To die in agony upon a cross Does not create a martyr; he must first Will his own execution. Henrik Ibsen More Quotes by Henrik Ibsen More Quotes From Henrik Ibsen The great secret of power is never to will to do more than you can accomplish. Henrik Ibsen accomplishpowersecret But I almost think we are all of us ghosts. It is not only what we have inherited from our father and mother that “walks†in us. It is all sorts of dead ideas, and lifeless old beliefs, and so forth. They have no vitality, but they cling to us all the same, and we cannot shake them off. Whenever I take up a newspaper, I seem to see ghosts gliding between the lines. Henrik Ibsen mothercountryfather The strong must learn to be lonely. Henrik Ibsen lonelystrong Poetry is to hold judgment on your soul. Henrik Ibsen judgmentpoetrysoul You have never loved me. You have only thought it pleasant to be in love with me. Henrik Ibsen pleasant And what if I did run my ship aground; oh, still it was splendid to sail it! Henrik Ibsen shipswhat-ifrunning Each bird must sing with his own throat. Henrik Ibsen singingvoicebird It's such sport with these heroes of finance: they are like beads on a string — when one slips off, all the rest follow. Henrik Ibsen beadsfinancehero Home life ceases to be free and beautiful as soon as it is founded on borrowing and debt. Henrik Ibsen homebeautifullife A forest bird never wants a cage. Henrik Ibsen freedomwantbird The devil is compromise. Henrik Ibsen devilcompromiseliterature I'm plotting revolution against this lie that the majority has a monopoly of the truth. What are these truths that always bring the majority rallying round? Truths so elderly they are practically senile. And when a truth is as old as that, gentlemen, you can hardly tell it from a lie. Henrik Ibsen elderlygentlemanlying Rob the average man of his life-illusion, and you rob him of his happiness at the same stroke. Henrik Ibsen illusionaveragemen There is nothing so enervating and exhausting as this hopeless waiting. I dare say this is only a transition period. I will and shall have a victory some day. If the powers that be have shown me so little favor as to place me in this world and make me what I am, the result must be accordingly. Henrik Ibsen transitionvictorywaiting Castles in the air - they are so easy to take refuge in. And so easy to build too. Henrik Ibsen castlesaireasy To live is to war with trolls in heart and woul. To write is to sit in judgement on oneself. Henrik Ibsen heartwritingwar I believe that before anything else I'm a human being -- just as much as you are... or at any rate I shall try to become one. I know quite well that most people would agree with you, Torvald, and that you have warrant for it in books; but I can't be satisfied any longer with what most people say, and with what's in books. I must think things out for myself and try to understand them. Henrik Ibsen believebookthinking So to conduct one's life as to realize oneself-this seems to me the highest attainment possible to a human being. It is the task of one and all of us, but most of us bungle it. Henrik Ibsen realizingtaskslife It was then that I began to look into the seams of your doctrine. I wanted only to pick at a single knot; but when I had got that undone, the whole thing raveled out. And then I understood that it was all machine-sewn. Henrik Ibsen doctrineatheismlooks What ought a man be? Well, my short answer is 'himself'. Henrik Ibsen wellsanswersmen
