Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant. There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks. Johann Gottfried Herder More Quotes by Johann Gottfried Herder More Quotes From Johann Gottfried Herder Everyone loves his own country, customs, language, wife, children, not because they are the best in the world, but because they are his established property, and he loves in them himself, and the labor he has bestowed on them. The working of revolutions, therefore, misleads me no more; it is as necessary to our race as its waves to the stream, that it may not be a stagnant marsh. Ever renewed in its forms, the genius of humanity blossoms. Johann Gottfried Herder race country children Each nationality contains its centre of happiness within itself, as a bullet the centre of gravity. Johann Gottfried Herder centre gravity bullets To think what is true, to sense what is beautiful and to want what is good, hereby the spirit finds purpose of a life in reason. Johann Gottfried Herder purpose beautiful thinking We live in a world we ourselves create. Johann Gottfried Herder world Those that embrace the entire universe with love, for the most part love nothing, but their narrow selves. Johann Gottfried Herder embrace self love Touch not the flute when drums are sounding around; when fools have the word, the wise will be silent. Johann Gottfried Herder fool silence wise A poet is the creator of the nation around him, he gives them a world to see and has their souls in his hand to lead them to that world. Johann Gottfried Herder soul giving hands The friend who holds up before me the mirror, conceals not my smallest faults, warns me kindly, reproves me affectionately, when I have not performed my duty, he is my friend, however little he may appear so. But if a man praises and lauds me, never reproves me, overlooks my faults, and forgives them before I have repented, he is my enemy, however much he may appear my friend. Johann Gottfried Herder forgiving mirrors men Brave is the lion tamer, brave is the world subduer, but braver is the one who has subdued himself. Johann Gottfried Herder discipline brave world What destiny sends, bear! Whoever perseveres will be crowned. Johann Gottfried Herder persevere perseverance All our science calculates with abstracted individual external marks, which do not touch the inner existence of any single thing Johann Gottfried Herder individual existence mark The savage who loves himself, his wife and child with quiet joy and glows with limited activity of his tribe as for his own life is in my opinion a more real being than that cultivated shadow who is enraptured with the shadow of the whole species Johann Gottfried Herder wife real children Nothing in Nature stands still; everything strives and moves forward. If we could only view the first stages of creation, how the kingdoms of nature were built one upon the other, a progression of forward-striving forces would reveal itself in all evolution. Johann Gottfried Herder kingdoms views moving What of us lies in the hearts of others is our truest and deepest self. Johann Gottfried Herder self heart lying Have you never observed that children will sometimes, of a sudden, give utterance to ideas which makes us wonder how they got possession of them? Which presuppose a long series of other ideas and secret self-communings? Which break forth like a full stream out of the earth, an infallible sign that the stream was not produced in a moment from a few raindrops, but had long been flowing concealed beneath the ground? Johann Gottfried Herder self children ideas It is a hard but good law of fate, that as every evil, so every excessive power, wears itself out. Johann Gottfried Herder fate evil law Calmly take what ill betideth; Johann Gottfried Herder passion brave winning Thus we build on the ice, thus we write on the waves of the sea; the waves roaring pass away, the ice melts, and away goes our palace, like our thoughts. Johann Gottfried Herder ice sea writing The craving for a delicate fruit is pleasanter than the fruit itself. Johann Gottfried Herder delicate craving fruit Say oh wise man how you have come to such knowledge? Because I was never ashamed to confess my ignorance and ask others. Johann Gottfried Herder ignorance wise knowledge
