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Able Quotes

“If you were to insist I was a robot, you might not consider me capable of love in some mystic human sense, but you would not be able to distinguish my reactions from that which you would call love so what difference would it make?”

Ifs Humans Might Able Differences Capable Reactions Robots Mystic

Book:Foundation's Edge

Source: Foundation's Edge

“Create all the happiness you are able to create: remove all the misery you are able to remove. Every day will allow you to add something to the pleasure of others, or to diminish something of their pains. And for every grain of enjoyment you sow in the bosom of another, you shall find a harvest in your own bosom; while every sorrow which you pluck out from the thoughts and feelings of a fellow creature shall be replaced by beautiful peace and joy in the sanctuary of your soul.”

“There is only one necessary condition for the emergence of a new theatre, that the stage and auditorium should be open to the masses, should be able to contain a people and the actions of a people.”

People Should Able Action Conditions Stage Mass Theatre Emergence Auditoriums

Author:Romain Rolland

“Anaximander says that men were first produced in fishes, and when they were grown up and able to help themselves were thrown up, and so lived upon the land.”

Men Firsts Helping Able Land Fishes Thrown

Book:Delphi Complete Works of Plutarch (Illustrated)

Source: Delphi Complete Works of Plutarch (Illustrated)

“I was afraid to watch 'Blade Runner' in the theater because I was afraid the movie would be better than what I myself had been able to imagine. In a way, I was right to be afraid, because even the first few minutes were better.”

Way Firsts Would Be Able Watches Imagine Minutes Theater Runners Blades Blade Runner

Author:William Gibson

“My dream scenario would be that you could go into a bookshop, examine copies of every book in print that they're able to offer, then for a fee have them produce in a minute or two a beautiful finished copy in a dust jacket that you would pay for and take home.”

Two Book Home Dream Would Be Able Beautiful Pay Minutes Produce Offers Finished Dust Copies Print Jackets Scenarios Fees Bookshops

Author:William Gibson

“It's so great to be able to make people laugh, because this is so often how we get our selves back.”

People Self Able Laughing Making People Laugh

Author:Anne Lamott

“There is no country... where there are not somewhere lovers of freedom who look to this country to carry the torch and keep it burning bright until such time as they may again be able to light their extinguished torches at our flame. We owe it not only to our own people but to the world to preserve our soul for that.”

People World Looks May Soul Country Light Able Lovers Burning Preserves Flames Torches Burning Bright

Author:Stanley Baldwin

“What I always longed to do was to be able to paint like I can draw, most artists would tell you that, they would all like to paint like they can draw.”

I Can Able Artist Draws Paint

Book:Portrait of David Hockney

Source: Portrait of David Hockney

“If God had looked into our minds he would not have been able to see there whom we were speaking of.”

Ifs Mind Has Beens Able

Book:A companion to Wittgenstein's

Source: A companion to Wittgenstein's

“The aim of the book is to set a limit to thought, or rather - not to thought, but to the expression of thoughts: for in order to be able to set a limit to thought, we should have to find both sides of the limit thinkable (i.e. we should have to be able to think what cannot be thought). It will therefore only be in language that the limit can be set, and what lies on the other side of the limit will simply be nonsense.”

Thinking Should Book Able Lying Order Language Sides Expression Limits Should Have Aim Nonsense Both Sides Thinkable

Book:Wittgenstein's Tractatus

Source: Wittgenstein's Tractatus

“What we mean by information - the elementary unit of information - is a difference which makes a difference, and it is able to make a difference because the neural pathways along which it travels and is continually transformed are themselves provided with energy. The pathways are ready to be triggered. We may even say that the question is already implicit in them.”

May Mean Able Energy Differences Information Ready Making A Difference Transformed Units Pathways Implicit

Author:Gregory Bateson

“We do not know enough about how the present will lead into the future. We shall never be able to say, "Ha! My perception, my accounting for that series, will indeed cover its next and future components," or "Next time I meet with these phenomena, I shall be able to predict their total course."”

Knows Enough Able Courses Next Perception Series Next Time Components Accounting

Author:Gregory Bateson

“Existence as entirety remains beyond any one meaning and it is the conscious presence of humanness in the world inasmuch as this is nonmeaning, having nothing to do other than be what it is, no longer able to go beyond itself or give itself some kind of meaning through action.”

