Famous quotes
Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,158,269 quotes Who coined it · How we decide
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Peace
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“Sam stood in the center of the church, listening for the presence of God. It was a hot place. The air was blue with floating radioisotopes. She glanced up at the clouds and they staggered by as if the walls were falling in on her. She looked away quickly. The air flowed around her, calm and peaceful and blue. But there was no divine presence.”
Michael Swanwick (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I am by nature and inclination a peaceful man, the sworn enemy to disputes, lawsuits and quarrels both public and private.”
Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) first seen 1635 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: In a letter to his friend Peiresc, May 1635, as quoted in 'La casa di Pietro Paolo Rubens a Roma', L'Opinione 245, 6 September, 1887
“Inspiration is pervasive but not a power. It's a peaceful thing. It is a consolation even to plants and animals. Do not think that it is unique. If it were unique no one would be able to respond to your work.”
Agnes Martin (1912–2004) said by 2004 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It’s also important for Washington to hold quiet consultations with Beijing to prepare jointly for a unified Korea under Seoul’s direction, a new polity that will be free, peaceful, capitalist, pro-U.S. and pro-China.”
Sung-Yoon Lee (born 1901) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I hope that the team on the other side (Mainland China) can cooperate with us to contribute to the peaceful development of relations across the (Taiwan) strait, safeguard cross-strait security, and develop ideas for co-existence and mutual prosperity.”
Chen Ming-tong (born 1955) first seen 2018 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Chen Ming-tong (2018) cited in "Taiwan's China policy agency hoping to work with Beijing counterpart" on Focus Taiwan, 19 March 2018.
“I could not lead a happy, peaceful life when the working population was so terribly enslaved.”
Alexandra Kollontai (1872–1952) said by 1952 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There's something about the water - that solitary kind of peaceful feeling. You're on Earth, but not quite.”
John C. Reilly (born 1965) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The picture of a naked girl is the most peaceful, but also the most unveiling image you can create, so it is very powerful. [...] We live in a patriarchal system where the is totally controlled and used. Women are ashamed of their bodies, and this is a deep problem. We are slaves of men because we do not control our sexuality.”
Oksana Shachko (1987–2018) said by 2018 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“BDS is an entirely peaceful strategy and yet it is still dismissed as beyond the pale, raising the question: what exactly is a legitimate form of Palestinian resistance?”
Owen Jones (born 1984) first seen 2021 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Denied a state, Palestinians are now denied a say in their own future", The Guardian (19 November 2021).
“The whole world will smile at you when your heart is peaceful and your mind is clean. When you can smile at yourself, not a single trouble in the world will affect you. When you are sincere to yourself, no one in the world can deceive you.”
Jun Hong Lu (1959–2021) first seen 2017 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Malaysia, (28 August 2017).
“A lesson from this great novelist: The classical liberal tradition is what made us a free, peaceful and prosperous country. We should cherish it and proudly proclaim the moral high ground when defending this tradition against those who want to impose Big Government upon us.”
Maxime Bernier (born 1963) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 19 September 2016 quoted by Mike Strobel of Toronto Sun
“Kinmen will become a rapidly developing free economic pilot zone and base for peaceful cross-strait development.”
Chen Fu-hai (born 1963) first seen 2014 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Chen Fu-hai (2014) cited in "Inauguration Speech of the Sixth Kinmen County Magistrate" on Kinmen County Government, 24 November 2015.
“[D]rivers who feel their lives are in danger from a violent mob should not stop their vehicles. I remember Reginald Denny, a truck driver who was beaten nearly to death by a mob during the 1992 Los Angeles riots... I have always supported peaceful protests, speaking out against police militarization and excessive police violence.”
Glenn Reynolds (born 1960) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Statement from Glenn Reynolds" (22 September 2016), USA Today
“The explosion of peaceful, mass revolt which has ended Soviet rule from Berlin to Bucharest - and will shortly end it also from Lvov to Vladivostok - was set off not by the eloquence of charismatic leaders, not by hatred of the oppressors, not by hope of gain, but by that tiny yet searing flame which is in us all, and which no Niagara of oppression, hunger or torture can ever extinguish.”
