The people who are absent are the ideal; those who are present seem to be quite commonplace. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe More Quotes by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe More Quotes From Johann Wolfgang von Goethe He is happy as well as great who needs neither to obey nor to command in order to be something. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe heroorderneeds Someday someone will write a pathology of experimental physics and bring to light all those swindles which subvert our reason, beguile our judgement and, what is worse, stand in the way of any practical progress. The phenomena must be freed once and for all from their grim torture chamber of empiricism, mechanism, and dogmatism; they must be brought before the jury of man's common sense. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe writingmenscience Stupidity is without anxiety. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe anxietystupidity Of the book of books most wondrous is the tender book of love. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wondrouslovebook One errs as long as one strives. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe striveerrorslong Beware of a man of one book. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wisemenbook The man with insight enough to admit his limitations comes nearest to perfection. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe acceptanceworkmen Pain and pleasure, good and evil, come to us from unexpected sources. It is not there where we have gathered up our brightest hopes, that the dawn of happiness breaks. It is not there where we have glanced our eye with affright, that we find the deadliest gloom. What should this teach us? To bow to the great and only Source of light, and live humbly and with confiding resignation. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe painlighteye Someday perhaps the inner light will shine forth from us, and the we'll need no other light. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe shininglightneeds None are so hopelessly enslaved, as those who falsely believe they are free. The truth has been kept from the depth of their minds by masters who rule them with lies. They feed them on falsehoods till wrong looks like right in their eyes. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe eyebelievelying And what does really matter? That is easy: thinking and doing, doing and thinking--and these are the sum of all wisdom. . . . Both must move ever onward in life, to and fro, like breathing in and breathing out. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe lifemovingthinking We gladly put antiquity above our age but not posterity. Only a father doesn't begrudge his son's talent. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe agefatherson Everything that frees our spirit without giving us control of ourselves is ruinous. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe spirithappinessgiving Unlimited activity, of whatever kind, must end in bankruptcy. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe moderationkindends Let no one be ashamed to say yes today if yesterday he said no. Or to say no today if yesterday he said yes. For that is life. Never to have changed-what a pitiable thing of which to boast! Johann Wolfgang von Goethe changeyesterdaytoday The coward only threatens when he is safe. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe cowardliteraturesafe True observers of nature, although they may think differently, will still agree that everything that is, everything that is observable as a phenomenon, can only exhibit itself in one of two ways. It is either a primal polarity that is able to unify, or it is a primal unity that is able to divide. The operation of nature consists of splitting the united or uniting the divided; this is the eternal movement of systole and diastole of the heartbeat, the inhalation and exhalation of the world in which we live, act, and exist. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe heartlifethinking Only by joy and sorrow does a person know anything about themselves and their destiny. They learn what to do and what to avoid. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe destinyjoysympathy What people call the spirit of the times is mostly their own spirit in which the times mirror themselves. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe hypocrisymirrorsintegrity So, lively brisk old fellow, don't let age get you down. White hairs or not, you can still be a lover. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe whitehairfriendship
