Quotes

Words of Wisdom

Quotes

A curated collection of meaningful quotes and sayings to inspire, motivate, and provoke thought. Draw wisdom from the words of great minds.

  1. You Will Be a Newbie Forever – Kevin Kelly

    In *68 Bits of Unsolicited Advice*, Kevin Kelly encourages readers to embrace being perpetual beginners, seeing mistakes and questions as vital to lifelong learning.

  2. Creating and Driving Vision – Jack Welch

    Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, explained in an HBR interview that leaders must not only set vision but also embody and drive it to completion.

  3. MDM Is No Longer a Differentiator – BlackBerry PR

    A BlackBerry press release emphasizes that MDM is no longer a competitive advantage, with the company focusing instead on secure mobile communications and collaboration.

  4. How Not to Get Old – William Gibson

    In a 2014 tweet, William Gibson joked that aging is not inevitable in spirit, so long as we refuse to cling nostalgically to the cultural moment of our youth.

  5. Architecture Is the Unnecessary That Makes Life Possible – Oscar Tschopp

    Oscar Tschopp reflects on architecture as the layer of design that goes beyond utility, shaping sustainability and human livability.

  6. Corporate Antibodies Against Innovation – Horace Dediu

    Horace Dediu compares companies to organisms, showing how internal incentives act like antibodies that destroy disruptive innovation seen as a threat to the core business.

  7. Wings and Feathers Are Not Enough – Clay Christensen

    Clay Christensen explains that early aviators copied birds’ wings and feathers without grasping the deeper theory of flight—an analogy for misusing best practices.

  8. Fake Fodder and Real Pain – Black Mirror's Fifteen Million Merits

    In *Fifteen Million Merits*, Bing delivers a searing rant against a society obsessed with fake fodder, shallow consumerism, and the commodification of reality.

  9. If You Don’t Like Change – Eric Shinseki

    Eric Shinseki, former U.S. Army Chief of Staff, emphasized that embracing change is essential, because the alternative is becoming irrelevant.

  10. A Great Artist Can Come from Anywhere – Anton Ego, *Ratatouille*

    Anton Ego’s stirring review in *Ratatouille* acknowledges that great art can come from the most humble places.

  11. Martin Luther, in black robes, plays a lute at the center of a wood-paneled room; Katharina von Bora cradles a sleeping child at left, an older scholar (Philipp Melanchthon) sits at a table, and three children at right sing from a sheet beside a green tiled stove. by Gustav (Gustav Adolf) Spangenberg

    Martin Luther on Beer: A Historical Perspective

    This article explores various quotes and letters of Martin Luther concerning beer, sobriety, and the Christian perspective on drinking. From humorous anecdotes to serious reflections on moderation, the text provides a unique insight into the thoughts of one of Christianity's most prominent figures.

  12. The Perfect Software Is Sterile – Jinsoo An

    Jinsoo An argues that software, no matter how perfect, is meaningless without people and real-world application—like a sword unused in battle.

  13. Warning of a Virtual Hurricane – Edward Castronova

    In *Exodus to the Virtual World*, Edward Castronova warns that the shift of millions into online games and virtual realities will reshape society more dramatically than cars or television.

  14. Life Is One Vile Task After Another – Al Swearengen

    Al Swearengen’s raw words in *Deadwood* frame life as relentless toil, filled with unpleasant duties we cannot avoid.

  15. Announcing your plans is a good way to hear God laugh – Al Swearengen

    A sharp reminder from Al Swearengen in *Deadwood* that fate mocks certainty in our plans.

  16. Humans as Exception Handlers – Jon Udell

    Jon Udell notes that even in highly automated workflows, humans play the vital role of handling exceptions and edge cases beyond machine logic.

  17. Design Is the Soul of Creation – Steve Jobs

    In a 2000 *Fortune* interview, Steve Jobs explained that design is the soul of a creation, expressed in every layer of a product—not just superficial appearance.

  18. Why I Succeed – Michael Jordan

    Michael Jordan, in a Nike Air Jordan commercial, reflects on his many missed shots and failures, explaining that perseverance through failure is the foundation of his success.

  19. Luck Is Not a Factor – James Cameron

    James Cameron, reflecting on the challenges of creating *Titanic*, asserted that success relies on vision, strategy, and courage—not luck or fear.

  20. Success Is a Lousy Teacher – Bill Gates

    Bill Gates reflects on the dangers of success, cautioning that it misleads smart people into arrogance and blinds them to future challenges.

  21. Be Fearful When Others Are Greedy – Warren Buffett

    In his 1986 letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, Warren Buffett explained that wealth comes from disciplined contrarian investing: fearing greed and seizing opportunity in fear.

  22. Information Wants to Be Free – Stewart Brand

    At the 1984 Hackers’ Conference, Stewart Brand coined the famous paradox that information simultaneously wants to be free and expensive, shaping decades of debate on intellectual property.