Bernard Levin (1928–2004) first seen 1989 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: From Spark to Furnace", The Times (26 December 1989).
“The peaceful Indian Mussalman, descended beyond doubt from Hindu ancestors, was dressed up in the garb of a foreign barbarian, as a breaker of temples, and an eater of beef, and declared to be a military colonist in the land where he had lived for about thirty or forty centuries…. The result of it is seen in the communalistic atmosphere of India today.”
Mohammad Habib (1895–1971) said by 1971 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I believe that the peaceful development of cross-strait ties will continue to be deepened and institutionalized.”
Lien Chan (born 1936) first seen 2013 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Lien Chan (2013) cited in "Hu Jintao meets Lien Chan, urging further co-op" on China Daily, 26 February 2013.
“A US backed coup in Venezuela is not a solution to the dire issues they face. Trump's efforts to install a far right opposition will only incite violence and further destabilize the region. We must support Mexico, Uruguay & the Vatican's efforts to facilitate a peaceful dialogue.”
Ilhan Omar (born 1982) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Twitter feed, as reported by Fox News (Jan 24, 2019), reacting to the 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis
“First and foremost - our vision for a united and peaceful Georgia is based on respect for the desire - and respect for the right - to South Ossetian autonomy.”
Mikheil Saakashvili (born 1967) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in "Remarks of the President of Georgia H.E. Mikheil Saakashvili to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe" (26 January 2005), ReliefWeb
“The (2020 Republic of China presidential) election is a choice between a peaceful Taiwan Strait or a Taiwan Strait filled with crisis.”
Han Kuo-yu (born 1957) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Han Kuo-yu (2019) cited in "Han Kuo-yu formally nominated as KMT presidential candidate" on Focus Taiwan, 28 July 2019.
“We were 12 peaceful volunteers sailing on a civilian ship carrying humanitarian aid on international waters… We did not break laws. We did nothing wrong.” — after her deportation/interception in international waters.”
Greta Thunberg (born 2003) first seen 2025 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: We did nothing wrong’: Greta Thunberg accuses Israel of kidnapping yacht crew The guardian news (10 Jun 2025)
“We were 12 peaceful volunteers sailing on a civilian ship carrying humanitarian aid on international waters. We did not break laws. We did nothing wrong.”
Greta Thunberg (born 2003) first seen 2025 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: We did nothing wrong’: Greta Thunberg accuses Israel of kidnapping yacht crew The guaedian news (10 Jun 2025)
“Now I know that folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now. I get it. But we must accept the results of this election. Earlier today, I spoke with President-Elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition. And that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.”
Kamala Harris (born 1964) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“They were simply targeted for being Muslims, as they paid respects to God. My own late father never missed Friday prayers. I often joined him, and I fondly look back on the peaceful moments we shared.”
Sajid Javid (born 1969) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Christchurch shootings: Sajid Javid warns tech giants over footage, BBC News, 16 March 2019
“[to the Iranians] You want to be wiped out? [...] Go ahead and take a tough position and continue with your nuclear development. You want to be peaceful? Just reverse it all, and we will guarantee you that you can have a nuclear power plant for electricity purposes, energy purposes.”
Sheldon Adelson (1933–2021) first seen 2013 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Comments at forum "Iran, Assimilation and the Threat to Israel and Jewish Survival" at New York's Yeshiva University, as cited in "Sheldon Adelson calls on US to nuke Iranian desert", The Times of Israel (24 October 201…
“I like living in a town not dominated by cars. I like living in a small community where artists from around the world come and go. I like living in a town with big sky and big clouds, and where you can connect with things of the spirit easily. It’s both stimulating and peaceful all at once. It makes me want to write.”
