z

The philosopher William James urges decisiveness in the quote of the day today.

Other quotes include:

"The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook"

...and...

"The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it"

So go out and seek immortality in one way or another...

What I do now is all my dad's fault, because he bought me a guitar as a boy, for no apparent reason

2006-01-10T11:20:00.000Z

The quote of the day comes from Rod Stewart, so if you don't like his music, then you now know who to blame!

On marriage:

"Instead of getting married again, I'm going to find a woman I don't like and just give her a house"

Voters quickly forget what a man says

2006-01-09T12:52:00.000Z

Many politicians have banked on the truth of these words over the years - or at least the inability of those who do remember to take any action!

The quote, of course, comes from Richard Nixon.

Other quotes include:

"Rarely have so many people been so wrong about so much"

...and...

"The presidency has many problems, but boredom is the least of them"

I decided to retire from show business at the age of 17, because I didn't like it a bit

2006-01-08T12:20:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from one of the stars of showbiz, Shirley Bassey...

I think I jump around more when I'm alone

2006-01-07T17:44:00.000Z

The quote of the day today which doesn't make a lot of sense, comes from the acclaimed Hollywood actor, Nicolas Cage.

Other quotes include:

"As a teenager I was more of an anarchist, but now I want people to thrive and be harmonious"

Quite. And also:

"I try to do as many stunts as they'll let me do. I think it's important for an audience to feel that the actor's really doing it"

As I was leaving this morning, I said to myself 'the last thing you must do is forget your speech.'...

2006-01-06T14:55:00.000Z

... And sure enough, as I left the house this morning, the last thing I did was to forget my speech.

This quote comes from UK funny man Rowan Atkinson, famous for several roles but perhaps most notably his silent-ish performances as Mr Bean.

I thank God and I thank Ted Turner everyday that I don't have to make movies

2005-12-21T17:29:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from the famous and popular actress, Jane Fonda.

Of course, many people would quite like to make movies everyday, for the glamour, lifestyle and the money that can be associated with it...

Recommend to your children virtue; that alone can make them happy, not gold

2005-12-16T11:15:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from Ludwig Van Beethoven, he who of course is much more well known for penning fantastic music rather than profound thoughts.

But promoting virtue was certainly a very wise idea as money alone doesn't bring happiness, he says.

If you can count your money, you don't have a billion dollars

2005-12-15T12:56:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from the famous businessman, J P Getty, explaining the experience of counting your money and not being able to - something that not many of us trouble over!

Other quotes include:

"If you owe the bank $100 that's your problem. If you owe the bank $100 million, that's the bank's problem."

... neatly summarising the relationship between lender and lendee.

"I buy when other people are selling"

... on why he had so much success for such an extended period of time. So now you know!

My basic rule is to speak slowly and simply so that my audience has an opportunity to follow and think about what I am saying

2005-12-14T12:58:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from Margaret Chase Smith, the US politician.

It is probably one of the best pieces of advice on how to give a presentation or speak in public that there is!

You come into this world alone and you go out of this world alone, yet it seems to me that you are more alone while living than even going or coming

2005-12-13T12:28:00.000Z

The quote of the day today is by the writer Emily Carr

...And on Canada...

"It is wonderful to feel the grandness of Canada in the raw, not because she is Canada but because she's something sublime that you were born into, some great rugged power that you are a part of"

I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day

2005-12-12T10:41:00.000Z

The quote today comes from Frank Sinatra, crooner and rat pack member extraordinaire.

Other quotes include:

"Hell hath no fury like a hustler with a literary agent"

...and...

"May you live to be one hundred, and may the last voice you hear be mine!"

They also serve who only stand and wait

2005-12-09T11:43:00.000Z

The quote of the day today is by the English writer, John Milton.

Other quotes include:

"Who overcomes by force hath overcome but half his foe"

...and...

"The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven"

I think any girl who comes to Hollywood with sex symbol or bombshell hanging over her has a rough road.

2005-12-08T13:27:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from the modest Kim Basinger!

Give the people a new word and they think they have a new fact

2005-12-07T11:46:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from Willa Cather, the novelist.

Other quotes include:

"There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm"

...and...

"The stupid believe that to be truthful is easy; only the artist, the great artist, knows how difficult it is"

I have an existential map. It has 'You are here' written all over it

2005-12-06T10:50:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from, no surprise, a comedian. In this case, that comedian is Steven Wright.

Some other quotes include:

"If toast always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their feet, what happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it?"

... an interesting thought! And also:

"It doesn't matter what temperature the room is; it's always room temperature"

Too true.

