Best function & purpose Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings

“One of the functions of art is to offer a more desirable reality - a model, as it were, of another style of existence with its own pace and its own cultural reference.”

Art Reality Purpose Existence Style Offers Models Art Is Function Pace Desirable

Author:Peter Schmidt

“claiming that the destructive practice of mountaintop removal mining, blowing the tops off mountains to get at the coal beneath, performs the "necessary" function of creating flat land for development To tear treasure out of the bowels of the land was their desire, with no more moral purpose at the back of it than there is in burglars breaking into a safe.”

Desire Purpose Moral Practice Land Tears Development Safe Mountain Creating Function Treasure Destructive Flats Coal Removal Mining Bowels Burglars

Author:Joseph Conrad

“It is not part of the functions of the national government to find employment for people - and if we were to appropriate a hundred millions for this purpose, we should be taxing forty millions of people to keep a few thousand employed.”

People Ifs Should Government Purpose Millions Thousand Hundred Function Employment Appropriate Forty Employed

Author:James A. Garfield

“Painting doesn't have a function, not in the way that music or film does... I mean, you can dance to music. Music can be used for a soundtrack, so it has a function in that sense, beyond itself. But painting doesn't... But I do believe that painting has a purpose.”

Way Believe Mean Doe Film Used Purpose Painting Function Soundtracks

Author:Peter Doig

“Things don't have purposes, as if the universe were a machine, where every part has a useful function. What's the function of a galaxy? I don't know if our life has a purpose and I don't see that it matters. What does matter is that we're a part. Like a thread in a cloth or a grass-blade in a field. It is and we are. What we do is like wind blowing on the grass.”

Ifs Knows Doe Matter Purpose Universe Our Lives Fields Wind Machines Function Grass Thread Galaxy Blades Wind Blowing

Author:Ursula K. Le Guin

“Recognising that an ostentatious cult of heroism and state service served an important propaganda function for the British elite does not mean, of course, that we should dismiss it as artificial or insincere. All aristocracies have a strong military tradition, and for many British patricians the protracted warfare of the period was a godsend. It gave them a job, and, more important, a purpose, an opportunity to carry out what they had been trained to do since childhood: ride horses, fire guns, exercise their undoubted physical courage and tell other people what to do.”

“Technology has no function except to save labor. Yet how often do we hear that the purpose of new capital formation is to create jobs?”

Wisdom Jobs Purpose Politics Technology Economy Labor Function Liberalism Formation

Author:Louis O. Kelso

“It goes beyond mere 'acknowledgment' of religion because its sole purpose is to encourage all citizens to engage in prayer, an inherently religious exercise that serves no secular function in this context. In this instance, the government has taken sides on a matter that must be left to individual conscience.”

Matter Government Purpose Individual Left Sides Religious Prayer Taken Atheism Citizens Exercise Conscience Function Mere Positive Atheism Instance Sole Secular Acknowledgment

Author:Barbara Brandriff Crabb

“Orchids manufacture their intricate devices from the common components of ordinary flowers, parts usually fitted for very different functions. If God had designed a beautiful machine to reflect his wisdom and power, surely he would not have used a collection of parts generally fashioned for other purposes. Orchids were not made by an ideal engineer; they are jury-rigged from a limited set of available components. Thus, they must have evolved from ordinary flowers.”

Source: The Panda's Thumb: More Reflections in Natural History

“The one function that most gods seem to have in common is to give human existence some ultimate purpose - and, while it is not possible to disprove an ultimate purpose, there does not seem to be any evidence for it. This is not to say, of course, that there is no purpose in life at all: we all make our own purposes as we go through life. And life does not lose its value simply because it it not going to last forever.”

Giving Humans Doe Seems Lasts Purpose Values Courses Loses Common Existence Forever Atheism Evidence Ultimate Function Positive Atheism Purpose Of Life Human Existence

Author:Barbara Smoker

“In the beginning, there were no reasons; there were only causes. Nothing had a purpose, nothing has so much as a function; there was no teleology in the world at all.”

World Reason Purpose Religion Causes Function No Reason

Book:Consciousness Explained

Source: Consciousness Explained

“When people commit themselves to a certain vision of reality, it becomes their ultimate explainer. It serves to interpret the universe for them, to guide their moral decisions, to give meaning and purpose to life, and all the other functions normally associated with a religion.”