World Giving Kind Able Action Existence Conscious Remains Entirety Humanness

Author:Georges Bataille

“Men have begun to observe and classify, they turn from creation to Criticism... It is the Fashion to be a wit... one must be able to conceal indecency with elegant diction; manners are everything, morals nothing.”

Men Able Turns Moral Fashion Creation Criticism Wit Manners Elegant Diction

Author:James Branch Cabell

“When you get old, you can't talk to people because people snap at you.... That's why you become deaf, so you won't be able to hear people talking to you that way.”

People Way Able Talking Deaf Snaps Old You People Talking

Book:The Collected Plays of Edward Albee

Source: The Collected Plays of Edward Albee

“Adaptation to one's environment makes for a sort of survival; but after all, the supreme victory is only won by those who prove themselves of so much hardier stuff than the rest that no power on earth is able to destroy them. The people who have really made history are the martyrs.”

People Made Able Earth Stuff Environment Victory Prove Survival Supreme Adaptation Martyr

Author:Aleister Crowley

“Every politician must be able to keep both feet on the fence with his ear to the ground.”

Able Feet Politician Ears Fence

Author:Gracie Allen

“The human mind may know God, and learn of God, though it has no terms by which to explain Him; it may think of Him as Absolute, as Infinite, as Personal, while it may never in this life be able to fathom the full meaning of these sublime ideas.”

Thinking Knows Mind Humans May Ideas Able Life Is Term Absolutes Infinite This Life Human Mind Sublime Knowing God Fathom

Author:George C. Lorimer

“Exchanging blows generously, which is not uncommon in some other martial arts, is unthinkable in Shaolin philosophy, because a Shaolin disciple always assumes that an opponent is competent and able to inflict damage with just one blow.”

Art Philosophy Able Art Is Assuming Blow Opponents Damage Just One Martial Arts Disciple Competent Uncommon Unthinkable Exchanging

Book:The Art of Shaolin Kung Fu: The Secrets of Kung Fu for Self-Defense, Health, and Enlightenment

Source: The Art of Shaolin Kung Fu: The Secrets of Kung Fu for Self-Defense, Health, and Enlightenment

“While I complain of being able to glimpse no more than the shadow of the past, I may be insensitive to reality as it is taking shape at this very moment, since I have not reached the stage of development at which I would be capable of perceiving it. A few hundred years hence, in this same place, another traveller, as despairing as myself, will mourn the disappearance of what I might have seen, but failed to see.”

Years May Moments Reality Might Would Be Able Past Stage Development Shapes Capable Hundred Shadow Complaining Glimpse Mourn Traveller Disappearance Insensitive Stages Of Development

Book:Tristes Tropiques

Source: Tristes Tropiques

“Freedom is neither a legal invention nor a philosophical conquest, the cherished possession of civilizations more valid than others because they alone have been able to create or preserve it. It is the outcome of an objective relationship between the individual and the space he occupies, between the consumer and the resources at his disposal.”

Has Beens Able Individual Space Civilization Resources Philosophical Possession Invention Objectives Consumers Preserves Outcomes Conquest

Book:Tristes Tropiques

Source: Tristes Tropiques

“I remember really vividly kneeling by my bed as a nine-year-old, saying my prayers and asking God to give me boobs that were so big that if I laid on my back I wouldn't be able to see my feet.”

Ifs Giving Years Bigs Able Remember Prayer Feet Bed Give Me Asking Nine Nine Years Old Saying Kneeling Asking God

Author:Katy Perry

“After directing awhile, you get an instinct about it, but you have to be able to trust your own feelings. Invariably, two-thirds of the way through a film, you say, "Jeezus, is this a pile of crap! What did I ever see in it in the first place?" You have to shut off your brain and forge ahead, because by that time you're getting so brainwashed. Once I commit myself to a film I commit myself to that ending, whatever the motivations and conclusions are.”

Way Firsts Two Feelings Able Film Motivation Brain Thirds Instinct Commit Conclusion Crap Brainwashed

Book:Clint Eastwood: interviews

Source: Clint Eastwood: interviews

“A man should be able to stand up under any disaster for his country's good.”

Men Should Country Able Disaster

Author:Aristophanes

“I'd like to be able to go on holiday and not to have to hold my belly in for two whole weeks.”