If you can dream it, you can do it

2005-12-05T09:33:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from Walt Disney, the US film maker.

Here are a couple of other quotes:

"It's fun to do the impossible"

... bit of an oxymoron there, perhaps.

Also:

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them"

Christina [Aguilera] and I are friends no matter what the media makes up.

2005-12-02T11:12:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from the American singing sensation Britney Spears.

Other quotes include:

"The music business has let me touch a lot of people with my talent"

...and...

"Don't get me wrong - lots of girls love Justin, he's just not my type" - on Justin Timberlake

Is knowledge knowable? If not, how do we know this?

2005-12-01T12:06:00.000Z

The quote of the day today is by Woody Allen

Other funny quotes include:

"I wanted to be an olympic swimmer, but I had some problems with buoyancy"

...and...

"I was thrown out of college for cheating on the metaphysics exam; I looked into the soul of the boy next to me"

In war, you can only be killed once, but in politics, many times

2005-11-30T09:39:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister during World War II.

Other quotes include:

"Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm"

...and...

"Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it"

Miracles do not, in fact, break the laws of nature

2005-11-29T13:23:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from C S Lewis, famous author of the Narnia books for children.

Other quotes include:

"You play the hand you're dealt. I think the game's worthwhile"

...and on the future, the great leveller...

"The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is"

There is a vast difference between games and play. Play is played for fun, but games are deadly serious and you do not play them to enjoy yourself

2005-11-28T09:40:00.000Z

The quote of the day today on games is by Maurice Baring.

So, anyone for a Game of Sudoku?

The first man gets the oyster, the second man gets the shell

2005-11-25T12:06:00.000Z

The advantages of getting there first are clearly spelt out in this quote by Andrew Carnegie, the successful businessman.

Other quotes include:

"Concentrate; put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket..."

...and...

"Pioneering don't pay"

Once you've read the quotes, why not Play sudoku?

Fear cannot be without hope nor hope without fear

2005-11-24T13:00:00.000Z

The quote of the day today links fear and hope together.

The quote is from the Dutch philosopher, Benedict Spinoza.

Other quotes include:

"We feel and know that we are eternal"

...and...

"If men were born free, they would, so long as they remained free, form no conception of good and evil"

Statues and pictures and verse may be grand, But they are not the Life for which they stand

2005-11-23T11:11:00.000Z

The quote today is from James Thomson, the Scottish poet.

Thomson makes an interesting point...

It is never too late to be what you might have been

2005-11-22T09:49:00.000Z

This inspiring quote of the day today comes from George Eliot, the famous English novelist.

Other quotes include:

"A woman dictates before marriage in order that she may have an appetite for submission afterwards"

...and...

"The happiest women, like the happiest nations, have no history"

History is fables agreed upon

2005-11-21T10:01:00.000Z

The quote of the day today, defining history, comes from the philosopher Voltaire.

Other quotes include:

"To succeed in the world it is not enough to be stupid, you must also be well-mannered"

So if you're successful, it might not be quite such a good thing...

And on medicine:

"The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease"

... Hopefully things have improved somewhat on this score since the time of writing!

You never saw a very busy person who was unhappy

2005-11-18T10:53:00.000Z

The quote of the day today on one of the secrets of happiness (or at least not being actively unhappy) is by the journalist and writer Dorothy Dix.

Also in cricket a Dorothy Dix is a six!

Another quote of hers is:

"I have learned to live each day as it comes, and not to borrow trouble by dreading tomorrow. It is the dark menace of the future that makes cowards of us"

In other words, take each day as it comes...

There's terrific merit in having no sense of humour, no sense of irony, practically no sense of anything at all

2005-11-17T12:11:00.000Z

The quote today is by the English actor, Peter Cook, who goes on to elaborate:

"If you're born with these so-called defects you have a very good chance of getting to the top"

Travel, instead of broadening the mind, often merely lengthens the conversation

2005-11-16T09:51:00.000Z

Anyone who has had conversations with the well travelled may well empathise with the sentiment behind this quote; especially after being regaled stories from all corners of the globe. The quote is from Elizabeth Drew, the US journalist.

I see no reason for calling my work poetry except that there is no other category in which to put it.

2005-11-15T12:19:00.000Z

The quote today is from Marianne Moore, American poet and editor.

Other quotes include:

"The passion for setting people right is in itself an afflictive disease"

And on poetry...

"Poetry is the art of creating imaginary gardens with real toads."

At least now you know where you've been going wrong all these years?

