Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Quotes
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Every author in some way portrays himself in his works, even if it be against his will.
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Forget not that the man who cannot enjoy his own natural gifts in silence, and find his reward in the exercise of them, will generally find himself badly off.
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The universal subjugator, the commonplace.
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Character develops itself in the stream of life.
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A king there was once reigning, Who had a goodly flea, Him loved he without feigning, As his own son were he!
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The mob has nothing to lose, everything to gain.
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The one who always strives, That one can be redeemed.
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We accept every person in the world as that for which he gives himself out, only he must give himself out for something. We can put up with the unpleasant more easily than we can endure the insignificant.
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Poetry is the universal possession of mankind, revealing itself everywhere, and at all times, in hundreds and hundreds of men.
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Only by joy and sorrow does a person know anything about themselves and their destiny. They learn what to do and what to avoid.
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A useless life is an early death.
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Character calls forth character.
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Misunderstandings and neglect create more confusion in this world than trickery and malice. At any rate, the last two are certainly much less frequent.
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Culture which smooth the whole world licks, Also unto the devil sticks.
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Voluntary dependence is the wonderful form of existence, and how could that be possible without love?
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One says a lot in vain, refusing;The other mainly hears the 'No.'
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Know thyself? If I knew myself I would run away.
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The confidant of my vices is my master, though he were my valet.
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Great endowments often announce themselves in youth in the form of singularity and awkwardness.
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If you don't know foreign languages, you don't know anything about your own.
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We usually lose today, because there has been a yesterday, and tomorrow is coming.
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Oh, happy he who still hopes he can emerge from Error's boundless sea! - Faust.
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We are pantheists when we study nature, polytheists when we write poetry, monotheists in our morality.
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The artist who is not also a craftsman is no good; but, alas, most of our artists are nothing else.