Sandra Cisneros (born 1954) first seen 2018 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On what inspired her essay collection A House of My Own in “Interview with Sandra Cisneros” in Latino Book Review (2018 Oct 1)
“Children, everybody, here's what to do during war: In a time of destruction, create something. A poem. A parade. A community. A school. A vow. A moral principle. One peaceful moment. (Epilogue)”
Maxine Hong Kingston (born 1940) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I’m the most peaceful when I go to Hawaii because I fit in there as a biracial or “hapa” person. No one there questions my Asian-ness, and in fact, I feel my ethnicity is embraced and accepted…”
Dmae Roberts wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“An armed society is a polite society, and the not-so-wild West was rather peaceful, in spite of Hollywood’s violent portrayal. As a legacy, in the rural West where every household still has firearms, crime is less than in eastern cities.”
Mary Ruwart (born 1949) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Government is, and always has been, the greatest criminal threat to the peaceful members of society.”
Richard Ebeling (born 1950) first seen 1997 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Jacob G. Hornberger, editor, The Tyranny of Gun Control, “Introduction,” Fairfax, VA, Future of Freedom Foundation (FFF), (1997) p. xii
“He (Benoit) was peaceful and kept to himself. I think it had to be something personal, a domestic problem between him and his wife. She was into devil-worship stuff. It was part of her (wrestling) character, but (she was) somebody who gets so close to their character, someone who gets into their character too much. Sometimes these people believe their own publicity.”
Hulk Hogan (1953–2025) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 5 July 2007 regarding Chris Benoit and Nancy Benoit after their 22 June 2007 deaths
“At President @realDonaldTrump’s direction, the National Guard is on the way along with other federal protective services. We reiterate President Trump’s call against violence and to remain peaceful.”
Kayleigh McEnany (born 1988) first seen 2021 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: via a Twitter tweet posted January 6, 2021, in reference to the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
“How can you remain so calm? What if they come crashing in here and arrest all of us? They gazed at me patiently, then Father Sanchez spoke. Don't confuse calmness with carelessness. Our peaceful countenance is a measure of how well we are connected with the energy. We stay connected because it is the best thing for us to do, regardless of the circumstances. You understand that, don't you?”
James Redfield (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The succession of events since 1914 has swept away so many illusions that even a summary inspection of the heap of ideological ruins would demand the compilation of a veritable encyclopaedia. The summer of 1914 witnessed the collapse of all those hopes which had been built on a peaceful evolution of the capitalist world, and it also witnessed the breakdown of .”
Lucien Laurat (1898–1973) said by 1973 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In a lot of ways this music is soothing. I think there’s a place for music that is peaceful and soulful unto the spirit. After plane bombings, AIDS and everything that has come upon us in this decade, I think we can use a little solace and reflection.”
Dan Hartman (1950–1994) first seen 1989 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On what he aimed to communicate with his album New Green Clear Blue in “Dan Hartman Manages to Turn a Career Valley into Peak” in Mohave Daily Miner (1989 Mar 7)
“As long as Russia does not commit a hostile act, I believe that our stand, directed towards localization, must remain peaceful, too.”
Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg (1856–1921) first seen 1914 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Letter to the Kaiser (26 July 1914), quoted in Konrad H. Jarauschl, ‘The Illusion of Limited War: Chancellor Bethmann Hollweg's Calculated Risk, July 1914’, Central European History, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Mar., 1969), p. 63
“Police doctrine is, even if you’re waiting for someone to do something violent to your suspect, you should de-escalate the situation because at the very least a peaceful solution produces a ton less paperwork.”
Ben Aaronovitch (born 1964) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I only believe in peaceful demonstration. I do not support violence: We saw a tremendous amount of voter fraud”
Marjorie Taylor Greene (born 1974) first seen 2022 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene testifies she doesn't remember her actions leading up to January 6" CNN (April 22, 2022)
“I was so thankful to just be alive. Things that bothered me before... nothing, I have become much more peaceful and less worried about anything.”
Caren Marsh Doll (born 1919) first seen 1999 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Survivors’ Tales (August 4, 1999)
“No. I have run away from a lot of publicity. I have tried my best to come back to my desk again. I needed a peaceful corner of my own for my next work. But it took time. Now I am adjusting myself to these new circumstances. I will try to write my next book as soon as possible.”