I sometimes wonder if two-thirds of the globe is covered in red carpet

2005-11-14T09:47:00.000Z

The quote of the day is by Prince Charles, heir to the English, well British, throne.

Other quotes include:

"All the time I feel I must justify my existence"

... from a Prince feeling sorry for himself, but many anti-monarchists would ask when that justification is going to come.

"I can't bear that man. I mean, he's so awful, he really is" - on BBC reporter, Nicholas Witchell, but overheard - clearly his father's son.

It's really important to me not to be known as Ross when I'm 60

2005-11-12T13:44:00.000Z

The quote of the day today comes from the actor who played Ross in Friends - err, what was his name, David Schwimmer

Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardour and attended to with diligence

2005-11-11T13:08:00.000Z

The quote today comes from Abigail Adams, First Lady to President John Adams.

Another well known of her quotes is:

"Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of husbands. Remember all men would be tyrants if they could."

The boldness to believe in nothing

2005-11-09T12:41:00.000Z

This famous quote comes from the great Russian author, Ivan Turgenev.

It's from the book Fathers and Sons, and there is a very powerful message and idea behind what seems like such a simple quote, when you take the time to think about it.

Another inspirational quote from Turgenev that may spur those who are dithering into action - whether that is to undertake some form of action, whether it be a new relationship, a new business or something else outside their "comfort zone" is the following:

"If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin"

And on prayer:

"Whatever a man prays for, he prays for a miracle. Every prayer reduces itself to this: Great God, grant that twice two be not four"

If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun

2005-11-08T11:31:00.000Z

The downside of following rules is expounded here by Katharine Hepburn.

Other quotes include:

"If you want to sacrifice the admiration of many men for the criticism of one, go ahead, get married."

One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done

2005-11-07T10:44:00.000Z

This quote from Marie Curie summarises beautifully the attitude of someone who dedicates their life to researching a particular field.

Other quotes by Curie include:

... on discoveries and advance...

"I am one of those who think like Nobel, that humanity will draw more good than evil from new discoveries."

... on attitudes to life...

"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood"

I was raised to sense what someone wanted me to be and be that kind of person.

2005-11-06T20:52:00.000Z

The quote today comes from Sally Field, the US actress.

She went on to say:

"...It took me a long time not to judge myself through someone else's eyes.
"

Woe to him who teaches men faster than they can learn

2005-11-05T13:13:00.000Z

This quote on teaching is by American historian, Will Durant.

Other quotes include:

"Nature has never read the Declaration of Independence. It continues to make us unequal."

...and...

"The political machine triumphs because it is a united minority acting against a divided majority"

Hope against hope, and ask till ye receive

2005-11-04T11:58:00.000Z

The simple quote of the day today comes from the Scottish poet, James Montgomery.

It's quite a good one in the run up to Christmas - what are you hoping to receive?

Perhaps the 365 puzzle fun sudoku CD including alphabetical puzzles?

Personalised Sudoku CD...

The quickest way to a man's heart is through his chest

2005-11-03T12:02:00.000Z

This jokey quote of the day today comes from the comedienne, Rosanne Barr.

... who also said ...

"There's a lot more to being a woman than being a mother, but there's a hell of a lot more to being a mother than most people suspect."

We must have a citizenship less concerned about what the government can do for it and more anxious about what it can do for the nation

2005-11-02T10:06:00.000Z

The quote today comes from Warren Harding.

Not particularly well known these days, Harding was actually the 29th President of the USA.

You must work very hard to become a natural golfer

2005-11-01T09:34:00.000Z

The quote today comes from the golfer Gary Player.

On priorities:

"It's a marriage. If I had to choose between my wife and my putter, well, I'd miss her"

Beauty is truth, and truth is beauty

2005-10-31T09:34:00.000Z

The quote of the day today, which many people cite as one of their favourite quotes of all time, is from the pen of the famous English poet, John Keats.

Other quotes include:

...on failure...

"I would sooner fail than not be among the greatest."

...on beauty...

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness."

...and on philosophy...

"Philosophy will clip an angel's wings."

To get it right, be born with luck or else make it. Never give up.

2005-10-30T15:40:00.000Z

The quote today comes from the American actress and writer, Ruth Gordon.

Elaborating on the theme, she continues:

"...Get the knack of getting people to help you and also pitch in yourself. A little money helps, but what really gets it right is to never - I repeat - never under any conditions face the facts."

So facing the facts isn't important, but getting others to help out is. So there you go.

Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose.

2005-10-28T10:48:00.000+01:00

This well known quote on success comes from the one of the most successful businessmen on the planet - Bill Gates.

