Famous Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe Quotations

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"If children grew up according to early indications, we should have nothing but geniuses."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Oh God, how do the world and heavens confine themselves, when our hearts tremble in their own barriers!"
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"I do not know myself, and God forbid that I should."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"If you start to think about your physical or moral condition, you usually find that you are sick"
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"If you must tell me your opinions, tell me what you believe in. I have plenty of doubts of my own."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"The decline of literature indicates the decline of a nation."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"The phrases that men hear or repeat continually, end by becoming convictions and ossify the organs of intelligence."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Everybody wants to be somebody; nobody wants to grow."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"It is after all the greatest art to limit and isolate oneself."
by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
"Deeply earnest and thoughtful people stand on shaky footing with the public."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Death is a commingling of eternity with time; in the death of a good man, eternity is seen looking through time."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Never by reflection, but only by doing is self-knowledge possible to one."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Napoleon affords us an example of the danger of elevating one's self to the absolute, and sacrificing everything to the carrying out of an idea."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Be generous with kindly words, especially about those who are absent."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"No one has ever learned fully to know themselves."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"The world remains ever the same."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"The most happy man is he who knows how to bring into relation the end and beginning of his life."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Taste is only to be educated by contemplation, not of the tolerably good but of the truly excellent. I therefore show you only the best works; and when you are grounded in these, you will have a standard for the rest, which you will know how to value, without overrating them."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Talent develops in quiet places, character in the full current of human life."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"The person born with a talent they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in using it."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Only law can give us freedom."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"A person places themselves on a level with the ones they praise."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Everything in the world may be endured except continual prosperity."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Every person above the ordinary has a certain mission that they are called to fulfill."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Character is formed in the stormy billows of the world."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Certain defects are necessary for the existence of individuality."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"To the person with a firm purpose all men and things are servants."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Passions are vices or virtues to their highest powers."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Out of moderation a pure happiness springs."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing; a confusion of the real with the ideal never goes unpunished."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"I will listen to anyone's convictions, but pray keep your doubts to yourself."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"What is not started today is never finished tomorrow."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"What is not fully understood is not possessed."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"We usually lose today, because there has been a yesterday, and tomorrow is coming."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"To hard necessity ones will and fancy must conform."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Those who hope for no other life are dead even for this."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"He who has a task to perform must know how to take sides, or he is quite unworthy of it."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Whoever wishes to keep a secret must hide the fact that he possesses one."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"If you wish to know the mind of a man, listen to his words."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"All that is noble is in itself of a quiet nature, and appears to sleep until it is aroused and summoned forth by contrast."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Hatred is something peculiar. You will always find it strongest and most violent where there is the lowest degree of culture."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Hatred is active, and envy passive dislike; there is but one step from envy to hate."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Happiness is a ball after which we run wherever it rolls, and we push it with our feet when it stops."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Reason can never be popular. Passions and feelings may become popular, but reason will always remain the sole property of a few eminent individuals."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"We know accurately only when we know little, with knowledge doubt increases."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"The human mind will not be confined to any limits."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"The greatest difficulties lie where we are not looking for them."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"A creation of importance can only be produced when its author isolates himself, it is a child of solitude."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"A man can stand anything except a succession of ordinary days."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"A man's manners are a mirror in which he shows his portrait."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"A man's errors are what make him amiable"
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"A person hears only what they understand."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"A really great talent finds its happiness in execution."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"A useless life is an early death."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Age merely shows what children we remain."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Age does not make us childish, as some say; it finds us true children."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Against criticism a man can neither protest nor defend himself; he must act in spite of it, and then it will gradually yield to him."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Against criticism a man can neither protest nor defend himself he must act in spite of it, and then it will gradually yield to him."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"All intelligent thoughts have already been thought; what is necessary is only to try to think them again."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"All the knowledge I possess everyone else can acquire, but my heart is all my own."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"All things are only transitory."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"All truly wise thoughts have been thoughts already thousands of times; but to make them truly ours, we must think them over again honestly, till they take root in our personal experience."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"An unused life is an early death."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Anecdotes and maxims are rich treasures to the man of the world, for he knows how to introduce the former at fit place in conversation."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Be above it! Make the world serve your purpose, but do not serve it."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Beauty is everywhere a welcome guest."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Beauty is a manifestation of secret natural laws, which otherwise would have been hidden from us forever."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Behavior is the mirror in which everyone shows their image."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Because everyone uses language to talk, everyone thinks he can talk about language."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Being brilliant is no great feat if you respect nothing."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Beware of dissipating your powers; strive constantly to concentrate them. Genius thinks it can do whatever it sees others doing, but is sure to repent of every ill-judged outlay."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Beware of dissipating your powers strive constantly to concentrate them. Genius thinks it can do whatever it sees others doing, but is sure to repent of every ill-judged outlay."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Common sense is the genius of humanity."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward; they may be beaten, but they may start a winning game."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward; they may be beaten but they may start a winning game"
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Destiny grants us our wishes, but in its own way, in order to give us something beyond our wishes."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Deny yourself! You must deny yourself! That is the song that never ends."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Devote each day to the object then in time and every evening will find something done."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Do not give in too much to feelings. A overly sensitive heart is an unhappy possession on this shaky earth."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Divide and rule, the politician cries; unite and lead, is watchword of the wise."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Divide and rule, a sound motto. Unite and lead, a better one."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Divide and rule, a sound motto. Unite and lead, a better one"
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Doubt grows with knowledge."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Error is acceptable as long as we are young; but one must not drag it along into old age."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must"
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Enjoy what thou has inherited from thy sires if thou wouldn't really possess it. What we employ and use is never an oppressive burden; what the moment brings forth, that only can it profit by."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Every day we should hear at least one little song, read one good poem, see one exquisite picture, and, if possible, speak a few sensible words."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Every author in some way portrays himself in his works, even if it be against his will."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Every step of life shows much caution is required."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Every spoken word arouses our self-will."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Everything in the world may be endured, except continual prosperity."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Everything in the world may be endured except continued prosperity."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Everything in the world may be endured except continued prosperity"
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Everything has been thought of before, but the problem is to think of it again."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Everything has been thought of before, but the difficulty is to think of it again"
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"Few people have the imagination for reality."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"For just when ideas fail, a word comes in to save the situation."
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


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