People Giving Reality Purpose Certain Universe Decision Moral Vision Ultimate Function Guides Commit Moral Decisions

Book:Finding Truth: 5 Principles for Unmasking Atheism, Secularism, and Other God Substitutes

Source: Finding Truth: 5 Principles for Unmasking Atheism, Secularism, and Other God Substitutes

“I feel badly for them, not sorry, but badly, because I think they've been given poor breaks and difficult, not sufficient opportunity to be who they are and sort of put into that straitjacket with the tie, and all of the things that is really built like a straitjacket when you look at it, and tied up in a sort of a way where their purpose had to be slimmed down to just certain things, and function pared down to the linear, and it is very difficult for men.”

Thinking Men Way Feels Looks Purpose Certain Opportunity Given Difficult Poor Break Built Function Sorry Ties Sufficient Tied Linear Tied Up Not Sorry

Author:Maya Tiwari

“Whoever considers morality the main objective of human existence, seems to me like a person who defines the purpose of a clock asnot going wrong. The first objective for a clock, is, however, that it does run; not going wrong is an additional regulative function. If not a watch's greatest accomplishment were not going wrong, unwound watches might be the best.”

“When Western people train the mind, the focus is generally on the left hemisphere of the cortex, which is the portion of the brainthat is concerned with words and numbers. We enhance the logical, bounded, linear functions of the mind. In the East, exercises of this sort are for the purpose of getting in tune with the unconscious--to get rid of boundaries, not to create them.”

People Mind Purpose Left Numbers Focus Exercise Concerned Function Train Western East Boundaries Unconscious Tunes Logical Portions Linear Hemisphere

Author:Edward T. Hall

“Uses are always much broader than functions, and usually far less contentious. The word function carries overtones of purpose andpropriety, of concern with why something was developed rather than with how it has actually been found useful. The function of automobiles is to transport people and objects, but they are used for a variety of other purposes--as homes, offices, bedrooms, henhouses, jetties, breakwaters, even offensive weapons.”

Source: To Think: In Language, Learning and Education

“God, please use me" is the most powerful affirmation we can say for an abundant career. It is the miracle-worker's prayer. Everybody wants a great job. Accept that it's already been given you. The fact that you're alive means a function has been assigned to you: open your heart to everyone and everything. That way you're a vessel of God. Don't worry about what to say or what to do. He'll let you know.”

Source: A return to love: reflections on the principles of

“I am, in fact, the complete anti-Messiah, and detest converts almost as much as I detest missionaries. My writings, such as they are, have had only one purpose: to attain for H. L. Mencken that feeling of tension relieved and function achieved which a cow enjoys on giving milk.”

Giving Writing Facts Feelings Purpose Enjoy Function Tension Milk Cows Messiah Relieved Detest

Author:H. L. Mencken

“Mobile communications have two functions: as a safety net, and as a marketing tool. I think it'd be foolish to not carry one for safety sake. Using one for marketing is an optional activity, and I've generally stayed away from extensively using one for this purpose because it's a distraction.”

Thinking Two Purpose Communication Activity Tools Function Safety Sake Marketing Foolish Distraction Mobile Optional Safety Net

Author:Andrew Skurka

“Comedy is very strange to me and I don't fully understand it's purpose or function.”

Purpose Comedy Strange Function

Author:Bo Burnham

“All the new media will inevitably change the look, function, and maybe even the purpose of comics, but comics are vibrant and versatile, so I think they'll continue to find relevance one way or another. But they definitely won't be the same as what I grew up with.”

Thinking Way Looks Purpose Media Grew Grew Up Function One Way Relevance Versatile New Media

Author:Bill Watterson

“There is a universal element in man which he can assert by so acting as if the purpose of the Universe were also his purpose. It is the function of the supreme ordeals of life to develop in men this power, to give to their life this distinction, this height of dignity, these vast horizons.”

Ifs Men Giving Purpose Universe Acting Elements Dignity Universal Function Supreme Height Distinction Horizon Ordeals Acting As If

Book:Life and destiny

Source: Life and destiny

“Design always has a purpose, art has no purpose. That's really the difference between them. Do I think one is better than the other? Absolutely not. I think they both fulfill functions.”

Thinking Art Purpose Differences Design Function

Author:Paula Scher

“Having no purpose is the function of art, so somebody else can look at it and ask a question. Design is different - you're supposed to understand what's going on. You can be delighted by it, intrigued by it, but you're supposed to know it's a hot dog stand.”