Other well known quotes include the prediction he'd rather forget:

"No one will need more than 637 kb of memory for a personal computer." - said in the early 1970s. Oops!

...and...

"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning."

Indeed.

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are

2005-10-27T11:45:00.000+01:00

This very practical advice comes from Theodore Roosevelt.

Other quotes include:

"Let us rather run the risk of wearing out than rusting out."

...and rather more famously...

"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

Interesting advice... is it as relevant today as when the words were uttered?

You show people what you're willing to fight for when you fight your friends

2005-10-26T10:39:00.000+01:00

The quote of the day today comes from Hilary Clinton, the possible future president of the USA, who would become the first ever female president were she elected.

Other quotes include:

"In the Bible it says they asked Jesus how many times you should forgive, and he said 70 times 7. Well, I want you all to know that I'm keeping a chart."

...and...

"The challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible"

Give me a museum and I'll fill it

2005-10-25T10:04:00.000+01:00

The quote of the day today comes from the famous artist, Pablo Picasso.

Other quotes include, on God:

"God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant, and the cat. He has no real style. He just goes on trying other things."

...and on painting...

"Painting is just another way of keeping a diary"

I love the sound of a woman in the throes of rapture - but not screamers

2005-10-24T09:33:00.000+01:00

The quote of the day today reveals the intimate preferences of Kevin Kline.

Be nice, for everyone that you meet is fighting a harder battle

2005-10-23T20:13:00.000+01:00

The quote of the day today is by Anita Roddick

Be nice, for everyone that you meet is fighting a harder battle

2005-10-23T20:11:00.000+01:00

The very noble quote of the day today is by Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop.

Other quotes include:

"If you do things well, do them better. Be daring, be first, be different, be just"

...and...

"Nobody talks of entrepreneurship as survival, but that's exactly what it is and what nurtures creative thinking"

Advice is like snow; the softer it falls the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind.

2005-10-21T10:31:00.000+01:00

This excellent and evocative simile about advice and its effect comes from the pen of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, he of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

Other memorable and famous quotes include:

"Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink." [The Rime of the Ancient Mariner]

"If you would stand well with a great mind, leave him with a favourable impression of yourself; if with a little mind, leave him with a favorable impression of himself"

Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another

2005-10-20T14:38:00.000+01:00

The quote today comes from the philosopher, John Dewey. The end of one thing is always the start of another.

Other quotes include:

"We only think when we are confronted with problems"

And on the rose tinted spectacles phenomenon that may make the school days the best days of your life:

"Time and memory are true artists; they remould reality nearer to the heart's desire"

A committee is an animal with four back legs

2005-10-19T09:49:00.000+01:00

This quote, which paints an interesting mental picture, is by the British novelist, John Le Carre.

Just go out there and do what you have to do.

2005-10-18T12:24:00.000+01:00

This rather practical piece of advice comes from former top tennis player and record-winning Wimbledon champion, Martina Navratilova.

Other quotes include:

On the attitudes to sports women in the USA:

"People in the States used to think that if girls were good at sports their sexuality would be affected."

...and on applying labels and stereotypes to people...

"Labels are for filing. Labels are for clothing. Labels are not for people"

The world is an oyster, but you don't crack it open on a mattress.

2005-10-17T09:39:00.000+01:00

An interesting extended metaphor for the quote of the day today, by the US dramatist Arthur Miller.

Other thought provoking quotes include:

"Without alienation, there can be no politics."

...and...

"Where choice begins, Paradise ends, innocence ends, for what is Paradise but the absence of any need to choose this action?"

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.

2005-10-16T18:24:00.000+01:00

The quote today, of course, comes from Oscar Wilde, the man who is quoted more than anyone else but Shakespeare.

A couple other quotes from Oscar include:

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars"

...and...

"We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language"

Woman was God's second mistake

2005-10-15T18:26:00.000+01:00

The quote of the day today is by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche

Other memorable quotes include:

"If you stare into the Abyss long enough the Abyss stares back at you"

...and...

"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently"

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter

2005-10-14T11:41:00.000+01:00

This quote about laughter is from the American poet and author, E E Cummings.

Other quotes include:

...on a politician...

"A politician is an arse upon
which everyone has set except a man."

...on progress...

"Progress is a comfortable disease."

Economics are the method; the object is to change the soul

2005-10-13T11:46:00.000+01:00

The quote of the day today is by Margaret Thatcher, who is 80 today!