  23. The Theory of Courage in Tolkien – Tom Shippey

    In *The Road to Middle-Earth*, Tom Shippey argues that Tolkien dramatized the Northern 'theory of courage,' where right remains right even in the face of inevitable defeat.

  24. Refusing to Worship the Hydra’s Heads – J.R.R. Tolkien

    In his *Letters*, J.R.R. Tolkien reflects on the darkness of the modern world, calling for courage and a refusal to yield to the many heads of evil in power.

  25. Disney Was Full of Errors, and Full of Life – Ray Bradbury

    In a 1974 letter to Brian Sibley, Ray Bradbury defended Walt Disney, insisting that he, like all people, was a mixture of mistakes and brilliance, full of paradoxes and life.

  26. You Cannot Study Pleasure in the Moment – C.S. Lewis

    In *God in the Dock*, C.S. Lewis notes that pleasure, repentance, and humor resist analysis when experienced—they must be lived, not dissected.

  27. The Most Oppressive Tyranny – C.S. Lewis

    C.S. Lewis cautions that the worst tyranny is that which is justified as moral concern, since it never relents and is backed by conscience.

  28. Christianity Is Not for Comfort – C.S. Lewis

    C.S. Lewis reflects that Christianity does not exist to provide comfort but to confront us with truth and transformation.

  29. From Movement to Racket – Eric Hoffer

    In *The Temper of Our Times*, Eric Hoffer reflects on the lifecycle of great causes, warning that passion can harden into business and then rot into exploitation.

  30. Do Not Confuse Motion with Progress – Alfred A. Montapert

    Alfred A. Montapert warns us not to mistake movement for growth, reminding that progress requires purposeful direction.

  31. The Gospel Opposed to the World – C.S. Lewis

    In an interview with Sherwood Eliot Wirt, C.S. Lewis explained that the Gospel is not an affirmation of worldly values but a direct challenge to them.

  32. To Love Is to Be Vulnerable – C.S. Lewis

    In *The Four Loves*, C.S. Lewis explains that love is inherently risky—protecting oneself from heartbreak leads only to hardness and isolation.

  33. The Sweetest Thing Has Been the Longing – C.S. Lewis

    In *Till We Have Faces*, C.S. Lewis writes of the deep longing for home and the beauty beyond, framing desire as a return to our true place.

  34. Till We Have Faces – C.S. Lewis on Becoming Real

    In a letter, C.S. Lewis explains the core idea of *Till We Have Faces*: that we must shed masks and become real before meeting the divine.

  35. Not Ours to Master All the Tides – J.R.R. Tolkien

    In *The Return of the King*, Tolkien emphasizes that our duty is not to control the great tides of the world but to resist evil in our time and prepare a cleaner earth for the future.

  36. Children Have One Kind of Silliness – C.S. Lewis

    C.S. Lewis reflects on the nature of silliness, noting how it changes from childhood to adulthood.

  37. The World Is Full of Peril, Yet Fair – J.R.R. Tolkien

    In *The Fellowship of the Ring*, Haldir of Lothlórien speaks of the peril and darkness of the world, yet affirms that love, though mixed with grief, grows stronger through it.

  38. What to Do with the Time Given Us – Gandalf

    In *The Fellowship of the Ring*, Gandalf tells Frodo that though we cannot choose the times we live in, we can choose what to do with them.

  39. That Is Christianity – C.S. Lewis

    In *Mere Christianity*, C.S. Lewis declares that the essence of Christianity is Christ’s sacrificial death washing away sin and defeating death.

  40. The Test of God’s Presence – C.S. Lewis

    In *Mere Christianity*, C.S. Lewis writes that true awareness of God leaves no room for pride—only humility or forgetting oneself entirely.

  41. Preaching Christianity as Truth – C.S. Lewis

    C.S. Lewis explains in *Mere Christianity* that the challenge is helping audiences see Christianity as objective truth, not mere opinion or preference.

  42. Life as an Inexhaustible Well – Paul Bowles

    In *The Sheltering Sky*, Paul Bowles writes that life feels inexhaustible only because we cannot know our end, yet the number of meaningful moments is very small.

  43. Common Sense Tells Us the World Is Flat – Stuart Chase

    In *The Proper Study of Mankind*, Stuart Chase critiques reliance on common sense, showing how it has led to false beliefs about the natural world.

  44. Christian Morality Without Theology Is Useless – Dorothy Sayers

    In *Creed of Chaos*, Dorothy Sayers argues that Christian morality cannot stand apart from theology and insists on the necessity of doctrine as the foundation of faith.

  45. My Symbol for Hell – C.S. Lewis

    In the preface to *The Screwtape Letters*, C.S. Lewis describes Hell as resembling a cold, impersonal bureaucracy rather than a dramatic inferno.