Han Kang (born 1970) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the issue of her publicity in "Korea's Kafka? Man Booker winner Han Kang on why she turns a woman into a plant" in Deutsche Welle (September 12, 2016)
“This called for more endurance and patience on their part while peaceful processes were being carried out. But if and when revolution broke out, it was God’s will and would be a fight to the finish irrespective of consequences.”
Marcelo H. del Pilar (1850–1896) first seen 1891 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Marcelo H. del Pilar, "Our Anxieties", La Solidaridad, Year VII. No.64 (15 September 1891)
“Belgium then had the wisdom not to oppose the current of history, and-a deed without precedent in the story of peaceful decolonisation-she let our country pass directly from foreign domination to full independence.”
Joseph Kasa-Vubu (1910–1969) said by 1969 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We have the big challenge of poverty; I mean material poverty. It is a country of tremendous historical riches and values since the time of the apostolic age; peaceful coexistence among the different religions like Christianity with Muslims, and so on. These are great riches which Ethiopia can share with many parts of Africa and the world.”
Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel (born 1948) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Ethiopian Cardinal Discusses Hope of Peace and What He Learned From St. John Paul II (October 22, 2019)
“I have always maintained an unwavering resolve to set such an example to insure that a tradition of peaceful changes of administrations, which is the long cherished goal of the 40-year political history of the republic, will evolve and take hold in this land. In fact, I have always run the affairs of state with that goal in mind.”
Chun Doo-hwan (1931–2021) said by 2021 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Fellow citizens, we must all realize that both the fruit of the growth that we have achieved thus far and the opportunity at hand to make a big leap forward are too precious to spoil. Not only I, but all citizens, deeply desire to successfully carry out sustained economic development, a peaceful change of administrations, and the '88 Olympics that will be a catalyst for national prosperity.”
Chun Doo-hwan (1931–2021) said by 2021 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Humanitarian aid by a country that is selling weapons to mercenaries, which they are using to strike a civilian peaceful population? I propose that Israel send that aid to the mercenaries and to the terrorists as the logical continuation of its activities.”
Nikol Pashinyan (born 1975) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: In an interview with Jerusalem Post (November 3, 2020)
“With so many wars and conflicts affecting millions of innocent people all around the world, sport has the ability to bring the whole world together in peaceful competition”
Kirsty Coventry (born 1983) first seen 2025 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: IOC President welcomes NOC of Palestine to Olympic House,01 October 2025
“With regard to the industrial and commercial relations that China seeks to create in Europe, and the agents that it would like to recruit there for internal works or its administration, Belgium can offer it resources equal to those of the States of first order. In addition, the country's situation, its essentially peaceful character, precludes any possibility of political conflict.”
Auguste, Baron Lambermont (1819–1905) first seen 1819 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: All the King's Men' A search for the colonial ideas of some advisers and "accomplices" of Leopold II (1853-1892). (Hannes Vanhauwaert), 6. Baron Auguste Lambermont (1819-1905), A key figure in the background of early Be…
“The objective should be to save the life of Father Sinnott and also those of his kidnappers. Every human life is sacred. We pray and hope that negotiations begin soon and will lead to a peaceful solution.”
Emmanuel Cabajar (born 1942) first seen 2009 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Bishop fears for health of kidnapped priest in the Philippines (October 22, 2009)
“We resolutely defend the country's sovereignty, but advocate the settlement of territorial disputes by peaceful means.”
Nguyễn Thị Bình (born 1927) first seen 2014 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Bài phát biểu của bà Nguyễn Thị Bình, nguyên Phó Chủ tịch nước, tại Đại hội đại biểu toàn quốc Liên hiệp các tổ chức hữu nghị Việt Nam lần thứ V" (March 1, 2014)
“Botswana is a country of morals, respect and pride. It is truly a beautiful peaceful country that has earned its name in the global village.”
Emma Wareus (born 1990) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source