Knows Looks Art Different Purpose Asks Dog Design Function Hot Delighted Intrigued Hot Dog

Author:Paula Scher

“If managers knew how deeply their behaviors could affect brain function - whether they are piling up too much work on someone or yelling at them for "motivational purposes", they would quit doing it.”

Ifs Purpose Brain Too Much Behavior Function Quitting Managers Yelling Too Much Work Brain Function

Author:John Medina

“There can be many bars, wires that keep a person trapped. All of them don't have to have been created for the purpose of harming or caging the bird, but they still serve that function.”

Persons Has Beens Stills Purpose Bird Function Bars Trapped Wire

Author:Michelle Alexander

People Helping Purpose Function Importance Curiosity Get Up Artistic Noses Popularity Classical Music Popular Music

Author:Andrea Bocelli

“Odd that the brain could function on its own, without acquainting him with its purposes, its reasons. But the brain was an organ, like the spleen, heart, kidneys. And they went about their private activities. So why not the brain?”

Heart Reason Purpose Brain Activity Function Odd Why Not Organs Kidneys Spleen

Book:The Man Who Japed

Source: The Man Who Japed

“Or maybe what he fears is just the opposite: that nobody is looking; that his death, like his life, is without purpose; that there is neither greater good nor evil--only people living and dying because their bodies function and then do not; that the universe is a rip.”

People Body Life Is Purpose Universe Evil Greater Dying Opposites Function Rip Greater Good

Author:Jonathan Safran Foer

“At first glance, the key and the lock it fits may seem very different," Sazed said. "Different in shape, different in function, different in design. The man who looks at them without knowledge of their true nature might think them opposites, for one is meant to open, and the other to keep closed. Yet, upon closer examination he might see that without one, the other becomes useless. The wise man then sees that both lock and key were created for the same purpose.”

Thinking Men Firsts Looks May Said Different Seems Might Purpose Wise Design Keys Fit Shapes Opposites Function Useless Locks Glances Examination True Nature Lock And Key

Book:Mistborn Trilogy

Source: Mistborn Trilogy

“Happinessis a byproduct of function. Those who seek happiness for itself seek victory without war.”

War Purpose Victory Conflict Function

Author:William S. Burroughs

“Wizards don't believe in gods in the same way that most people don't find it necessary to believe in, say, tables. They know they're there, they know they're there for a purpose, they'd probably agree that they have a place in a well-organised universe, but they wouldn't see the point of believing, of going around saying "O great table, without whom we are as naught." Anyway, either the gods are there whether you believe in them or not, or exist only as a function of the belief, so either way you might as well ignore the whole business and, as it were, eat off your knees.”

People Knows Way Believe Wells Whole Might Purpose Universe Belief Function Agree Tables Don't Believe Knees Believe In God Wizards Organised

Book:Reaper Man: A Novel of Discworld

Source: Reaper Man: A Novel of Discworld

“Everything in this business makes sense, because it serves a real purpose, fills a need that's a part of living. Even a single nail, like this one, fulfills a function. Drive it into a crucial place and you can depend on it to do a job, keep on doing it for a hundred years to come. Long after we're dead and gone, both of us.”

Needs Years Long Real Jobs Purpose Gone Depends Hundred Function Make Sense Crucial Nails

Book:Psycho: A Novel

Source: Psycho: A Novel

“I am a Prince," he replied, being rather dense. "It is the function of a Prince—value A—to kill monsters—value B—for the purpose of establishing order—value C—and maintaining a steady supply of maidens—value D. If one inserts the derivative of value A (Prince) into the equation y equals BC plus CD squared, and sets it equal to zero, giving the apex of the parabola, namely, the point of intersection between A (Prince) and B (Monster), one determines value E—a stable kingdom. It is all very complicated, and if you have a chart handy I can graph it for you.”

“A Soul Knowing: You are the sum total of the Body, Mind, and Soul, and each of these aspects of you has a purpose and a function, but only one has an agenda: the Soul.”

Mind Soul Body Purpose Knowing Aspect Function Agendas Mind Body And Soul

Author:Neale Donald Walsch

“One of the first things a relationship therapist learns is that couples argue to burn up energy that could be used for something else. In fact, arguments often serve the purpose of using up energy, so that the couple does not have to take the courageous, creative leap into an unknown they fear. Arguing serves the function of being a zone of familiarity into which you can retreat when you are afraid of making a creative breakthrough.”