  46. There Are No Ordinary People – C.S. Lewis

    In *The Weight of Glory*, C.S. Lewis teaches that no person is ordinary—every encounter is with an immortal soul destined for glory or ruin.

  47. Escape Is Not Desertion – J.R.R. Tolkien

    In *On Fairy-Stories*, Tolkien argues that critics misuse the word 'escape.' He distinguishes between the noble escape of the prisoner and the cowardly flight of the deserter.

  48. Fantasy Remains a Human Right – J.R.R. Tolkien

    In *On Fairy-Stories*, J.R.R. Tolkien argues that fantasy is not escapism but a rightful human expression of creativity, mirroring the Creator’s work.

  49. The Dogma Is the Drama – Dorothy Sayers

    In *The Greatest Drama Ever Staged*, Dorothy Sayers insists that Christ was seen as too powerful and dangerous, not dull—a drama diminished by later generations.

  50. When Salary Blocks Understanding – Upton Sinclair

    In his 1935 book, Upton Sinclair observed that people resist understanding truths that threaten their income, highlighting the power of economic self-interest over reason.

  51. Thinking Is the Hardest Work – Henry Ford

    In a 1928 interview, Henry Ford remarked that thinking is the hardest kind of work, which is why so few people practice it consistently.

  52. Block-Men and Strategy – Stephen Vincent Benét

    In *John Brown’s Body*, Stephen Vincent Benét critiques the reduction of soldiers to blocks on a map, reminding us that real men resist becoming mere strategic parts.

  53. Service to Country, Worship to God – Rabindranath Tagore

    In *The Home and the World*, Rabindranath Tagore distinguishes between serving one’s country and idolizing it, arguing that worship belongs only to the divine.

  54. Marriage as a Duel to the Death – G.K. Chesterton

    In *Manalive*, G.K. Chesterton portrays marriage as a noble duel to the death, rejecting modern dismissals of it as outdated or unnecessary.

  55. The Man in the Arena – Theodore Roosevelt

    In his 1910 speech *Citizenship in a Republic*, Theodore Roosevelt delivered the famous 'Man in the Arena' passage, celebrating those who dare greatly in pursuit of worthy causes.

  56. If You Can Keep Your Head – Rudyard Kipling

    In his famous poem *If—*, Rudyard Kipling exhorts his son to cultivate patience, humility, resilience, and moral strength in the face of adversity and success alike.

  57. Fairy Tales Give Us St. George – G.K. Chesterton

    In *The Red Angel*, G.K. Chesterton explains that fairy tales do not invent fear for children, but instead give them heroes to conquer the monsters they already know.

  58. Exulting in Monotony – G.K. Chesterton

    In *Orthodoxy*, G.K. Chesterton reflects on children’s vitality and God’s eternal joy, noting that only divine strength can exult in monotony.

  59. The Highest Moment in a Man’s Career – Oscar Wilde

    In *De Profundis*, Oscar Wilde suggests that the greatest moment in a man’s life may be when he confesses his sins openly in humility and remorse.

  60. I Am the Captain of My Soul – William Ernest Henley

    William Ernest Henley’s poem *Invictus* is a powerful declaration of resilience and self-mastery in the face of suffering, concluding with the famous lines, 'I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.'

  61. The Times Are Paltry, Without Passion – Søren Kierkegaard

    In *The Present Age*, Kierkegaard argues that his era’s greatest flaw is not wickedness but mediocrity and lack of passion, preferring the vitality of the Old Testament and Shakespeare.

  62. God Deals with Nations as with Hedge-Sticks – Martin Luther

    In *Table Talk*, Martin Luther declares that God treats nations like old hedge-sticks, uprooting and replacing them when they become corrupt or displeasing.

  63. Governors Should Be Wise and Courageous – Martin Luther

    In *Table Talk*, Martin Luther asserts that leaders must be wise and courageous, and able to govern without relying entirely on advisors.

  64. Deal Uprightly and Honestly – Martin Luther

    In *Table Talk*, Martin Luther teaches that God, like a householder, cares for honesty and diligence rather than rules about food, drink, or clothing.

  65. To God, Parents, and Teachers – Martin Luther

    In his explanation of the Fourth Commandment, Martin Luther declares that no amount of gratitude is sufficient to repay the gifts of God, parents, and teachers.

  66. The Whole Earth Is the Tomb of Heroic Men – Pericles

    In Thucydides’ account of the Peloponnesian War, Pericles in his Funeral Oration honors the fallen by proclaiming that their memory endures everywhere, not only in graves.

  67. Life Is Short, Art Long – Hippocrates

    Hippocrates, the father of medicine, begins his *Aphorisms* with a reflection on life’s brevity, the endurance of art, and the difficulty of wise decisions.

  68. Begin the Morning with Acceptance – Marcus Aurelius

    In *Meditations*, Marcus Aurelius reflects that others act wrongly from ignorance, and that we must meet them with patience, seeing them as kin sharing in the divine.