Two Whole Able Week Goes On Holiday Belly

Author:Paul McCartney

“Whereas, according to the declaration of that true man of the world Talleyrand, the use of language is to conceal the thoughts; this is to declare in the present instance, when I say I am not able to bear much talking, it means really, and without any mistake, or equivocation, or oblique meaning, or implication, or subterfuge, or omission, that I am not able; being at present rather weak in the head, and able to work no more.”

Men World Mean Use Able Language Mistake Talking Bears Weak Instance Declaration Implications Omission True Man Use Of Language Subterfuge

Author:Michael Faraday

“A cloud can look like a camel, but a camel is unlikely to look like a cloud. This is so because the signifier must be able to stand for the whole category of the signified. The cloud looks like all camels, but no camel looks like all clouds.”

Looks Whole Able Clouds Categories Unlikely Camels

Book:Parables of Sun Light: Observations on Psychology, the Arts, and the Rest

Source: Parables of Sun Light: Observations on Psychology, the Arts, and the Rest

“No man who can do any one thing well will be able to any different thing equally well.”

Men Wells Different Able Can Do One Thing Different Things

Author:John Constable

“The more able a man is, if he make ill use of his abilities, the more dangerous will he be to the commonwealth.”

Ifs Men Use Able Ability Dangerous Ill Commonwealth

Author:Demosthenes

“It is one thing being able to contest an election and to give the people hope that I can be the next prime minister. It is a totally different situation where the people of Pakistan are told that the results are already taken and the leader of your choice is banned.”

People Giving I Can Different Able Choices Next Results Situation Leader Taken One Thing Election Ministers Prime Contests Prime Minister Pakistan Banned Already Taken

Author:Benazir Bhutto

“My policy is to be able to take a ticket at Victoria station and go anywhere I damn well please!”

Wells Able Policy Please Damn Stations Tickets Victoria

Author:Ernest Bevin

“Would it not be better to go home and live at the family park all the year round, and hunt, and attend Quarter Sessions, and be able to declare morning and evening with a clear conscience that the country was going to the dogs? Such was the mental working of many a Conservative who supported Mr. Daubeny on this occasion.”

Years Country Home Able Morning Clear Dog Conscience Rounds Conservative Evening Occasions Parks Quarters Hunts Session Clear Conscience

Book:The Palliser Novels: Complete Parliamentary Chronicles (All Six Novels in One Volume): Can You Forgive Her? + Phineas Finn + The Eustace Diamonds + Phineas Redux + The Prime Minister + The Duke’s Children

Source: The Palliser Novels: Complete Parliamentary Chronicles (All Six Novels in One Volume): Can You Forgive Her? + Phineas Finn + The Eustace Diamonds + Phineas Redux + The Prime Minister + The Duke’s Children

“Liberty is so great a magician, endowed with so marvelous a power of productivity, that under the inspiration of this spirit alone, North America was able within less than a century to equal, and even surpass, the civilization of Europe.”

Inspiration Able America Spirit Liberty Century Civilization Equal Europe Productivity Marvelous Magician North America

Author:Mikhail Bakunin

“If I prove extravagant, I shall be more so from ignorance than willfulness. I am not wholly insensible to the pleasures of the world, therefore shall not be governed entirely by necessity; but I flatter myself, at least, in being able to restrain their gratification within due bonds.”

Ifs World Able Pleasure Ignorance Prove Dues Gratification Extravagant Insensible Willfulness

Author:Washington Allston

“In fact, the influence of Schoenberg may be overwhelming on his followers, but the significance of his art is to be identified with influences of a more subtle kind - not the system, but the aesthetic, of his art. I am quite conscious of the fact that my Chansons madécasses are in no way Schoenbergian, but I do not know whether I ever should have been able to write them had Schoenberg never written.”

Knows Way Should Writing Kind May Has Beens Art Facts Able Written Influence Conscious Art Is Should Have Mad Subtle Significance Followers Overwhelming Aesthetic Should Have Been Schoenberg

Author:Maurice Ravel

“Populism is at its essence just determined focus on helping people be able to get out of the iron grip of the corporate power that is overwhelming our economy, our environment, energy, the media, government. One big difference between real populism and what the Tea Party thing is, is that real populists understand that government has become a subsidiary of corporations. So you can't say, let's get rid of government. You need to be saying let's take over government.”