Firsts Doe Facts Used Purpose Energy Marriage Creative Couple Argument Function Arguing Zone Courageous Leap Retreat Breakthrough Familiarity Therapists

Author:Gay Hendricks

“What we call knowledge does not and cannot have the purpose of producing representations of an independent reality, but instead has an adaptive function.”

Doe Reality Purpose Knowledge Function Independent Representation Adaptive

Author:Ernst von Glasersfeld

“A function of free speech under our system of government is to invite dispute. It may indeed best serve its high purpose when it invites a condition of unrest, creates dissatisfaction with conditions as they are, or even stirs people to anger. Speech is often provocative and challenging. It may strike at prejudices and preconceptions and have profound unsettling effects as it passes for acceptance of an idea.”

“There is only one purpose for all of life, and that is for you and all that lives to experience fullest glory...everything else you say, think, or do is attendant to that function. There is nothing else for your soul to do, and nothing else your soul wants to do.”

Thinking Want Soul Purpose Glory Experience Function Your Soul

Book:Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue

Source: Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue

“When the function of libraries is put in terms of their contributions to the community, people see their centrality. The challenge to us is to continue to help them see it in those terms to describe our larger purposes. We must assert that libraries are central to the quality of life in our society; that libraries have a direct role in preserving democratic freedoms. Free access to information and the opportunity of every individual to improve his or her mind, employment prospects, and lifestyle are fundamental rights in our society.”

“Human beings are compelled to adopt a belief system; some paradigm to provide meaning, purpose, and understanding to our lives. A quick survey of the world shows that pretty much any idea will do - it need not reflect reality or truth, merely function to fascinate, distract, and compel. We are designed for belief, not for truth.”

World Needs Humans Ideas Shows Reality Purpose Belief Understanding Human Beings Our Lives Function Compelled Paradigm Surveys Belief Systems

Author:Terry Rossio

“Because its purpose is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two - and only these two — basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are 'costs'.”

Two Purpose Results Produce Cost Function Innovation Marketing Customers

Author:Peter Drucker

“My fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe; who presides in the councils of nations; and whose providential aid can supply every human defect; that his benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the People of the United States, a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes, and may enable every instrument employed in its administration to execute with success the functions allotted to his charge. In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good.”

“The word dysfunction has, I think, served its purpose and now has lost its meaning. Every family, like every person, is imperfect, after all. The idea that there is a family somewhere who functions, is an odd concept. In my youth I was running from my family to try to find out who I was-their influence distracted me. Now I see what a powerful hold they have, no matter what.”

Thinking Trying Persons Ideas Matter Running Purpose Lost Powerful Influence Youth Concepts My Family Function No Matter What Odd Imperfect Distracted Dysfunction

Author:Susan Minot

“The purpose and function of government is not to preside over change but to prevent change. By political methods when unavoidable, by violence when convenient.”

Government Political Purpose Violence Function Method Convenient

Book:A Voice Crying in the Wilderness

Source: A Voice Crying in the Wilderness

“The people, especially when moderately instructed, are the only safe, because the only honest, depositaries of the public rights, and should therefore be introduced into the administration of them in every function to which they are sufficient; they will err sometimes and accidentally, but never designedly, and with a systematic and persevering purpose of overthrowing the free principles of the government.”

People Should Sometimes Government Purpose Principles Rights Honest Safe Function Administration Sufficient Systematic Consent Of The Governed

Book:The writings of Thomas Jefferson

Source: The writings of Thomas Jefferson

“A restaurant wine list is praised and given awards for reasons that have little to do with its real purpose, as if it existed only to be admired passively, like a stamp collection. A wine list is good only when it functions well in tandem with a menu.”

Ifs Wells Littles Real Reason Purpose Given Function Wine Lists Restaurants Collections Awards Stamps Menus Tandem

Author:Gerald Asher

“That which is useless dies. Animals that fail to serve some useful purpose in the scheme of things slowly but surely become extinct. Let any part of the human body cease to perform its ordained function, and it withers-as when an arm is kept long in a sling. This same decree, that nothing useless is permitted to survive, runs through the mind of the industrial world.”

World Mind Humans Long Body Running Purpose Dies Animal Failing Failure Arms Survival Function Cease Useless Schemes Human Body Decree Slowly But Surely

Author:B. C. Forbes

Function Quotes

Related topics

Function Quotes