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Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Quotes - Page 26

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The world is full of contradiction.

The world is full of contradiction.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
World, Contradiction

A distracted existence leads us to no goal

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Goal, Setting Goals, Existence

The person who in shaky times also wavers only increases the evil, but the person of firm decision fashions the universe.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Fashion, Evil, Decision

Water its living strength first shows, When obstacles its course oppose.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Lakes, Sea, Fishing
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Edgar Alfred BOWRING (1853). “The Poems of Goethe, Translated in the Original Metres, with a Sketch of Goethe's Life. By E. A. Bowring”, p.331

Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Love, Life, Marriage

To the man of thought almost nothing is really ridiculous.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Men, Ridiculous, He Man
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, John Stuart Blackie (1883). “The Wisdom of Goethe”, Edinburgh, W. Blackwood

Tis Lilith. Who? Adam's first wife is she. Beware the lure within her lovely tresses, The splendid sole adornment of her hair; When she succeeds therewith a youth to snare, Not soon again she frees him from her jesses.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Women, Hair, Wife
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (2008). “Faust”, p.178, PR Seitz Bookseller

One must be something to be able to do something.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Able, Human Condition

Whoever aspiring, struggles on, for him there is salvation.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Struggle, Salvation

What you can do, or think you can, begin it.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Gymnastics, Thinking, Decision Making
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, “Lose The Day Loitering”

Certain books seem to be written, not that we might learn from them, but in order that we might see how much the author knows.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Book, Order, Might

Nature! We live in her midst and know her not. She is incessantly speaking to us, but betrays not her secret. We constantly act upon her, and yet have no power over her. Variant: NATURE! We are surrounded and embraced by her: powerless to separate ourselves from her, and powerless to penetrate beyond her.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Nature, Secret, Midst

Chess is the touchstone of intellect.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Chess, Intellect, Touchstones

We love a girl for very different qualities than understanding. We love her for her beauty, her youth, her mirth, her confidingness, her character, with its faults, caprices and God knows what other inexpressible charms; but we do not love her understanding.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Girl, Character, Understanding

Our wishes are presentiments of the abilities that lie in us, harbingers of what we will be able to accomplish.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Lying, Wish, Able

One never goes so far as when one doesn't know where one is going.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Life, Creativity, Open Minded
Letter to Carl Friedrich Zelter, December 03, 1812.

We are pantheists when we study nature, polytheists when we write poetry, monotheists in our morality.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Religious, Writing, Morality

You can’t, if you can’t feel it, if it never Rises from the soul, and sways The heart of every single hearer, With deepest power, in simple ways. You’ll sit forever, gluing things together, Cooking up a stew from other’s scraps, Blowing on a miserable fire, Made from your heap of dying ash. Let apes and children praise your art, If their admiration’s to your taste, But you’ll never speak from heart to heart, Unless it rises up from your heart’s space.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Art, Children, Simple

Those only obtain love, for the most part, who seek it not.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

To me the external existence of my soul is proved from my idea of activity. If I work incessantly until my death, nature will give me another form of existence when the present can no longer sustain my spirit.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Ideas, Giving, Soul

Superstition is rooted in a much deeper and more sensitive layer of the psyche than skepticism.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Layers, Superstitions, Sensitive

Children, like dogs, have so sharp and fine a scent that they detect and hunt out everything--the bad before all the rest. They also know well enough how this or that friend stands with their parents; and as they practice no dissimulation whatever, they serve as excellent barometers by which to observe the degree of favor or disfavor at which we stand with their parents.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Dog, Children, Practice
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Johann Peter Eckermann (2014). “Conversations of Goethe with Johann Peter Eckermann”, p.435, Ravenio Books

Be above it! Make the world serve your purpose, but do not serve it.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Purpose, Literature, World

To tremble before anticipated evils is to bemoan what thou hast never lost.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Evil, Anticipation, Lost

People are always talking about originality, but what do they mean? As soon as we are born, the world begins to work upon us, and this goes on to the end.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Mean, Talking, People
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Johann Peter Eckermann (2014). “Conversations of Goethe with Johann Peter Eckermann”, p.160, Ravenio Books

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