“In a free system any large, popular, revolutionary movement should be able to bring about its ends by such a voluntary process. As more and more people see how it works more and more will wish to participate in or support it. And so it will grow, without being necessary to force everyone or a majority or anyone into the pattern.”

People Should Ends Able Force Wish Grows Process Support Movement Majority Patterns Revolutionary

Book:Anarchy, state, and utopia

Source: Anarchy, state, and utopia

“I quitted my Seat in the House of Delegates, from a Conviction that I was no longer able to do any essential Service.”

Able House Essentials Conviction Seats Delegates

Author:George Mason

“I thank God, I have been able, by adopting Principles of strict Economy and Frugality, to keep my principal, I mean my Country-Estate, unimpaired.”

Mean Has Beens Country Able Principles Economy Thank God Principal Estates Strict Adopting Frugality

Author:George Mason

“Let this be our rule for goodwill and helpfulness, that whenever we are able to assist others we should behave as stewards who must someday give an account of ourselves.”

Giving Should Able Accounts Behave Someday Goodwill Stewards Helpfulness

Book:Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life

Source: Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life

“I want to see us build a country that is at ease with itself, a country that is confident and a country that is able and willing to build a better quality of life for all its citizens.”

Want Country Able Quality Willing Citizens Ease Quality Of Life Better Quality Of Life

Author:John Major

“I have way too many commitments. I get pulled in too many directions and I never seem to be able to satisfy anybody. People get turned on by knowing a celebrity, even my friends and family. They feel that there's something exciting about me, but in reality there's no substance to it. People in airports just hold on to me expecting something and it seems that I always come up empty. It's frustrating because I'm trying to please everybody, and ya just can't do that ... at least I can't.”

People Way Feels Trying I Can Reality Seems Able Knowing Please My Friends Commitment Empty Exciting Come Up Substance Expecting Family And Friends Frustrating Airports Expecting Something

Author:Tim Allen

“The notion that I might have been able to court friends, win attention, conjure it, would have spoiled it for me. Unbidden love was what I wanted.”

Has Beens Might Able Wanted Winning Attention Court Notion Might Have Been Spoiled

Book:A Boy's Own Story: Picador Classic

Source: A Boy's Own Story: Picador Classic

“Recognizing that the world is governed by a minority, the sexually active, and that they hold sway of a huge majority of the nonsexual, those people too young or too old or too poor or too homely or sick or crazy or powerless to be able to afford sexual partners (or the luxury of systematic, sustained and shared introspection, so sexual in its own way). All advertisements and films and songs are addressed to sexuals, to their rash whims and finicky tastes.”

People World Way Able Film Young Song Poor Crazy Huge Taste Sick Majority Active Partners Luxury Minorities Introspection Powerless Recognizing Sexually Systematic Whim Advertisements Homely

Author:Edmund White

“I think for kids it's the most important part of the game. You have to be able to skate forward and backward, stop and start, go from side to side. Those are the basics of the game.”

Thinking Important Kids Able Games Sides Basics Skates

Author:Bobby Hull

“Modern women are just bombarded. There's nothing but media telling us we're all supposed to be great cooks, have great style, be great in bed, be the best mothers, speak seven languages, and be able to understand derivatives. And we don't really have women we're modeling after, so we're all looking for how to do this.”

Able Mother Speak Language Women Modern Media Style Bed Seven Supposed To Be Cooks Being The Best Modeling Derivatives Best Mother Bombarded Modern Woman Bombarded By

Author:Jamie Lee Curtis

“If you over-plot your book you strangle your characters. Your characters have to have enough freedom and life to be able to surprise you.”

Ifs Book Enough Character Able Surprise Plot

Author:Alan Lightman

“If you're lucky enough to be able to have therapy -- because I know it's very privileged -- it gets rid of so much garbage and enables you to focus on what's important. When I first went into analysis, my mother was absolutely horrified. She thought I'd be a loony!”

Ifs Knows Firsts Important Enough Able Mother Focus Lucky Analysis Therapy Privileged Garbage What's Important

Author:Julie Andrews

“There is a silence, the child of love, which expresses everything, and proclaims more loudly than the tongue is able to do; there are movements that are involuntary proofs of what the soul feels.”

Feels Children Soul Able Silence Movement Tongue Proof Involuntary

Author:Vittorio Alfieri