Having produced many memorable quotes in her time, summarising her outlook and attitude, here are few more:

... on patience ...

"I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end."

... on leadership ...

"Being Prime Minister is a lonely job... you cannot lead from the crowd."

... on society and the atomist world view ...

"There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families."

Learning music by reading about it is like making love by mail.

2005-10-12T15:11:00.000+01:00

The quote of the day today, on how to learn music, comes from the larger than life opera singer, Luciano Pavarotti.

So now you know!

Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

2005-10-11T16:46:00.000+01:00

The quote today, containing some wise advice, is by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Other well known quotes include:

"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness."

...and...

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams"

You may have the universe if I may have Italy

2005-10-10T10:11:00.000+01:00

This quote is quite an impressive show of patriotism from the composer Giuseppe Verdi.

Clearly appreciating his homeland very much, Italy was all he wanted!

Life is what happens when you are making other plans

2005-10-09T22:36:00.000+01:00

The quote today comes from John Lennon, and is surely a very true observation of the reality of life which we can all see elements of truth in!

Other quotes from Lennon include:

... on time ...

"Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted"

... on idiots ...

"As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot"

The movie business divides women into ice queens and sluts, and there have been times I wanted to be a slut more than anything.

2005-10-08T17:04:00.000+01:00

The quote today, on the reality of the movie business, comes from the famous and successful actress, Sigourney Weaver.

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.

2005-10-07T11:47:00.000+01:00

The quote of the day today comes from Desmond Tutu.

Other quotes include:

... on being a person...

"A person is a person because he recognizes others as persons."

... on injustice...

"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality."

A house is a machine for living in

2005-10-06T13:59:00.000+01:00

The quote today comes from Le Corbusier, the famous French architect.

It certainly makes you think of a house in a different way!

There are moments to indulge and enjoy, but I always know when it's time to go home and wash my knickers

2005-10-05T10:08:00.000+01:00

This quote on the practicalities of life comes from the popular British actress Kate Winslet.

Other quotes include, on the pressures of being thin:

"I'd much rather be known as some curvy Kate than as some skinny stick"

...and on being a mother...

"When you're the mother of small children, life becomes a holiday"

Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative

2005-10-04T13:45:00.000+01:00

The quote of the day today is by Maurice Chevalier.

Interestingly, he doesn't make clear what the alternative is - living forever, being young for ever, or death. Perhaps to him it didn't make a lot of difference whichever of these three options the 'alternative' was!

I entertained on a cruising trip that was so much fun that I had to sink my yacht to make my guests go home

2005-09-24T17:28:00.000+01:00

The quote of the day today is by F Scott Fitzgerald.

Other quotes include:

"At 18 our convictions are hills from which we look; At 45 they are caves in which we hide"

...and...

"In a real dark night of the soul it is always three o'clock in the morning, day after day."

I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great.

2005-09-23T18:25:00.000+01:00

The quote today is by Ray Charles, the famous soul musician.

Other quotes include:

...on affluence...

"Affluence separates people. Poverty knits 'em together. You got some sugar and I don't; I borrow some of yours. Next month you might not have any flour; well, I'll give you some of mine."

...on the metaphysics of the soul...

"What is a soul? It's like electricity - we don't really know what it is, but it's a force that can light a room"

People give us credit only for what we ourselves believe

2005-09-22T19:01:00.000+01:00

The quote of the day today, with regard receiving credit, is by author Fay Weldon

I'm a giraffe. I even walk like a giraffe with a long neck and legs. It's a pretty dumb animal, mind you

2005-09-20T23:58:00.000+01:00

The quote today is by Sophia Loren, the well known actress.

Other quotes include:

"There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age"

...and...

"Sex appeal is fifty percent what you've got and fifty percent what people think you've got."

Sleep is when all the unsorted stuff comes flying out as from a dustbin upset in a high wind

2005-09-19T12:49:00.000+01:00

The quote of the day today, on the subject of sleep, comes from the English novelist, William Golding.

It is interesting, given that we spend about a third of our lives doing it, that so little is really known about sleep - why all creatures seem to sleep to a greater or lesser extent, and of course what we do when we sleep (rapid eye movement, dreams) have long been the subject of rigorous studies that have revealed... very little.

"No one should negotiate their dreams. Dreams must be free to fly high. No government, no legislature, has a right to limit your dreams. You should never agree to surrender your dreams"
- Jesse Jackson

"Dreams are the touchstones of our character"
- Henry David Thoreau

"I was not looking for my dreams to interpret my life, but rather for my life to interpret my dreams"
- Susan Sontag